Thursday, January 7, 2021

Will increasing traffic to the Moon contaminate its precious ice?

NASA's VIPER rover will be equipped with a one-metre-long drill to mine for ice below the Moon's surface. Credit: Daniel Rutter/NASA Ames

For the first time ever, several of the upcoming missions will explore some of the Moon's most scientifically intriguing, yet sensitive areas — those at its poles. Researchers are excited about studying water that lies frozen in shadowed craters in these regions. But they're also worried that increased traffic to the Moon might contaminate the very ice they want to study.

Date: 2021-01-05
Twitter: @nature
Reference: (Read more) Visit Source



While you're here, how about this:

The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News | The Crescent Moon and Venus

The thin crescent moon appears low in the southeastern sky at dawn this weekend. Saturday morning it will be easiest to see, well above the horizon. The moon will be increasingly difficult to see on Sunday and Monday mornings.

On Monday morning, the moon appears right next to the bright planet Venus, both just above the horizon before sunrise.

* * *

Looking ahead, Venus will continue to get closer to the horizon and the sun. In February the planet disappears from view in the east, too close to the sun to be seen.

Publisher: The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News
Reference: (Read more) Visit Source



NASA about to fire up its massive SLS moon rocket for another 'Green Run' test - CNET

NASA is nearing the end of the Green Run test series that puts the core stage -- which the agency describes as "the backbone of the SLS rocket" -- through its paces before it actually launches off this rock sometime in the future.

The eighth and final part of the test series could happen as soon as Jan. 17 when NASA initiates an exciting hot fire.

The SLS Green Run test will take place at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, and it comes after NASA worked through an unexpected issue with a previous test, a wet dress rehearsal that "marked the first time cryogenic, or super cold, liquid propellant was fully loaded into, and drained from, the SLS core stage's two immense tanks."

Publisher: CNET
Author: Amanda Kooser
Twitter: @CNET
Reference: (Read more) Visit Source



Arecibo is Dead. Should We Build Its Replacement on the Moon? | Astronomy.com

When the 60-year-old Arecibo Observatory collapsed in 2020, the crash didn’t just take down one of the world's preeminent radio telescopes, it also dealt a massive blow to the future of radio astronomy. Arecibo may have been old, but it also had unique capabilities that made it ideal for studying things like gravitational waves , as well as mapping the surfaces of asteroids as they slip by Earth. 

Now, radio astronomers around the world are debating what comes next. Should Arecibo be rebuilt anew? If so, where would the money come from? 

Publisher: Astronomy.com
Reference: (Read more) Visit Source



While you're here, how about this:

The moon will soon have better 4G than many places on Earth | ZDNet

The moon is getting a 4G network thanks to a $14.1 million contract awarded by NASA to Nokia . That means that soon our lumpy, rocky celestial constant companion will have better 4G coverage than some places on earth.

* * *

Out of 650 areas, only 24% enjoyed full access to 4G on all four networks, leaving 493 with less than ideal coverage.

Publisher: ZDNet
Author: Adrian Kingsley Hughes
Twitter: @ZDNet
Reference: (Read more) Visit Source



Sailor Moon: 10 Things You Forgot From The First Episode

As popular as anime is , only some titles became international icons. One of which is the seminal magical-girl series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon . Originally conceived by manga creator Naoko Takeuchi, the series premiered in Japan in March of 1992. The show quickly became a hit and four more seasons followed.

* * *

One cannot deny the mesmerizing opening sequences for the classic anime. The first season alone had two different and unique sequences directed by the character designer Kazuko Tadano. In the first one that was used until episode 27, only Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Mars appear along with Luna, Tuxedo Mask, and the Dark Kingdom. The European and whimsical motif is beautifully haunting, not to mention a preview of the uncanniness to come in the series.

Publisher: ScreenRant
Date: 2021-01-07T23:00:56Z
Twitter: @screenrant
Reference: (Read more) Visit Source



Is it a half Moon or a quarter Moon? | wtsp.com

TAMPA, Fla — It will be a dark, moonless sky this evening, but when the moon rises at 12:27 a.m. tonight, it will be reaching its quarter phase at 2:37 am. The moon will then remain visible in the southern sky all morning, setting at 12:38 p.m. Thursday afternoon. 

While the moon will be halfway illuminated, it will actually be in its third-quarter phase. There's no such phase as a half-moon phase. When you see the moon and it looks half-illuminated, like half a pie, it's either the first or last quarter moon. 

Publisher: wtsp.com
Date: 1/7/2021 1:30:05 AM
Twitter: @10TampaBay
Reference: (Read more) Visit Source



NASA spacecraft reveals travels of China's Yutu 2 moon rover | Space

China's Yutu 2 rover just turned two years old, and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has kept a sharp eye on its movements during its mission on the far side of the moon.

While China's Chang'e 5 sample-return mission has been basking in the lunar limelight, the Chang'e 4 mission was also back in action. Chang'e 4 launched to the moon in May 2018 and deployed the Yutu 2 rover to the lunar surface on Jan. 3, 2019. The sun rose over Von Kármán crater on Dec. 7, meaning the solar-powered lander and Yutu 2 rover were active on Dec. 9. 

logo
Publisher: Space.com
Date: 2021-01-06T12:11:11 00:00
Author: https www facebook com spacecom
Twitter: @SPACEdotcom
Reference: (Read more) Visit Source



Happening on Twitter

No comments:

Post a Comment