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North Korea
Satellite Launch Attempted
The government of North Korea appears to have successfully launched a satellite into orbit, after previously issuing a warning to neighboring countries. North Korea attempted unsuccessful satellite launches in May and August of this year. The notification from North Korea, similarly to August, included guidance on where rocket debris could potentially fall to Earth, including locations in the Yellow Sea and the Pacific Ocean. South Korean and Japanese analysts monitoring the launch say there is no indication of the rocket having broken apart like during previous attempts. North Korea’s leadership openly stated its intent to launch a military reconnaissance satellite, and international observers believe these launches are attempts to test ballistic missile technology in violation of a ban imposed on the country by the United Nations. Military officials from Japan, South Korea, and the United States are coordinating their efforts to address the situation.
This map depicts the areas where the North Korean government had provided guidance on rocket debris potentially falling from this morning’s satellite launch attempt, as well as the borders of Japanese territorial waters over which the rocket may have flown. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Japan News
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Italy
230+ Convicted in Mass Mafia Trial
In one of the country’s largest-ever mafia trials, a court in Italy has convicted more than 230 defendants representing the ‘Ndrangheta crime group, from the southern region of Calabria. More than 330 suspected mobsters and their alleged associates, including white-collar professionals, had been facing an array of charges, including extortion, drug trafficking, and theft, in a trial that lasted almost three years. The chief prosecutor of Naples stated that confirming the connection between the ‘Ndrangheta and a network of professionals was a crucial aspect of this verdict, highlighting the mob’s broad influence over the politics and society of southern Italy. The sentences marked a blow to the ‘Ndrangheta, considered by prosecutors to be one of Europe’s most influential criminal organizations. It is estimated to control as much as 80% of Europe’s cocaine market.
This map depicts Italy’s main mafia groups, and the region of origin of each mafia clan. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: France24
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Space
Laser-Beamed Message Received
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Psyche spacecraft has transmitted a laser-beamed message to Earth from beyond the Moon for the first time. This transmission was accomplished by Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) using a near-infrared laser from 10 million miles away (16 million km). According to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA, this is the farthest position from the Earth and beyond the Moon that such communications have been attempted. The message was received on Earth by the Hale Telescope at Caltech (California Institute of Technology). DSOC is a technological component included with the Psyche spacecraft, which is on a journey to the asteroid Psyche. This has been seen as a major accomplishment by NASA officials towards establishing higher-data-rate communications, streaming video, and HD imagery with far-distant spacecraft.
This map depicts the architecture in place that received the laser-beam message. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What country has the world’s largest páramo (alpine tundra) ecosystem?
A: Colombia
Páramo ecosystems are tropical alpine grasslands located in the Andean mountain range, between the timberline (about 10,000 feet) and the snowline (about 16,000 feet) with an average rainfall of about 80 inches per year. Their unique vegetation and soil characteristics, in combination with low temperature and abundant precipitation, create the most advantageous conditions for regulating and storing surface and groundwater. The páramo ecosystem is largely found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, with over 60% calling Colombia home. This high-altitude Andean region is home to over 3,000 different plant species, with 86% of its flowering plants being endemic to the ecosystem and found nowhere else on Earth. Aside from water regulation, the páramos are powerful carbon sinks. Because of the dense vegetation and peatland found in the páramos, the ecosystem captures and stores significant amounts of carbon dioxide and plays a vital role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. According to scientists, páramos may be “evolutionary hot spots”, therefore one of the fastest evolving regions on Earth.
Source
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Q: What country established the largest community in the whole of Antarctica?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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