Sci-Tech

HKU Scientists Find New Galaxy Closest Ever to the Earth

The discovery of a new ring galaxy which arose from a galactic collision， the closest ever to the earth， was announced by the University of Hong Kong （HKU） in mid-August. The newlyformed ring galaxy was found by chance by a team of astronomers led by Prof. Quentin Parker of the HKU and Prof. Albert Zijlstra of the University of Manchester during a special wide-field survey of the Southern Milky Way.

The ring is called “Kathryn s Wheel.” The results were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. According to HKU， shock-waves from the collision compress reservoirs of gas in each galaxy and trigger the formation of new stars. This creates a spectacular ring of intense emissions， and lights up the system like a Catherine wheel on Guy Fawkes Day. Galaxies grow through collisions， but it is rare to catch one in the process， and extremely rare to see a bulls-eye collision in progress.

Parker stated that the basic discovery happened some years ago and that the follow-up analysis and interpretation that ensued are fundamental to all science. “Before you announce a lovely discovery you have to spend a lot of time doing careful follow-up observations to confirm the discovery，” Parker said.

He added that he hoped this discovery will help to motivate more talented young people to pursue scientific endeavors.

China Wins Four Gold Medals in World Skills Competition

The 43rd World Skills Competition closed on August 17， 2015 in Brazils largest city Sao Paulo， with China scoring four gold medals in manufacturing， welding， hairdressing， and car painting. In addition to gold medals， competitors from Chinese delegation also won six silver medals， three bronze medals and 12 Medals for Excellence.

“The contestants demonstrated their potential. Though we have advanced in some categories， no major breakthrough was apparent. We expect to achieve better results in the future，” said Tang Tao， vice-minister of Human Resources and Social Security. The Albert Vidal Award， or the highest individual almighty prize， was shared by competitors from Britain， Brazil and South Korea. China has“gradually progressed” in the biennial World Skills Competition， billed as the “Olympics of Skills.” It has skilled talents in one fourth of the competing fields， while performing above average in other fields， said Simon Bartley， president of the Amsterdam-based World Skills International. This was the first time that the competition was held in Latin America， with the highest number of participants in its history. A total of 1，192 contestants from 59 countries and regions demonstrated their skills during the four-day agenda.endprint

CMA， NOAA Extend Protocol to Deepen Co-op

In the afternoon of September 1 local time， the China Meteorological Administration（CMA） and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration （NOAA） signed an Agreement to Extend the Protocol on Cooperation in the Field of Atmospheric Science and Technology between China and the U.S.， and the Meeting Minutes of the 19th Joint Working Group （JWG） meeting.

Dr. Zheng Guoguang， chief of the CMA， Dr. Kathryn Sullivan， chief of the NOAA， and Dr. Holly Bamford， NOAA representative， signed the Agreement on behalf of both sides. Dr. Zheng Guoguang， director of the JWGs Chinese team， and Louis Uccellini， assistant administrator of the NOAA and director of the JWGs American team， signed the meeting minutes.

According to the meeting minutes， the two sides will engage in scientific and technological cooperation in six fields – climate and monsoon， development research， numerical forecasting， meteorological modernization， satellite meteorology， and training and participation.

Zheng Guoguang and Louis Uccellini also exchanged views and reached a consensus on improving cooperative mechanism， expanding the scope of cooperation， conducting meteorological modernization， and enhancing communication within international organizations.

Since the signing of the Protocol on Cooperation in the Field of Atmospheric Science and Technology in 1979， China and the U.S. have developed extensive and effective cooperation， which both governments regard very highly.

During the seventh round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue in June 2015， four cooperative proposals were included in the list of cooperative activities： joint research into disastrous weather monitoring， joint research into greenhouse gas monitoring， climate science and climate services， and space-based weather forecasting and services.

China Tests Deepsea Mining Exploration Vehicle

The first-phase trials of Chinas independently developed autonomous underwater vehicle （AUV） in the South China Sea has concluded， according to a statement released by the General Office of the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association on August 21.

The deepsea mining exploration vehicle， which is designed to reach depths of up to 4，500 meters， recorded a maximum depth of 4，446 meters over 15 dives spanning 35 days. With the ability to detect hydrothermal fluids， as well as photograph and survey terrain and relief， the vehicle will explore sea areas rich in sulfide deposits that contain various metals. The functionality testing included deployment and retrieval， deepsea navigation， and optical and acoustic detection. The vehicle will undergo its secondand third-phase trials in the southwestern Indian Ocean in November.endprint