Moon Express is going to the Moon — if we can solve the paperwork.
Planet Earth got hold of a new companion, and it’s here to stay
Not much bigger than an apartment building, 2016 HO3 has been confirmed as Earth’s newest satellite.
Scientists discover “new” craters on the Moon
A research team discovered two geologically young craters — one 16 million, the other between 75 and 420 million, years old — in the Moon’s darkest regions.
Computer models confirm icy eruptions on Saturn’s Moon
A few years ago, the Cassini spacecraft made a surprising discovery: there are geysers erupting on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, spewing water and ice to great heights. However, the process which causes these geysers remained unknown or controversial. Now, scientists at the University of Chicago and Princeton University have pinpointed a mechanism through which Saturn’s tidal forces exert constant stress and cause
Earth’s moon wandered off axis billions of years ago
Researchers studying the Moon’s ice have found evidence that Earth’s moon wandered off its original axis roughly 3 billion years ago. This would mean that our satellite is in a select group of wanderers, alongside only few other planetary bodies. Planetary scientist Matt Siegler at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, and colleagues were examining NASA data regarding lunar polar hydrogen. The hydrogen was
Can you be prosecuted if you commit a crime on the moon?
Well, technically if you’re not a space pirate, you’ll be prosecuted by the laws governing your home country. On the International Space Station, that’s another story.
First tomatoes and peas harvested from Mars-like soil
If we want to have a permanent or long-term mission to Mars, then growing crops locally would be very useful.
GeoPicture of the Week: The Moon’s Geology
It’s absolutely baffling that we’ve reached a level where we can not only study the geology of the Earth, but also that of other bodies in the solar system – in this case, the Moon. This is a false color mosaic constructed from a series of 53 images taken through three spectral filters by Galileo’s imaging system as the spacecraft flew
China Rover Releases HD Pictures of the Moon
China’s National Space Administration released a trove of images from their lunar rover and they’re spectacular. We’re talking hundreds of tantalizing, HD and never-before-seen images of the Moon! You can set up an account on China’s Science and Application Center for Moon and Deepspace Exploration website and have a look for yourself, view and download all the pictures you like – but
The moon’s phases affect rainfall, says first-of-its-kind study
The moon does more than cause tides and delight lovers – according to a new study, it can also affect how much rainfall falls down on the ground.
The first lunar lander in 40 years discovers new type of rock on the moon
Chinese researchers say their lunar rover found a new type of lunar rock unlike anything the Americans or Soviets had brought home before.
How the Moon got its tilt
Astronomers describe that the present-day tilt of the Moon is likely a result of collision-free encounters of the early Moon with small planetary bodies.
Russia wants to fight gender inequality by hilariously planning an all-female mission to the moon
Russia is locking up six women together to simulate a trip to the moon and back. But no one is taking this too seriously, it seems.
Geopicture of the Week: Brilliant new high-resolution maps of the Moon released
If you’ve ever wanted to plan a hiking trip on the Moon, now you have the perfect opportunity: a gorgeous pair of new lunar maps – the Image Mosaic and Topographic Maps of the Moon – is now available online for everyone to see and download. To me, it’s mind blowing that we have so high quality maps of the Moon – it’s
ESA and Russia join forces to put man back on the moon
The last time humans set foot on the moon was 1972. Feeling confident it had clearly showed its superiority over Russia, the US felt no more reason to prove itself and immediately shut down subsequent missions. Once with funding gone – and its budget has been thinning since – NASA had to settle for less ambitious goals, and it’s not like we can blame them. Building on outpost on the moon, versus say the International Space Station, is not only a lot more expensive, but also impractical. Recent findings, however, suggest there’s a lot to gain from having an outpost on the moon, of some sorts at least. That’s because the interest has shifted from prestige, or at least not only, to the potentially bountiful economic activities. Minerals, helium-3 (fuel) or precious metals can all be mined from the moon, trillions worth. But before you can shuttle minerals back from the moon, you at least need a footing of some sort. Understanding this, the European Space Agency and Roscosmos banded together to send a robotic probe to an unexplored region of the moon. The ultimate goal, they say, is to prepare the ground for humans.
Japanese soft drink company asks SpaceX to put a can on the moon
A company from Japan wants to become the first to advertise a product on the moon. The sports drink producer, Pocari Sweat, has contacted SpaceX – an American company that regularly ferries cargo to the International Space Station and is close to sending astronauts to the International Space Station – to land a canned sports drink. This would mark a milestone in human history: the first ad on the moon – both disturbing and interesting at the same time. Maybe any kind of interest in moon exploration (who knows what happens when you try to land a can on the moon?) in this moment is welcomed. Maybe.
NASA captures images of the dark side of the Moon – as it passes by Earth
We call it the “dark side” of the Moon, but that’s a rather improper name – a better one would be the “far side”, because it’s not dark at all. As if to prove that point, NASA just released images of the moon that would be impossible to capture from Earth, highlighting the far side illuminated completely.
Lucky shot: Photographer catches space station racing past the moon
Dylan O’Donnell, an amateur photographer, took one of the luckiest shots ever: the International Space Station past the moon. Any astro buff would be envious.
This is how the Moon looks under the microscope!
The Apollo program returned 380.05 kg of lunar rocks and soil, and most of the samples are stored at the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility. The samples of rocks, breccias, and regolith were polished into thin sections, allowing for optical geologic studies to be performed on them.
The Moon is shrouded by a dust cloud, and a mystery still stands
The Moon doesn’t have an atmosphere, but it is surrounded by a thick dust cloud; the dust constantly falls down to the lunar surface, but new dust constantly jumps to replenish it. The pattern of dust falling back to its home “in due time … will fill in craters,” says the University of Colorado, Boulder’s Mihaly Horanyi, who led the team