The IBEX spacecraft has made the first observations of very fast hydrogen atoms coming from the moon, shedding light on the 'recycling' process undertaken by particles throughout the solar system and beyond. The neutral atoms can travel long distances before they are stripped of their electrons and become ions.
A new method uses celestial geometry and data on the sun, Earth, and moon's optical properties to create picture-perfect images of lunar eclipses. The tool can be used to study historical atmospheric phenomena and add a special effect to artistic representations.
A group of students at North Carolina State University has developed a 'lunar texshield' to protect astronauts from space radiation while generating and storing power. The lightweight polymer material deflects or absorbs radiation, backed by layers of solar cells and radiation-absorbing materials.
Researchers constructed a nearly complete globe of Mercury using high-resolution and multispectral images, revealing its composition and origin. The study suggests that Mercury's crust formed in repeated volcanic eruptions, unlike the Moon.
A new study analyzes interactions on the Moon among electrostatic adhesive forces, sun's rays angle and lunar gravity to conclude stickiness changes with sun elevation. Forces compelling dust to cling to surfaces weaken as sun moves higher in sky, allowing lunar gravity to pull off.
A University of Houston research team is helping NASA develop a navigation system to track and direct explorers on the moon. The system must be adaptable, robust and provide accurate information despite sensor failures or changes in input data.
Stereo will use a wide-field-of-view telescope to search for asteroids orbiting the region, which could be leftovers from a Mars-sized planet that formed billions of years ago. The mission aims to provide three-dimensional views of space weather and study its effects on Earth.
A three-year study shows that the reflection of light from the Earth's oceans and continents can be seen on the dark side of the moon, known as earthshine. The brightness varies with the Earth's rotation, highlighting the difference between intense ocean reflections and dimmer land reflections.
New research suggests Titan, Saturn's largest moon, has a subterranean ocean of hydrocarbons and unusual topography, including mountains with lower elevations than surrounding plains. The findings may help explain the presence of large lakes of hydrocarbons at both poles.
NRL researchers join a team to develop a telescope on the Moon for studying an era of the young Universe, during the first 500 million years after the Big Bang. The project aims to detect signals from hydrogen atoms in the Dark Ages, providing insights into the formation and evolution of the modern Universe.
The new short film 'Return to the Moon' showcases NASA's legacy of lunar exploration using data from the Apollo and LRO missions. The film features a six-foot sphere displaying stunning imagery, allowing viewers to witness the moon's surface and understand the rationale for returning to it.
A new lunar map created at unprecedented 15-kilometer resolution confirms very little water on the Moon, even deep in its interior. The discovery could shed light on water on other planets like Mars.
A team led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has been selected by NASA to focus on expanding knowledge of the Moon's formation and bombardment history. The four-year project will unravel the origin of the Earth-Moon system and the early evolution of the solar system through a multidisciplinary approach.
The University of Colorado at Boulder has been awarded a $6 million grant from NASA to build the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX), a high-tech lunar dust detector. The instrument will provide new information on lunar dust interactions with the moon's atmosphere and solar wind, as well as astronaut safety issues.
The University of Colorado at Boulder received two $11 million grants to study the lunar surface, atmosphere, and cosmos. The LUNAR team will conduct astronomical observations and investigate the early universe, while the CCLDAS project focuses on lunar dust and astronaut safety.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has successfully completed thermal vacuum testing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, simulating extreme hot and cold conditions of space. The orbiter will carry seven instruments to provide detailed maps of the lunar surface and increase understanding of its topography and natural resources.
Researchers found that passage graves in Denmark are oriented towards the full moon and lunar eclipses, hinting at an ancient astronomical calendar. The study suggests that the Stone Age people may have used these alignments for ritual practices and predicting lunar eclipses.
A team of astrophysicists has discovered that hydrogen is concentrated in permanently shaded lunar craters, which could indicate the presence of ice. This finding is significant for future human exploration of the moon and could provide a water source for establishing a manned base.
Scientists found that vents on Enceladus channel water vapor from a warm, probably liquid source to the surface at supersonic speeds. This supports a theory that tidal heating causes geysers and provides implications for life in the solar system.
Scarab, a robotic system designed for lunar prospecting, will simulate a lunar mission to extract water, hydrogen, and oxygen from Hawaii's Mauna Kea. The robot will use a Canadian-built drill to obtain geologic cores, which will be chemically analyzed on-board instruments developed by NASA.
Researchers are studying the effects of lunar dust on the respiratory system and developing technologies to clean it from space suits. The powdery grey dirt is formed by micrometeorite impacts that can wreak havoc on equipment, but its unique properties also make it susceptible to magnets.
Two University of Leicester scientists, Dr Duncan Law-Green and Mr David Boyce, are designing microgravity experiments to study regolith on the Moon. The experiments could provide valuable information for future human missions to the Moon in 2020.
A new study suggests that water on the Moon's surface came from volcanic eruptions over 3 billion years ago, rather than vaporization during its formation. Researchers used advanced techniques to detect tiny amounts of water in lunar samples, revealing a significant amount of water in glass beads.
A Brown University-led research team has found evidence of water trapped in lunar volcanic glasses, suggesting it was present since the Moon's formation around 4.5 billion years ago. The discovery may shed light on the origin of water on Earth and its presence in the Moon's interior.
Scientists at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center have developed a novel method for creating massive telescope mirrors on the Moon, utilizing carbon nanotubes and lunar dust. The technique enables the production of highly reflective mirrors with minimal effort and cost, paving the way for giant telescopes up to 50 meters in diameter.
Scientists from NASA, CDC, and University of Alabama are using public health projects that utilize NASA satellite data on air quality, climate, vegetation, and flooding to explore possible linkages with diseases like lung disease, stroke rates, and asthma.
Researchers mapped large arc-shaped depressions on Jupiter's moon Europa, indicating a shift of 80° in its rotational axis. The findings suggest the presence of an internal liquid ocean, which could support life, and provide independent evidence for this possibility.
Researchers are studying the effects of lunar dust on astronaut health in low-gravity environments. The study found that tiny particles can remain suspended in the airways and potentially cause lung damage for extended periods.
Researchers have found unexpected luminous spots on Jupiter's atmosphere caused by the moon Io's volcanic eruptions. The discovery challenges previous models of the Io footprint and reveals a new interpretation where beams of electrons travel from one hemisphere to another.
Purdue researchers use a new hydrogen facility to study fundamental processes in hydrogen-oxygen engines, improving cooling efficiency and reducing costly overhauls. Accurate heat flux measurements enable more precise computational models, leading to better design performance and cost savings.
Scientists have shed light on Enceladus' space enigma by explaining the dynamics of its erupting plume. The new theory suggests that dust particles and water vapor form below the moon's surface, with temperature and pressure conditions allowing for rapid water vapor eruption and slower dust particle ejection.
The Lunar Array for Radio Cosmology (LARC) project aims to explore the 'Dark Ages' of the universe when stars and galaxies first formed. The new telescopes will study cosmic background radiation and test current theories about the universe's formation.
A robotic probe called ENDURANCE will test its performance in cold, icy conditions on Lake Mendota, simulating the environment of Jupiter's moon Europa. The probe is designed to map underwater environments and collect data on biological conditions.
The Deep Impact spacecraft is using its flyby of Earth to calibrate its instruments for the EPOXI mission, which will study comet Hartley 2. The team made observations of the moon to test the spacecraft's pointing and commanding systems.
A hot spot on Enceladus's south pole generates enough heat to eject ice and vapor plumes, indicating geological activity. The presence of water vapor and lack of sodium suggest a different mechanism may be at play, fueling questions about the moon's habitability.
The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission will precisely map the moon's gravitational pull, revealing differences in density of the moon's crust and mantle. The detailed information gained will facilitate future manned or unmanned missions to land on the moon.
New research brings scientists closer to exploring Jupiter's moon Europa, discovering potential for life in its ice-covered ocean. Refined methods and data analysis reveal a habitable environment, with improved measurements potentially detecting compounds indicative of life.
New research reveals that certain areas of the moon are protected by the magnetosphere, reducing radiation exposure for astronauts. The study also highlights the need to consider energetic oxygen particles generated during solar storms.
A narrow belt of moonlets as large as football stadiums has been discovered in Saturn's outermost ring, likely resulting from a larger moon being shattered by an asteroid or comet. The discovery supports the theory that Saturn's rings were initially created through a collisional cascade.
Researchers have discovered an ancient light-sensitive gene, known as a cryptochrome, that appears to act as a trigger for the annual mass spawning of corals across Australia's Great Barrier Reef shortly after a full moon. The Cry2 gene, stimulated by faint blue light, plays a central role in triggering the event.
Scientists at the University of Chicago have found that Titan's climate is analogous to Earth's tropics, with methane clouds and a tropical weather system. The moon's slow rotation rate and atmosphere produce an updraft that lifts evaporated methane into clouds, similar to Earth's ITCZ.
The Scarab robot is equipped with a drill and features a novel rocker-arm suspension that enables it to plant its belly on the ground for drilling operations. The robot will demonstrate technologies for finding concentrations of hydrogen, water, and other volatile chemicals on the moon.
SMART-1 has mapped the polar regions, surveyed lunar resources, and investigated potential landing sites. The mission has provided clues on the dynamics of ejecta after impact and laboratory experiments have modeled impacts.
Researchers propose a new model, Frigid Faithful, which explains the formation of fractures and ridges on Saturn's moon Enceladus without requiring liquid water. The model describes how heat from a shallow source beneath the surface could lead to geyser-like activity and complex tectonic features.
Researchers at Université Laval have successfully developed a highly reflective liquid mirror capable of functioning under harsh lunar conditions. The discovery, published in Nature, brings the project one step closer to building a liquid telescope on the moon, which could be up to 1,000 times more sensitive than current space telescopes.
Dr. Brian Sauser, Stevens Institute of Technology Assistant Professor, has been awarded a NASA Faculty Fellowship to conduct research at the Johnson Space Center. He will focus on growing systems engineering competencies and team formation indices to support NASA's return to the Moon and Mars missions.
A new study suggests that frictional heating is the most likely explanation for the plumes and features observed on Enceladus. The process occurs when tidal forces cause fault lines in the moon's icy shell to rub back and forth, producing enough heat to transform ice into water vapor and ice crystals.
Researchers found that tidal forces caused by Saturn's gravity can control the timing of eruptions from cracks in Enceladus' southern hemisphere. The study suggests that these cracks, known as Tiger Stripes, are warmer than their surroundings and may be the source of eruptions.
Researchers led by paleobiologist Jere H. Lipps argue that Europa's icy surface may harbor life due to the presence of water ice, briny oceans, and tidal friction generating heat. This could lead to a variety of habitats supporting life forms, from microorganisms to macroscopic organisms.
According to ASU researcher Ronald Greeley, Europa is the most promising candidate among four worlds beyond Earth that might contain life. The moon has a thick layer of water and organic minerals, making it an ideal target for NASA's next mission. Scientists hope to measure the ice shell's thickness using tidal flexing measurements.
A University of Houston student is working on a space suit redesign that prioritizes stability and locomotion for astronauts. Her research focuses on reducing the weight and improving the mobility of the space suit, which will enable astronauts to navigate the lunar terrain more easily.
Researchers found that Enceladus's geysers spray ice particles, creating reflective surfaces on other Saturn moons and altering their appearance. The study suggests that Enceladus's geological activity supports the possibility of liquid water beneath its surface.
Jiong Qiu, a Montana State University scientist, has won the Karen Harvey Award for her research on magnetic eruptions on the sun and moon brightness. Her work focuses on analyzing measurements to understand activities in space.
Researchers propose a new model explaining the giant plume on Enceladus by dissolving gases in clathrate ice under the water ice cap. This environment allows for a Frigid Faithful plume, which produces nitrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide gases.
The Cassini spacecraft has imaged the tallest mountains ever seen on Saturn's moon Titan, with peaks reaching nearly a mile high. The mountains are topped with bright, white material that may be methane or other organic 'snow,' suggesting a unique geology and potential for life.
The film showcases various phenomena like hurricanes, satellite data collection, and ocean temperature changes. It also features special presentations about Earth's moon and Mars, offering an immersive experience of space exploration.
Researchers have cracked the workings of the Antikythera Mechanism, a 2,000-year-old computer that tracked astronomical movements with remarkable precision. The ancient Greek device predicted eclipses and recreated the moon's irregular orbit, challenging previous assumptions about their technological capabilities.
Researchers at Brown University have found evidence of recent volcanic gas release from the moon's surface, with features like the Ina structure dating back to two million years. The discovery suggests the moon is geologically active beyond its three billion-year history.
Scientists used high-resolution radar signals to create detailed images of the lunar south pole, finding abundant rocks but no evidence of ice sheets. The study suggests that any future lunar base should not rely on ice resources.
A new lunar meteorite, MIL 05035, has been discovered in Antarctica, providing a rare opportunity to study a part of the Moon's surface not visited by the US Apollo program. The meteorite exhibits unusual mineralogy and texture, offering clues about the Moon's formation and evolution.