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By Peter Hoskins and James FitzGeral BBC NEWS Edited by Amal Udawatta IMAGE SOURCE, GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Image caption, A serial number allowed authorities to verify the capsule Authorities in Western Australia say they have found a tiny radioactive capsule which went missing last month. Emergency services had "literally found the needle in the haystack", they said. A huge search was triggered when the object was lost while being transported along a 1,400km (870 mile) route across the state. Authorities released a close-up picture of the pea-sized capsule - which could cause serious harm if handled - on the ground among tiny pebbles. A serial number enabled them to verify they had found the right capsule, which is 6mm (0.24 inches) in diameter and 8mm long. It contains a small quantity of Caesium-137, which could cause skin damage, burns or radiation sickness. Mining giant Rio Tinto apologised for losing the device, which is used as a density gauge in the mining in

  From - Sky & Telescope By - Bob King Edited by - Amal Udawatta, Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) displays a bright, fan-shaped dust tail and an ion tail more than 4° long on January 12, 2023. Two cameras were used for the composite image — an 11-inch RASA to capture a detailed black-and-white image, and a DSLR with a 280-mm focal length lens for the color shot. Michael Jaeger Dazzling green comet! First appearance in 50,000 years! Watch it streak across the sky! Based on recent headlines you’d think Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) was the greatest astronomical event of modern times. While it’s not all that, this Oort Cloud refugee is already visible in binoculars and a pretty sight in modest telescopes. Observers with dark, moonless skies may even spot the comet with the naked eye (dimly) as it sails between the the Big and Little Dippers later this month. Thanks to clouds and moonlight I last saw it in late December at 8th magnitude in Corona Borealis. Current visual magnitude estimates put Comet ZT

  By Fergus Walsh Medical editor, Edited by - Amal Udawatta, IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES A new Covid sub-variant is causing some concern in the US, where it is spreading rapidly. Some cases have also been recorded in the UK, so what do you need to know about XBB.1.5? What is XBB.1.5? It is yet another offshoot of  the globally-dominant Omicron Covid variant . Omicron has outperformed the earlier Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta coronavirus variants since emerging in late 2021. Omicron has also given rise to many more contagious sub-variants. Symptoms of XBB.1.5 are thought to be  similar to those of previous Omicron strains . Most people experience cold-like symptoms. Is XBB.1.5 more infectious or dangerous? XBB.1.5 evolved from XBB, which began circulating in the UK in September 2022. XBB had a mutation that helped it beat the body's immune defences, but this same quality also reduced its ability to infect human cells. Prof Wendy Barclay from Imperial College London said XBB.1.5 has a