The Kopp-Etchells Effect

A remarkable occurrence takes place when military helicopters descend in dusty desert environments. As the blades make contact with the ground, they create a stunning halo of light during nighttime. Although observers and pilots initially lacked a specific term for this phenomenon, various theories existed.

Photographer and war correspondent Michael Yon witnessed this effect while covering the conflict in Afghanistan and dubbed it the Kopp-Etchells effect, named to honor American soldier Cpl. Benjamin Kopp and British soldier Cpl. Joseph Etchells, who both lost their lives in Afghanistan in July 2009.

Typically visible in areas with significant dust and powerful military helicopters, the reason behind the halos remained a mystery for a while. One theory suggested it was due to static electricity from friction, while another posited that the blades propelled dust particles so quickly that they combusted like meteors in the atmosphere. However, the true cause of the halo was linked to the material on the helicopter’s blades.

The rotor blades of military helicopters feature a protective leading edge strip made of nickel on the outer part and titanium on the inner part. The hardness of titanium and nickel is much less than that of sand, primarily composed of quartz. As the sand strikes the metal, it erodes the surface. When sand impacts the titanium leading edge, it generates sparks and oxidizes as small bits of metal are lost, resulting in a halo of sparks as the blades spin.

Van Gogh’s Hidden Portrait

In July 2022, an 1885 painting by Vincent van Gogh titled Head of a Peasant Woman, housed in the National Galleries of Scotland, underwent x-ray examination, revealing a concealed self-portrait of the artist beneath it.

While the x-ray image of Van Gogh’s self-portrait wasn’t perfectly clear, it indicated that he had a beard and wore a neckerchief and a wide-brimmed hat, similar to poses seen in his other self-portraits created in Paris. Van Gogh frequently repurposed canvases or painted on their reverse to economize.

The National Galleries of Scotland estimates that this self-portrait likely dates back to 1887, although a conclusive date remains elusive. It is believed to have been lost in 1905 when Head of a Peasant Woman was lent to an exhibition in Amsterdam by Jo Bonger, Van Gogh’s sister-in-law. The canvas appears to have been affixed to cardboard before framing.

The Head of a Peasant Woman was painted in March or April of 1885, depicting Gordina de Groot, a woman Van Gogh was rumored to have had an affair with, according to villagers in Nuenen, the location of Van Gogh’s parents. The artist denied these allegations, and de Groot also appeared in one of his earlier works, The Potato Eaters.

Gallery conservators are currently assessing whether the cardboard and adhesive layers can be removed without harming the painting, though the condition of the self-portrait remains uncertain.

Breaking the 100 km/h and 60 mph Barrier

In 1899, an extraordinary achievement was recorded in automotive history. Belgian race car driver Camille Jenatzy became the first person to drive a vehicle exceeding 100 km/h (60 mph) using an electric car.

Despite the automobile's nascent stage, drivers were already pushing its limits. Jenatzy was among them, competing against Frenchman Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat, who had established the first speed record in December 1898 in an electric car named Jeantaud.

The competition began when the French car magazine La France Automobile organized a speed contest in Achères, France. De Chasseloup-Laubat achieved an average speed of 63.13 km/h (39 mph) over a one-kilometer distance.

Less than a month later, Jenatzy broke the record with a speed of 66.66 km/h (41.42 mph) in his electric car called GCA Dogcart. The rivalry continued, with de Chasseloup-Laubat responding with 70.31 km/h (43.68 mph), followed by Jenatzy at 80.35 km/h (49.92 mph), only to be surpassed again by de Chasseloup-Laubat at 92.78 km/h (57.65 mph).

His record stood for six weeks until Jenatzy returned to Achères with a self-engineered electric car resembling a torpedo. Constructed from an aluminum, tungsten, and magnesium alloy, it featured two direct-drive electric motors connected to the rear axle, operating at 200 volts and drawing 124 amps each, approximately 67 horsepower. Jenatzy also upgraded the tires to inflatable Michelin ones.

On April 29, 1899, Jenatzy raced his torpedo-like vehicle to a speed of 105.88 km/h (65.79 mph), breaking the 100 km/h and 60 mph barriers for the first time. His record remained unbroken for nearly three years until Frenchman Leon Serpollet surpassed it with a speed of 120.80 km/h (75.06 mph) in a steam-powered vehicle. Serpollet’s record, however, was short-lived, as American William K. Vanderbilt reclaimed the title in August 1902, achieving a speed of 122.438 km/h (76.079 mph).

The Farthest Point From Land

Point Nemo holds the title for the most isolated location on Earth, situated in the Pacific Ocean at coordinates 48°52.6?S 123°23.6?W. It lies approximately 2,688 kilometers (1,670 miles) from the nearest land, Ducie Island, part of the Pitcairn Islands, considered one of the most remote inhabited regions worldwide. The name was inspired by Captain Nemo from Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. In Latin, “Nemo” translates to “no one,” aptly describing this desolate part of the ocean.

Point Nemo was first identified in 1992 through a computer program by survey engineer Hrvoje Lukatela. Positioned in the South Pacific Gyre, it has minimal marine life due to nutrient-poor waters and is instead littered with microplastics. Interestingly, the closest humans to this ocean point are those aboard the International Space Station when it flies overhead.

The area is also notorious for being a graveyard for space debris from fallen satellites, with over 263 pieces since 1971. Notable items include Russia’s Mir space station and NASA’s Skylab. This spot is even slated to be the final resting place for the International Space Station after its retirement in 2030, expected to crash in this area in 2031. Its remoteness makes it an ideal location for disposing of space junk.

A Widely-Used Book That Took a Long Time to Complete

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is recognized as the most comprehensive and precise English language dictionary available. Its creation spanned an impressive 71 years, from 1857 to 1928.

In 1857, the Philological Society of London initiated a project aimed at compiling a more exhaustive English dictionary, viewing existing ones as insufficient. However, it took another 22 years before actual work began, in an agreement with Oxford University Press and James A. H. Murray to produce what would be known as the New English Dictionary.

This dictionary was intended to consist of four volumes and 6,400 pages, documenting English vocabulary from 1150 AD onward, including earlier words still in use during the Early Middle English period.

Though initially estimated for completion in about ten years, within five years, Murray and his team had only progressed to the word “ant,” highlighting the need for an extended timeline. They faced challenges in keeping up with both new vocabulary and the historical usage of words over the preceding 700 years.

The first part of the Oxford English Dictionary, referred to as the first “fascicle,” was published in 1884. It fell short of the anticipated comprehensiveness, prompting continued work for another four decades. Alongside Murray, three additional editors joined the effort, each supported by around six assistants. Despite the Philological Society’s role in initiating the project, it largely became an Oxford undertaking, evident in 1895 when the title The Oxford English Dictionary first appeared on the cover of the fascicle deceit-deject.

After 71 years of dedicated labor, the 125th and final fascicle was completed in 1928. However, it was officially titled A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, comprising ten volumes that documented over 400,000 words in the English language.

One of the Most Mysterious Stars Ever Discovered

In June 2019, astronomer Hugh Osborn discovered an unusual star that has puzzled scientists and defied straightforward explanation. Various theories have been proposed to account for its peculiar behavior, yet each theory encounters challenges in validation.

This star, known as HD 139139 and located 350 light-years from Earth, displayed 28 transits resembling planets over a period of 87 days. However, these 28 objects did not exhibit the regular, periodic orbits typical of planets, leading to its designation as the Random Transiter.

The star is a binary system consisting of a sun-like star approximately 1.5 billion years old and a smaller companion star. The Kepler spacecraft detected 28 dips in the star's brightness, which generally indicate potential planets crossing in front of it. However, the sheer number of transiting objects and their short orbital periods raised suspicions.

These transits occurred within a very brief timeframe, with intervals varying from 45 minutes to 7.5 hours. Based on their proximity to the star, one would expect regular appearances over the 87 days, yet the objects did not repeat at consistent intervals, indicating highly erratic orbits.

Moreover, the size of the objects added to the mystery; 27 were about 50% larger than Earth, while the 28th was twice Earth’s size. It is unusual for such a multitude of similarly sized objects to exist in a planetary system with such odd trajectories.

Several theories seek to explain these objects’ nature. One theory posits they are planets, but their behavior is inconsistent with typical planetary motion. Another theory suggests a disintegrating planet, but again, one would expect regular transit intervals. An alternative hypothesis is that they could be dust-emitting asteroids, although the expected variability in the size of planet-sized dust clouds has not been observed.

While numerous theories exist, each faces its own set of challenges. One particularly speculative notion suggests these could be artificial planet-sized structures created by extraterrestrial life. However, all natural explanations must be thoroughly examined first, and astronomers have yet to gather sufficient evidence to determine the actual cause.

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