Items tagged with moon
NASA has made the difficult decision to cancel its VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) project amidst numerous launch delays and rising costs. The space agency added the increased costs would have also threatened to bring about the end of other Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS).
VIPER...
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A group of scientists using data from a 2010 NASA lunar mission believe they have confirmed the existence of an accessible rock tunnel beneath the lunar surface. The team analyzed a series of images from 2010 with recently developed complex signal processing technologies to come to their conclusion.
The surface of...
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Scientists have come up with a new theory about what is causing mysterious swirls on the Moon’s surface. The latest theory involves underground lava, magnetized rocks, and magnetic anomalies.
Lunar swirls have baffled astronomers and scientists since they were first discovered in the 1600s. Scientists believe these...
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As June brings the heat of summer, it also brings the Strawberry Moon, and the earliest summer solstice in 228 years. The last time the summer solstice arrived this early was in 1796, when it took place at 1:45pm ET on June 20.
The summer solstice will begin at 4:50pm EDT on Thursday, June 20 (today), and with it...
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China reported that its Chang’e 6 spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon over the weekend. The spacecraft was reported to touch down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, where it aims to collect precious rock and soil from the region.
If successful, the Chang’e 6 spacecraft will be the first ever to collect rock...
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NASA wants to build the first lunar railway system providing payload transport on the Moon. The autonomous railway system could be a vital part of building a sustainable lunar base in the 2030s.
It is no secret that NASA wants to create a lunar base as part of its Moon to Mars plan. The space agency also knows that...
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China launched its Chang’e-6 mission, which is headed to the far side of the Moon. The probe onboard the rocket is expected to return up to two kilograms of lunar soil samples to Earth.
Until now, China has focused on bringing soil samples from the Moon back to Earth with previous missions. Chang’e-6, however, will...
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After centuries of debate, scientists say they have finally proven Earth’s Moon is in fact not made of cheese (Editor's note: Aw, nuts!). A group of scientists recently published a research paper that argues the Moon is actually a solid ball with a density similar to that of iron.
Scientists believe they have...
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April’s full Moon, perhaps best known as the Pink Moon, is about to grace the night sky. As with other full Moons, this month’s is known by many names, such as the Sprouting Grass Moon, and the Pesach or Passover Moon.
According to NASA, the Maine Farmer’s Almanac began publishing “Indian” names for full moons in...
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NASA captured a mystical surfboard hovering above the lunar surface with its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The surfboard figure is actually the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s Danuri lunar orbiter, which orbits the Moon parallel to LRO.
When someone thinks about images of the Moon being sent back to...
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As the space around Earth becomes more crowded with satellites and other spacecraft, NASA has a plan for a sustainable future within the cosmos. The space agency recently released the first part of its integrated Space Sustainability Strategy, marking initial progress for NASA on the issue at hand.
It feels like...
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While the 2024 total solar eclipse has come and gone, NASA wants everyone to know there are plenty more eclipses on the horizon ahead of the next total solar eclipse in North America in August 2044. Over the next two years, folks willing to travel can catch an annular solar eclipse in South America this fall, and a...
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With the day of the total solar eclipse finally upon us, many may be wondering what time they need to head outside to view the celestial event. So, if you are in Mexico, or all the way up at the Island of Newfoundland, be sure to know exactly when to look up at the sky (which hopefully won’t be falling), with proper...
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The upcoming total solar eclipse has been making plenty of headlines as of late, leaving some to wonder how agencies such as NASA devise the maps predicting the path of totality. Well, it all comes down to knowing the precise shape and position of the Moon, and a few other key features and environmental aspects...
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With the upcoming total solar eclipse, Moon buggy showdowns, and even the White House wanting to give the lunar destination its own celestial time zone, the Moon has been making a lot of headlines as of late.
The total solar eclipse will occur in just a few days on April 8, 2024. It will darken the land across...
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The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced that its Smart Lunar Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) had successfully reawakened following a chilling second lunar night, which equates to two weeks back here on Earth. SLIM was even capable of transmitting images of the surrounding lunar landscape...
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As people prepare to view the upcoming solar eclipse, hotels are preparing to make more money off those wanting to stay near the spectacle. New reports indicate hotels along the “zone of totality” are looking to cash in on people’s desire to have the best seat in the house come April’s total solar eclipse, with one...
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Japanese space agency JAXA reported it had received a response from its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lunar lander from the surface of the moon. The unexpected response came nearly a month after SLIM made a “pinpoint” landing on the lunar surface.
SLIM successfully landed on the Moon on January 19...
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Intuitive Machines, as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, is readying to attempt the first successful lunar landing of a spacecraft by the US since Apollo 17 in 1972. An attempt by Astrobotics to land on the moon last month was thwarted following an anomaly shortly after launch, which...
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Privately owned Intuitive Machines just shared some incredible selfies of its lunar lander, Odysseus, shortly after separation from SpaceX’s second stage rocket. As of right now, the Moon lander is on schedule for an attempt at landing on the lunar surface on February 22, 2024.
Following a delay in launch that...
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This year’s total solar eclipse will not only last longer than the one in 2017, but will also be viewable in its totality by more people. 2024’s total solar eclipse will be viewable by an estimated 31.6 million people, while the one in 2017 was seen in its totality by about 12 million. And in terms of length of time...
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The incredible journey of Japan’s first-ever moon landing continues, as its LEV-2 (Lunar Excursion Vehicle) captured an amazing image of its SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) spacecraft. LEV-2 successfully deployed onto the lunar surface on January 20, 2024, just before SLIM and LEV-1 landed.
In what the...
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