Tag Archives: Lava

IN A NUTSHELL 🌕 Chinese researchers develop robotic dogs to explore lunar lava tubes for potential moon bases. 🤖 These robots are equipped with autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance technologies. 🌋 Testing in a cave similar to lunar terrain helps advance robotic technology for space exploration. 🚀 The initiative highlights the potential of AI and robotics in future space missions. …

UPDATE – (10:50 a.m.) – The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says the beginning of Episode 33 lava fountaining “is most likely today or tomorrow at the latest”, although it could still be delayed if current conditions change.  From an Observatory update posted on Thursday morning at 9:22 a.m. HST: The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) has recorded approximately 22.5 microradians of inflationary …

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted again this week, spewing lava 500 feet into the air from the crater at its summit, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The eruption ended around 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday night, after producing approximately 337 million cubic feet of molten rock over a 13-hour period.  This marked the 32nd episode in an ongoing eruption event at Kilauea, one …

In this image released by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Kilauea volcano spews lava on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. M. Zoeller/AP/U.S. Geological Survey hide caption toggle caption M. Zoeller/AP/U.S. Geological Survey HONOLULU — Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano resumed erupting Friday by shooting an arc of lava 100 feet (30 meters) into the air and across …

HONOLULU — Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano resumed erupting Friday by shooting an arc of lava 100 feet (30 meters) into the air and across a section of its summit crater floor. It was Kilauea’s 31st display of molten rock since December, an appropriately high frequency for one of the world’s most active volcanoes. The north vent at the summit crater began …

The three robots worked as a team to enter and map an underground tunnel.Credit: Carlos Pérez-del-Pulgar To explore volcanic tunnels on the Moon or Mars, send a team of specialized robots. Researchers have demonstrated this approach in tests on Lanzarote, an island in Spain, with one rover helping another to rappel down a vertical shaft into a subterranean cave. Testing …

Astronomers may be starting to get the goods on lava planets. These fiery worlds share a similar density to Earth but orbit so close to their host stars that their scorching daytime temperatures melt the very rocks they’re made of, creating possible oceans of magma that cover their surface. While lava worlds represent an exciting new frontier in exoplanet science, …

Lava planets, some no larger than Earth, challenge everything we know about planetary science. These extreme worlds orbit so close to their stars that a single year lasts less than a day. Their surfaces reach temperatures hot enough to melt or even vaporize rock, creating conditions that are completely alien compared to Earth, Mars, or Venus. Yet it is precisely …

China has taken a new step in its long-term planning for lunar exploration with the completion of a “simulated moon underground space.” Researchers have established a practice area in a volcanic lava cave in a forest region near Jingbo Lake in Mudanjiang City, located in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. The move is in response to research suggesting that lava …

Image: WB / Mojang / Kotaku Remember that really catchy but also very annoying Jack Black song “Lava Chicken” from the Minecraft movie? If you are a parent with kids under the age of 16, you likely do, and you are probably so happy to finally be free of it. Well, bad news: The song was just added to the …