The LRO mission has released a comprehensive collection of data, including global maps with resolutions as low as 100 meters per pixel. The dataset includes more than 192 terabytes of raw information, equivalent to approximately 41,000 typical DVDs.
Hundreds of 'moon trees,' planted by Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa in 1971, are living out their lives across the US. As some die or succumb to disease, NASA's Dave Williams is racing against time to find and record the remaining trees' locations.
Researchers using NASA's Cassini spacecraft have discovered thin, wispy clouds of ice particles similar to Earth's cirrus clouds on Titan's atmosphere. These clouds provide valuable insights into the workings of Titan's atmosphere and its one-way cycle that delivers hydrocarbons to the ground.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have discovered that water on the moon may have originated from comets smashing into the moon soon after its formation. This finding suggests that the moon can act as a stepping stone for further space exploration, enabling missions to fuel up with liquid hydrogen and oxygen.
Researchers at Arizona State University have discovered a core with an iron-rich center, resembling Earth's core, using array processing techniques on Apollo seismic data. The discovery sheds light on the lunar interior's composition and structure, providing insights into the Moon's ancient origins.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is producing the most accurate and complete map of the moon's complex landscape, revealing contours and slopes with precision. The dataset is being used to study lunar processes, including crater density and resurfacing, as well as the formation of multi-ring basins.
A total lunar eclipse will be visible to sky watchers across North America on December 21, coinciding with the winter solstice. The eclipse will last approximately three hours and twenty-eight minutes, with totality lasting seventy-two minutes.
A team of researchers, including Washington University professor William B. McKinnon and associate professor Andrew Dombard, propose that Iapetus had a sub-satellite created by a giant impact, which eventually broke apart and formed the ridge. The study suggests that tidal forces played a crucial role in shaping the moon's unique feature.
A team of scientists found that the abundance of metal-loving elements in Earth's, Moon's, and Mars' mantles were delivered by massive impactors during the final phase of planet formation. The largest impactor on Earth may have modified its obliquity by approximately 10 degrees.
A team of astronomers used the Moon to search for ultra-high-energy neutrinos from distant regions of space. They reported their findings in the December edition of the journal Astroparticle Physics, setting a new upper limit on the amount of such particles arriving from space.
The Cassini mission has discovered an oxygen atmosphere on Saturn's moon Rhea, which is extremely thin and sustained by high-energy particles bombarding its icy surface. The formation of oxygen and carbon dioxide could be a pre-requisite for life, with complex chemistry potentially common throughout the solar system.
A new study led by researchers at UC Santa Cruz reveals that the lunar farside highlands' elevated topography may be attributed to tidal forces acting early in the moon's history. The shape of the bulge can be described by a simple mathematical function, accounting for about one-fourth of the moon's shape.
The ARTEMIS mission involves two micro-satellites orbiting the moon, providing a three-dimensional perspective on energetic particle acceleration near the moon's orbit. The mission will also explore the space environment of the moon and its interaction with the solar wind.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's LAMP instrument has detected hydrogen, carbon monoxide, atomic mercury, calcium, and magnesium in the LCROSS impact plume, revealing volatile substances trapped near the Moon's poles. This finding is crucial for planning robotic and manned Moon bases.
Scientists discovered a crater formed by a NASA-engineered collision that showed the Moon's soil contains more complex compounds than previously believed. The study found water, hydroxyl, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, free sodium, and silver in the lunar regolith.
Researchers detected large areas of water ice in the lunar south pole using NASA's Diviner instrument. This discovery suggests that these regions are suitable for future human missions, as subsurface water ice is more stable and protected from radiation.
New work by astrophysicist David Kipping reveals that astronomers can calculate a star's mass using its orbiting planet and moon. By measuring the size of the planet and moon relative to the star and their orbital periods, scientists can use Kepler's Laws of Motion to determine the density of the star.
AUA-led team finds complex organic molecules, including amino acids and nucleotide bases, in Titan's atmosphere. These findings suggest that Titan's atmosphere could be a reservoir of prebiotic molecules that serve as the springboard to life.
Researchers propose that Enceladus' libration, a slight wobble as it rotates, could be responsible for generating heat and keeping its ocean liquid. This finding is significant in the search for life, as it suggests that the moon's environment may be stable enough to support development.
Researchers found that water and sulfur dioxide react as ice with surprising speed and high yield at temperatures hundreds of degrees below freezing. This unexpected reaction could revamp current thinking about Europa's chemistry and geology, potentially leading to new discoveries on the moon and other icy bodies.
Researchers created a technique using computer models that can analyze tiny samples of soil to predict its behavior in relation to foundations. This technology could be applied to build structures on the moon or remote locations where traditional testing is impractical.
Researchers created a comprehensive catalog of large craters on the moon to study the chaotic early days of the inner solar system. The analysis suggests that larger projectiles dominated the bombardment, ending around 3.8 billion years ago.
Researchers have discovered previously unseen compositional differences in the moon's crustal highlands and confirmed the presence of material surprisingly abundant in silica. This has provided scientists with global, high-resolution infrared maps of the moon, enabling them to identify silicates commonly found within its crust.
The moon was bombarded by two distinct populations of asteroids or comets in its youth, resulting in a more complex surface than previously thought. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft provided unprecedented global topographic maps using the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), highlighting lunar craters with clarity.
Newly discovered cliffs on the moon indicate that it shrank globally in the geologically recent past and might still be shrinking. The cliffs, called lobate scarps, are relatively young and have a semi-circular or lobe-shaped appearance.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera has detected 14 previously unknown lobate scarps on the moon, indicating recent contraction of the lunar interior. The newly discovered scarps show a globally distributed distribution and are estimated to have formed about 100 meters in the recent past.
A Caltech team has found structurally bound hydroxyl groups, indicating the presence of water in a lunar mineral. The discovery is significant for understanding the moon's composition and its history.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee have discovered water on the inside and outside of the moon, with similarities to volcanic systems on Earth. The finding challenges the long-held theory that the moon was bone-dry and has deep implications for its formation.
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory detected and dated Moon carbon in the form of graphite, which survived from the late heavy bombardment era 3.8 billion years ago. The discovery provides a record of the meteoritic carbon input to the Earth-Moon system when life was emerging on Earth.
Scientists have found a much higher water content in the Moon's interior, with concentrations ranging from 64 parts per billion to 5 parts per million. The research suggests that water was preserved from the hot magma present when the Moon formed 4.5 billion years ago.
The discovery of SN2005E reveals a supernova whose origin cannot be explained by any previously known mechanism. It is rich in helium and surprisingly different from typical white dwarf systems.
Researchers found that solar wind flowing over lunar polar craters creates a complex electrical environment, affecting surface chemistry and dust cling. The team's calculations reveal that the inside walls and floor acquire a negative electric charge due to electron-ion separation, posing challenges for future exploration.
Researchers investigating lunar reflector performance report decreased signal strength during full moon, suggesting dust may be a culprit. The issue arises from uneven heating of glass cubes left behind by Apollo astronauts, which distorts the shape of reflected laser pulses.
Cassini collected temperature map data that shows hot regions resembling 'Pac-Man' eating a dot and striking bands of light and dark in crater walls. Surface texture variations are suspected to be the cause, with denser ice conducting heat away from the surface.
Asteroid impacts over billions of years have left the Moon with a pockmarked surface, but a new crater may expose a portion of the lower crust. The Apollo Basin, formed by a smaller asteroid impact, measures 300 miles across and is believed to reveal the lunar crust's early history.
A global health system must accomplish five core functions: agenda-setting, financing and resource allocation, research and development, implementation and delivery, and monitoring and evaluation. The World Health Organization (WHO) plays a crucial role in this framework.
Asteroids that come within a quarter of the distance between Earth and the moon experience seismic shakes strong enough to create fresh surface material. The finding helps answer decades-long questions about meteorite origins and opens a new field of asteroid seismology.
The WUSTL-led MoonRise mission is one of three finalists for a $650 million NASA space science venture. The mission aims to retrieve two pounds of lunar rocks and return them to Earth, providing new insights into the early history of the Earth-Moon system.
Researchers found that tides strongly modulate tremors on the San Andreas Fault, suggesting high fluid pressure lubricates the rock. This lubrication allows for slip with little effort, increasing stress on shallower fracture zones.
LRO's instruments are providing groundbreaking data on the moon's geology, temperature, and radiation. The camera has mapped Apollo landing sites with high resolution, while the Diviner instrument discovered polar craters that can be brutally cold, trapping compounds like water and organic molecules.
Recent NASA missions suggest conditions necessary for life may exist on the icy satellites of Saturn and Jupiter, particularly Europa and Enceladus. Liquid water beneath their surfaces could harbor life, with tidal forces keeping oceans from freezing up due to eccentric orbits.
The Cassini spacecraft confirmed that reddish dust infalling on Saturn's moon Iapetus is responsible for its 'yin-yang' appearance. Water ice migration and evaporation also contribute to the extreme brightness differences between the two hemispheres.
The Chang'E-1 orbiter has provided significant insights into the moon's surface topography, gravity fields, and interior structures. Researchers have discovered impact basins, volcanic deposit highlands, and a massive mascon in the South Pole-Aitken basin.
The Moon absorbs electrically charged particles to produce water, confirming a key process on the lunar surface. The discovery enables scientists to create images of the Moon and other airless bodies using hydrogen atoms as tracers.
Scientists aim to detect hydrogen in lunar soil, which may be icy leftovers or accumulated from the solar wind. The LCROSS mission will create a debris cloud near the moon's south pole to observe its behavior.
Researchers develop ALICE, a frozen mixture of water and nanoscale aluminum powder, offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional propellants. The new propellant could be used for launch, long-distance space missions, and hydrogen fuel cells.
Case Western Reserve University researchers tested a key process for extracting oxygen from celestial soils on the 'vomit comet' ride, finding that sifters can work effectively in low gravity. The technology is essential for building a space outpost and has applications beyond lunar missions.
Scientists have found evidence of water on the moon's surface using a NASA instrument, which detects wavelengths of light reflecting off the lunar soil. The discovery suggests that water may originate from an astronomical phenomenon called the solar wind, forming trace amounts in the lunar soil.
Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center use a laser ranging system to track the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft as it orbits the moon. The system provides distance measurements accurate to four inches, improving map accuracy and navigation.
The Deep Impact spacecraft and Moon Mineralogy Mapper have found clear evidence of water on the lunar surface, which forms and dissipates each day. The data suggests that hydrogen ions from the sun interact with oxygen-rich minerals in lunar soil to produce water molecules.
Scientists at Brown University have found evidence of water molecules on the moon's surface, with up to 1,000 parts-per-million in lunar soil. This discovery could provide a mechanism for water to reach permanently shadowed craters, opening new avenues for lunar research.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's LAMP instrument uses Lyman-alpha emissions to study permanently shadowed regions of the moon's surface. Researchers are searching for water frost and other resources in these areas, which could support future lunar missions.
A new study found that over a third of baby photos in women's magazines show babies sleeping in unsafe positions, and two-thirds of sleep environments depicted are also hazardous. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing babies on their backs without soft bedding to reduce SIDS risk.
A new study led by Dr. Dave Stegman has shed light on the evolution of planets, revealing that Enceladus' tiger stripes are caused by tectonic activity and a subsurface ocean containing ammonia. The research suggests that Enceladus' unique chemical composition and interaction with other moons led to the formation of this dynamic system.
Numerical simulations show that comet-like objects in a disk outside the solar system were scattered into the outer asteroid belt during a violent phase of planetary evolution. The models suggest that dramatic upheaval occurred in the solar system around 3.9 billion years ago, affecting nearly every nook and cranny.
LRO's LROC cameras have returned the first lunar images since reaching the moon on June 23, capturing cratered regions in the highlands south of Mare Nubium. The images, taken along the terminator line, show a rugged surface with subtle topography exaggeration.
The LROC camera system has taken its first images of the Moon, revealing detailed topography and subtle features. The instrument is performing exceptionally well, with a resolution of approximately 1.4-meters/pixel, and will soon begin mapping the lunar surface at 50-cm/pixel.
Researchers detect sodium salts in Enceladus plume, confirming presence of salty ocean beneath moon's surface. The concentration of sodium chloride is estimated to be similar to Earth's oceans, with a concentration of 0.1-0.3 moles per kilogram of water.
A recent study suggests that Saturn's moon Enceladus' water vapor jets originate from the surface and not an underground ocean. The research, conducted by the University of Colorado at Boulder, found that the sodium content in the water vapor was too low to support the geyser hypothesis.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has entered lunar orbit, marking a crucial milestone for the mission, which aims to compile high-resolution maps of the lunar surface and survey it at various spectral wavelengths.