Tag Archives: moons

Free-floating, planetary-mass objects that are just drifting carefree through the galaxy, untethered and starless, appear to be able to generate their own systems of moons, like a planetary system on a miniature scale. An analysis of new JWST observations on a number of rogue planets – each weighing between five and 10 Jupiters – has revealed the presence of disks …

The predawn hours of Aug. 8 present a perfect opportunity to see Jupiter’s four largest moons line up next to the “King of the Planets” as it voyages through the stars of the constellation Gemini. Stargazers in the U.S. will see Jupiter rise above the eastern horizon roughly two hours before sunrise on Aug. 8, with Venus visible as a …

NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a $176.7 million contract to deliver a pair of rovers and three scientific instruments to the moon’s south pole. Targeted for landing in 2029, the mission will be the first under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to carry multiple rovers and instruments in a single flight. They will explore some of the moon’s …

This week, the Sturgeon Moon rises, giving moongazers across the world the chance to see a beautiful full Moon skimming the horizon. The Sturgeon Moon is the August full Moon, the eighth full Moon of the year, and rises on 9 August at 21:13 BST. What’s more, the Sturgeon Moon marks the beginning of a lunar meeting with the Solar …

(Credit: University of Trento/NASA) Welcome to this installment of The Intelligence Brief… This week, a groundbreaking new study using NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified over a dozen newly confirmed pit craters on the Moon that could serve as natural entrances to underground environments—some of which may be ideal for future astronaut shelters. In our analysis, we’ll explore 1) how …

IN A NUTSHELL 🌙 Scientists plan to deploy the LuSEE-Night radio telescope on the Moon’s far side to avoid Earth’s radio interference. 🔭 The mission aims to explore the Cosmic Dark Ages by monitoring low-frequency radio signals free from terrestrial noise. 🚀 Equipped with advanced technology, the telescope will operate in the Moon’s harsh environment with a substantial lithium-ion battery …

A groundbreaking study using Apollo 16 lunar samples has challenged long-held assumptions about the source of the Moon’s delicate atmosphere. Contrary to the belief that the solar wind plays a dominant role, new findings indicate that micrometeorite impacts are actually the primary drivers of the Moon’s tenuous exosphere. Why Solar Wind Fell Short Of Expectations For decades, scientists have debated …

On its long journey to the outer solar system, NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft made a planned detour — and seized a striking photo opportunity.  In a single frame, the uncrewed Europa Clipper caught Mars alongside both of its tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos, as they waltzed through space, all glowing in infrared light.  The image, presented below, is more than …

If you thought the Earth only had one moon, think again. Researchers have revealed that our planet may actually have an entire collection orbiting us at any given time. A new study has found that Earth has at least six ‘minimoons’ in orbit on a regular basis, with most of them being smaller pieces of the actual moon we see …

Tallison Teixeira’s undefeated run is no more. Derrick Lewis more than made sure of that. Lewis easily handled Teixeira in a matter of seconds on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville in what was his first fight in more than a year. The 40-year-old, who is the UFC’s all-time knockout leader, added another TKO to his tally when he …