Every once in a while, something will appear in the sky that will attract the attention of even those who normally don't bother looking up. It's likely to be that way in the late-night hours of Saturday night/early Sunday morning (Sept. 5-6) when the waning gibbous moon, 86% illuminated, will appear in very close proximity to the now-brilliant planet Mars .
People who are unaware or have no advance notice will almost certainly wonder, as they cast a casual glance toward the moon on this holiday weekend night, just what is that "bright orange-yellow light" hovering just above the moon? Sometimes, such occasions bring with them a sudden rash of phone calls to local planetariums, weather offices, TV and radio stations and even police precincts.
Many things are taking place:
Photos of the moon's sweep past bright Mars | Astronomy Essentials | EarthSky
Earth will pass between Mars and the sun in October 2020, and the distance between our 2 worlds is now relatively small. And so Mars is very bright now! Thanks to all in the EarthSky Community who captured Mars near the moon this past weekend.
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View at EarthSky Community Photos . | Helio C. Vital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, captured the moon and Mars after midnight on September 6, 2020. He wrote: “From Rio de Janeiro, the moon passed nearly in front of Mars (a “grazing” occultation ). Mars was 178 times further away and 6,378 dimmer than the moon. The 19-minute grazing occultation could be seen from Rio around midnight on September 6. Nikon CoolPix P900 camera was used with no telescope attached.
Jupiter's Ocean Moons Raise One Another's Tides - Scientific American
Observations of Jupiter’s Galilean satellites—Europa, Callisto, Ganymede and Io—have long hinted at the presence of subsurface liquid layers. Three of the moons are thought to have a water-rich mantle, while Io may instead have a magma ocean driving its extreme volcanic activity. As the moons move around the planet, its gravitational tugging on their interior and the heat from the slow decay of radioactive elements have kept the liquid material from solidifying.
Critical Update: NASA's Big Plans For the Moon and Beyond - Nextgov
The aim of NASA's iconic Apollo program was as complex as it was straightforward: Land humans safely on the moon and return them back to Earth before the end of the decade. Sustaining human spaceflight and a presence on the moon for years to come was not a primary objective at the time.
But for NASA's contemporary missions and particularly Artemis —a program aimed at landing the next man and first woman on the moon in 2024, aptly named for Apollo's twin sister—the intent now is different.
Many things are taking place:
Researchers Perplexed After Latest Discovery About the Moon: Study
( FOX NEWS ) – A newly published study notes that the moon is “rusting,” leaving experts perplexed by the discovery.
The research, published in Science Advances, notes that the rust may be a result of water discovered on the moon, but it’s still shocking, given the lack of oxygen and dearth of water on Earth’s celestial satellite.
“It’s very puzzling,” the study’s lead author, Shuai Li of the University of Hawaii, said in a statement. “The moon is a terrible environment for hematite to form in.”
NASA Seeks BIG Ideas from Universities to Solve a Messy Moon Problem
Lunar dust is mostly made of small particles that stick to just about everything. It’s abrasive and can damage things, including spacesuits, equipment, spacecraft, and habitats. Dust can obscure camera lenses, reduce technology performance, distort instrument readings, alter thermal properties, and even cause equipment failures. Additionally, if dust gets into habitats, glass-like dust particles can lodge in astronauts’ lungs, creating health risks.
Through its annual Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge, NASA is looking for a wide range of creative solutions from college and university students on the theme of lunar dust mitigation. Categories under the theme include dust prevention and mitigation during landings, spacesuit dust tolerance, exterior dust clean up, and controlling lunar dust within habitats.
Full moon in September: How to view the Corn Moon - CNN
(CNN) It's that time of year when the air gets a little cooler, pumpkin decor pops up across stores, and the Corn Moon fills the sky.
The Moon makeover completes overdue renovations amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Moon hardly looks the same following major renovations made possible by a months-long lull in events created by COVID-19.
The $400,000 facelift includes cosmetic and infrastructure upgrades: a new roof, floors, bathrooms and production booth converting from analog to digital. Furniture was gutted and replaced. So were the kitchen fryers.
"In many ways, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do what I've done now with the building had we not had COVID — certainly not saying COVID was a good thing," said Scott Carswell, who owns The Moon. "But, because it happened, we jumped right on rebuilding the building."
Happening on Twitter
These skies are like something you'd see on Mars, not California. Unreal https://t.co/LR0xUVe1EG KPRC2Justin (from Houston, TX) Tue Sep 08 01:40:53 +0000 2020
If you have clear skies tonight, lots of incredible things to see. The Moon. To the right of the Moon is Mars (it… https://t.co/yjGl9LXGQ4 sarahcruddas (from Lost in Space) Mon Sep 07 18:21:00 +0000 2020
I got this great photo from Jon Moulding. He took it last night on the Cape. Look carefully and you'll see Mars in… https://t.co/i9ITL0q7O4 MetMikeWCVB (from Boston, MA) Mon Sep 07 00:38:07 +0000 2020
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