Science Wrap: The oral sex and throat cancer link, a sun halo in Prayagraj, second-deepest blue hole

Last week in science was marked with major space crash updates. While Japan's Hakuto-R M1 crashed on the Moon, last week's SpaceX Starship launch (with the rocket itself blowing up midway) is raising environmental concerns. Meanwhile, the Blue Planet has now discovered a new "blue hole". Also there is a new leading cause for throat cancer. And this is quite an intimate cause!

1. Oral sex found to cause most throat cancer cases in UK and US

A new study from the journal The Conversation states that oral sex is now a major risk factor for throat cancer in the UK and the US. Yes, you read that right! While cervical cancer was the most reported type of cancer in these countries, throat cancer has replaced it with rapid increase in the last two decades.

Dr Hisham Mehanna from the University of Birmingham wrote in the study that the throat cancer cases mainly originated from the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is also the main cause of cervical cancer.

2. Japan lander crashes on Moon. What went down?

When the Hakuto-R M1 lander from Tokyo-based ispace crashed on the Moon, all of its ambitions for becoming the first private business to set foot on the Moon were dashed. Although the reason for the mission's loss was initially unknown, it has since been determined through analysis of telemetry data.

On Tuesday night, when the landing procedure got underway, the lander carrying the UAE's Rashid Rover was on a descent from a height of 100 kilometres above the surface.

Data, however, shows that the spacecraft afterwards encountered an unanticipated acceleration as it crashed on the surface.

"It apparently went into a free-fall towards the surface as it was running out of fuel to fire up its thrusters," Chief Technology Officer Ryo Ujiie told a news conference.

3. Mexico now has the world's second-deepest "blue hole"

Off the coast of Mexico, the second-deepest blue hole in the world has been found. The sinkhole was discovered in 2021 and is known as the Taam ja', which translates to "Deep Water" in Mayan. It was only recently described in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

Otherwise, the world's deepest blue hole ever discovered is in the South China Sea called the Dragon Hole, which is 987 feet deep. 

ALSO READ: A 900-feet-deep blue hole has been discovered off Mexico coast. What is it?

Although the exact time of the Taam ja' blue hole's formation is unknown, scientists believe blue holes formed during the ice ages as a result of glacier melting, rising sea levels, and flooding of limestone caves.

With blue holes housing ancient limestone caves that basically serve as time capsules, the finding and exploration of these blue holes is expected to shed light on how marine life originated millions of years ago.

4. People in Prayagraj see a sun halo

A mystery ring encircling the sun in the skies was visible to people in portions of Uttar Pradesh (UP). This rare celestial event, also called "sun halo", refers to the rainbow-like multicoloured ring that surrounds the star in the solar system.

Several areas of the state saw the enigmatic ring for a few hours as witnesses captured and documented the event. The unusual event is the result of a process known as light dispersion, which is when light and optics interact delicately with the frozen particles in the clouds. The 22-degree ring halo is another name for this halo.

5. The SpaceX Starship rocket creates environmental concerns

Last Thursday's launch of the SpaceX Starship rocket exploding over the Gulf of Mexico captured the public's attention but this week the US government is paying closer attention to the environmental consequences.

Federal officials reported that the South Texas launch caused a cloud of pulverised concrete to fall over a nearby small town, raising new concerns about the environmental effects of the site's increased launch activity.

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the blastoff from the SpaceX site, next to a national wildlife refuge near Boca Chica Beach, also threw big pieces of concrete and metal thousands of feet away and started a 3.5-acre (1.4-hectare) fire on adjoining grounds.

"They contemplated debris from these launches, but not part of the launch pad itself being blown out miles away and scattered across the landscape," said Jared Margolis, a senior lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity, "What happened is not what they anticipated."