Scientists have discovered new compounds and minerals on Saturn's moon Titan, including a co-crystal made of solid acetylene and butane. This finding suggests that the bathtub rings suspected to exist around Titan's hydrocarbon lakes may be formed by these alien crystals.
Carnegie Mellon University has been awarded a $2 million research initiative to develop technologies for robots to explore pits on the moon, which could provide access to shelter and resources. The project aims to mature the technologies necessary for a lunar mission by 2023.
Researchers found that the early Sun's rotation rate and solar activity influenced the formation of the Moon, affecting sodium and potassium levels. The study suggests that space weather played a crucial role in shaping the solar system's evolution.
Researchers found that Mimas' migration into the Cassini Division pushed apart ice particles, creating the 4500 km wide band. The moon's orbit may have been driven by orbital resonance with Saturn, causing it to lose energy and migrate inwards.
Researchers have discovered a large mass of material beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin, the Moon's largest crater. The mass, weighing over half a mile, may contain metal from an asteroid that crashed into the Moon and formed the crater.
Researchers found that gravitational forces of an unseen moon outside the rings could cause gaps in the ring structure, but the effect is unlikely to be caused by a currently unseen moon.
Researchers have discovered a mechanism for how water forms on the Moon, releasing silver hydroxide molecules that react with hydrogen to form water and silver. This discovery suggests that water can be present in near-surface lunar soil, challenging the long-held assumption that it is brought from outside.
Astronomers discover unique infrared signature on Triton, suggesting a mix of carbon monoxide and nitrogen ices. This finding sheds light on conditions on other distant, icy worlds and could provide insights into the origins of life.
Researchers from the University of Münster find that the Moon's collision with Earth brought large quantities of water, essential for life. The discovery sheds light on the Moon's origin and its role in making Earth a habitable planet.
A cross-disciplinary study by UH Manoa scientists reveals chemical and physical evidence of water formation on the Moon. The research proposes a mechanism where solar wind protons, lunar minerals, and micrometeorite impacts interact to produce water vapor.
Scientists use deuterium ions to create water on lunar samples, suggesting micrometeorite impacts can generate and liberate water. The results provide insight into potential water formation mechanisms on the moon and other airless bodies in the Solar System.
The Chang'E 4 mission has collected new evidence from the largest crater in the solar system, shedding light on the moon's composition and evolution. The findings suggest that the lunar mantle may consist of equal parts olivine and pyroxene, contradicting previous theories.
Researchers found that at least eight moonquakes were likely caused by tectonic activity along thrust faults, not asteroid impacts or internal moon movements. The team suggests the moon may be shrinking today and still experiencing quakes
Astronomers captured a meteorite hitting the moon's surface during January's total lunar eclipse, creating a crater up to 15 meters across. The impact was recorded using eight telescopes in Spain and revealed an object measuring 30-60cm in diameter, traveling at 61,000 kilometers per hour.
Researchers at Yale University and Japan offer an explanation for the moon's composition, suggesting that magma played a key role in its formation. The new model suggests that 80% of the moon is made up of proto-Earth materials, contradicting previous theories that suggested the impactor was responsible.
Scientists found evidence of water vapor in lunar exosphere after analyzing data from NASA's LADEE mission, which orbited the Moon from October 2013 to April 2014. The team detected dozens of events where meteoroids struck the Moon's surface, releasing a short-lived water vapor that could be used as a resource for future human explorat...
UTSA joins NASA's Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats institute (RETHi) to advance space smart habitat designs for deep space habitats, leveraging expertise in civil infrastructure with advanced technology fields.
A University of Rhode Island scientist has determined the temperature at the boundary of the Moon's core and mantle, finding it to be between 1,130 and 1,470 degrees Celsius. This discovery will help create a temperature profile through the Moon, allowing researchers to better understand its internal structure, composition, and evolution.
The Cassini spacecraft gathered data on five small moons close to Saturn's rings, revealing no volatiles other than water ice. The moons' geology was shaped by complex processes, including tidal stresses, with optical properties influenced by contamination from the main rings and ring material.
The study reveals that water molecules migrate over the course of a day, with higher concentrations at higher latitudes. This new understanding of lunar hydration has significant implications for future human missions to the Moon, where water could be used as a source of fuel or radiation shielding.
Scientists have observed water molecules moving around the dayside of the Moon, contradicting previous assumptions that it was arid. The amount and locations of surface water vary based on the time of day, with more common at higher latitudes.
The Moon appeared to move in two opposite directions during a lunar transit, due to the SDO's faster orbital speed. The spacecraft caught this phenomenon, resulting in a 'freeze-frame' effect as the Moon remained in view.
Astronomers found a tiny moon, Hippocamp, around Neptune that shouldn't exist due to gravitational clearance by Proteus. The moon is thought to be a chipped-off piece from Proteus resulting from a comet collision, measuring 20 miles across.
Researchers at Lund University found that dung beetles are sensitive enough to hold their course during full moon nights despite light pollution. They use polarized light as their most important compass reference.
A study published in JETP Letters reveals that a meteoroid's collision with the Moon creates two dusty plasma clouds due to regolith fragments and molten material interacting with electrons. The clouds' characteristics, such as speed and size, can be observed separately, providing crucial insights for ensuring space flight safety.
A study by Rice University suggests that a planetary collision formed the moon and delivered life-essential elements to Earth. The research found that Earth's carbon and nitrogen content is consistent with a moon-forming impact involving a volatile-bearing, Mars-sized planet with a sulfur-rich core.
A new study suggests that the 'cooking' of ancient organic material created Titan's thick nitrogen atmosphere. The research, led by Dr. Kelly Miller, proposes that approximately half of the nitrogen atmosphere could result from this process.
Large moons in stable orbits around their parent planets are thought to be capable of hosting satellite submoons, with four bodies in our Solar System potentially fitting this description. However, the lack of observed submoons may offer insights into planetary formation and evolution.
Researchers calculated lunar crater ages using thermal data and found a rate of large impacts two to three times higher on both bodies over the last 290 million years. This discovery challenges the theory that Earth's craters were worn away through erosion, instead suggesting a lower impact rate prior to 290 million years ago.
A team of scientists analyzed lunar craters and found a drastic change in asteroid impact rates around 290 million years ago. This period saw an increase in asteroid impacts, with the rate being 2.6 times higher than before.
A recent study using Cassini data estimates Saturn's ring mass to be around 40 percent of the moon Mimas' mass, indicating a relatively young age for the rings. The discovery also provides insight into Saturn's internal structure and atmospheric circulation patterns.
A new study found the number of asteroid collisions with the Earth and moon has increased by up to three times over the past 290 million years. Researchers studied lunar craters using thermal data and images to determine their ages, revealing a surprising similarity between the two bodies' impact records.
A new study from the American Geophysical Union confirms evidence of rainfall on Titan's north pole, providing insight into the moon's changing seasons. The findings suggest that sunlight reflecting off a wet surface likely resulted in the observed reflective feature.
Researchers at UIC aim to recreate Titan's oceanic conditions in a laboratory growth chamber to detect potential biosignatures of life on the moon. They plan to grow microorganisms under high pressure and extreme cold to identify characteristic chemical and biological signatures.
A new study uses computer models to simulate debris movement and recreate the puzzling patterns of grooves seen on Phobos. The model suggests that boulders blasted free from an ancient asteroid impact created the distinctive feature.
The NASA Astrobiology Program has awarded a $7 million grant to the Oceans Across Space and Time (OAST) alliance to search for life in present and past oceans on Mars, Jupiter's moon Europa, and Saturn's moon Enceladus. The team aims to develop technologies that can detect signs of life in various environments.
Researchers have confirmed the existence of two elusive clouds of dust in semi-stable orbits around the Earth, known as Kordylewski clouds. The observations were made using a linearly polarising filter system attached to a camera lens at Judit Slíz-Balogh's private observatory in Hungary.
A team of astronomers used the Moon as a reference point to measure the brightness of the Milky Way, helping them detect faint signals from hydrogen atoms in the infant Universe. This detection could confirm or refute theoretical models of the Universe's early evolution.
Researchers used chromium isotopes to investigate the conditions under which the Moon's volatile elements evaporated. They found that the temperature of evaporation was around 1600-1800 K, significantly lower than previously thought if evaporation occurred during the giant Moon-forming impact.
Scientists predict 15-meter-tall sharp ice formations on Europa's surface could pose a hazard for future landing missions. The unique conditions on the moon create perfect conditions for these structures to form, which could be observed by NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission.
Astronomers at Columbia University have discovered a candidate exomoon orbiting a gas-giant planet 8,000 light-years away. The moon is estimated to be 1.5% the mass of its companion planet and lies within the star's habitable zone, where liquid water may exist on solid surfaces.
Researchers at ITMO University have developed a high-precision laser for measuring the distance between the Earth and Moon, achieving an accuracy of just a few millimeters. The new laser will be used in the GLONASS navigation system, allowing for real-time correction of satellite coordinates and improved navigation capabilities.
Researchers observed transit timing variations in Kepler-1625b's HST-recorded transit, suggesting the presence of an exomoon. The moon would have caused a delay in the transit start time, which occurred nearly 80 minutes earlier than expected.
Astronomers have found the first compelling evidence for a moon outside our own Solar System, using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and Kepler Space Telescope. The exomoon, Kepler-1625b-i, is comparable in diameter to Neptune and orbits a gas giant planet at a distance similar to Earth's orbit around the Sun.
Two lunar transits were observed by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory in September 2018, with the first lasting one hour and obscuring 92% of the Sun. The second transit was shorter, lasting 49 minutes and showing a distinct view of the Moon's surface due to the lack of atmospheric distortion.
Researchers from Rutgers University discovered that lunar swirls are produced by strongly magnetized lava flows, challenging the existing understanding of the moon's geology. The study provides new insights into the moon's ancient volcanic activity and internally generated magnetic field.
A team of scientists has found direct evidence for surface-exposed water ice on the Moon, with patchy distribution and smaller abundance compared to other planetary bodies. The discovery was made using data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper onboard India's Chandrayaan-1 mission.
Researchers discovered a massive increase in wave power near Jupiter's moons Ganymede and Europa, a million times more intense than average. This phenomenon is attributed to the strong magnetic fields of these moons, which amplify low-frequency radio waves.
Researchers Dirk Schulze-Makuch and Ian Crawford suggest two periods when Earth's Moon was habitable for simple lifeforms, including during its formation and a peak in volcanic activity around 3.5 billion years ago. Conditions were suitable for liquid water and an atmosphere to form on the lunar surface.
New images from the Juno spacecraft reveal that Jupiter's moons Io and Ganymede cast multiple, double-wingshaped auroral footprints on their parent planet. These large lunar bodies decorate the atmosphere with unusual patterns, previously seen as a bright spot footprint of each nearby moon.
Scientists at Southwest Research Institute found large, carbon-rich organic molecules emanating from Enceladus' subsurface ocean. The discovery indicates the moon's rocky core and warm water interact to form complex molecules, satisfying key requirements for life as we know it.
A team of Japanese scientists has discovered a mineral known as moganite in a lunar meteorite, reinforcing the theory that water exists on the Moon. The existence of moganite implies that there is water activity on the Moon.
Scientists reconstruct Earth's history with a new method that links astronomical theory to geological observation, enabling the analysis of ancient climate change. The study reveals days on Earth were over 18 hours long 1.4 billion years ago, and the moon's movement away contributed to the lengthening day.
A study co-authored by UCLA scientists reveals evidence of water vapor plumes on Europa's surface, providing further support for the possibility of a vast ocean beneath its icy outer shell. The research suggests that there are energy sources in the moon's interior that would be required if life were to develop on Europa.
Scientists analyzed newly resurrected data from Galileo's first flyby of Ganymede, revealing a stormy scene with particles blasted off the moon's icy surface due to incoming plasma rain. The results may hold key insights into why Ganymede's auroras are so bright.
Scientists propose a new model where a heavy layer of molten rock sits on top of the Moon's metal core, driving the dynamo and creating a strong magnetic field. This model explains the Moon's early strong magnetic field and its subsequent weakening.
Researchers found a small but measurable difference in oxygen isotopes between lunar and terrestrial rocks, proposing that most of Earth's water was acquired during the main stage of its growth. This challenges the widely accepted theory that the Moon formed from debris left over after a giant impact.
New research analyzing oxygen isotopic compositions of lunar and terrestrial samples supports a high-energy collision model for the Moon's origin. Most of Earth's water is believed to have been delivered before the Moon-forming impact, contradicting previous proposals that it was added later.
A study by Brown University researchers maps the mineralogy of the South Pole-Aitken basin, a giant impact crater on the Moon's far side. The research identified four distinct mineralogical regions within and around the basin, providing insights for future lunar exploration and landing site selection.
A new explanation for the Moon's origin proposes it formed inside a rapidly spinning, vaporized rock cloud called a synestia. The model resolves several problems in lunar formation and matches the pattern of the Moon's composition.