China : A 5,000-year-old ancient rice field was found

Archaeologists have found an ancient rice field in Zhejiang Province, eastern China, about 5,300-5,500 years old, according to the Chinese Xinhua Agency.

The rice field was discovered during excavations that took place from August to October last year. It is reported that the total area of ​​excavation reached one thousand square metres.

Archaeologists found three road margins (mounds), nine pits, remains of rice and weeds, an irrigation and drainage ditch, and a walkway that, according to scientists, may have connected the rice field to a settlement.

According to preliminary estimates by experts, the discovery belongs to the late period of the Hemudu civilization in the Late Stone Age.

Scientists believe that this discovery can shed light on the past rice field system, and will also serve as important material for studying rice cultivation in the region.

Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars visible from Earth, is expected to disappear briefly on Monday in a historic "once-in-a-lifetime" event, according to astronomers.

Sky watchers who live in a specific part of southern Europe and across the Atlantic Ocean to the Bahamas, southern Florida and part of Mexico can see that Betelgeuse becomes fainter and almost disappears for a period ranging from 7 to 12 seconds when the Leona asteroid passes in front of the famous star.

While the asteroid will block some of the light shining from the star, the remaining light is expected to give ground-based observatories an opportunity to capture it.

Betelgeuse (or the Hand of Orion), the tenth brightest star in the sky, has drawn attention in recent years due to its fluctuating brightness, raising fears that it may be on the verge of exploding.

While subsequent observations have revealed that the star is much further away from this end, scientists are still trying to estimate the actual size and other features of Betelgeuse.

Researchers say that an asteroid passing in front of a star of this size is very rare and can only be seen from Earth every few decades.

Preparations are underway in parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain, to observe this stellar event. Scientists say this rare event will be an opportunity to gain new knowledge about the asteroid and Betelgeuse, such as its size and how charged gas moves around the dying star.

If the weather is suitable on this day, astronomers hope to image the star's surface and understand whether and how it releases winds into its stellar environment.

The observations will also help determine the size and shape of the asteroid and understand Betelgeuse's strangely large convection cells that cause the star to brighten and darken for months at a time.

Such studies may help reveal how material released from these giant stars ends up forming new planets.

Since Betelgeuse is already one of the brightest stars in the sky, observers only need modest equipment to monitor the asteroid's passage, according to experts.