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☆ Someday, Earth Will Have a Final Total Solar Eclipse
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Katherine Kornei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The total solar eclipse visible on Monday over parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada was a perfect confluence of the sun and the moon in the sky. But it’s also the kind of event that comes with an expiration date: At some point in the distant future, Earth will experience its last total solar eclipse. That’s because the moon is drifting away from Earth, so our nearest celestial neighbor will one day, millions or even billions of years in the future, appear too small in the sky to completely obscure the sun. “We’ll only ever have annular eclipses,” said Noah Petro, a planetary scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, referring to “ring of fire” eclipses like the one that crossed the Americas in October. But putting an exact date on Earth’s final total solar eclipse is a serious computational challenge involving a variety of scientific disciplines.

Persons: it’s, We’ll, ”, Noah Petro Organizations: NASA Goddard Space Flight Locations: Mexico, United States, Canada, Americas

☆ NASA’s Lucy Mission Set Its Sights on 1 Asteroid. It Found 2.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Katrina Miller | More About Katrina Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Wednesday, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft zoomed by its first asteroid target — and scientists on the mission were shocked to discover that the rock, named Dinkinesh, was actually two rocks. The binary consists of a larger, primary asteroid and a smaller “moon” orbiting around it, as seen in images that Lucy captured of the pair. “We knew this was going to be the smallest main belt asteroid ever seen up close,” Keith Noll, an astronomer and Lucy project scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a news release. Lucy will visit nine additional space rocks through 2033, part of NASA’s broader effort to glean knowledge about our celestial neighborhood. “The Trojans are the last big population of objects that we have not yet seen close up,” said Thomas Statler, a NASA planetary scientist on the mission.

Persons: NASA’s, Lucy, ” Keith Noll, ”, Thomas Statler Organizations: NASA Goddard Space Flight, Trojans, NASA

☆ Earth's mysterious core is weirder than you think, and we're only just beginning to uncover its secrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Earth's core has baffled researchers for decades, and it still contains many secrets. AdvertisementAdvertisementA diagram shows the Earth's magnetic field deflecting waves of energy coming from the sun. The strength of Earth's magnetic field in 2020, as measured by the European Space Agency's SWARM satellites. The Earth's inner core may be spinning and might sometimes flip backwardThe core itself is not uniform. A graphic showing how iron crystals may be distributed and moved around the Earth's inner core.

Persons: Andrew Z, Colvin, Lutz Rastaetter, Christopher C, Finlay, al, Edward Garnero, Li, Lindsey Kenyon, Samantha Hansen, Insider's Morgan McFall, Johnsen, Chris Panella, John Vidale, UC Berkeley seismologist Daniel Frost, LiveScience Organizations: Service, NASA, Modeling, NASA Goddard Space, Wikimedia, German Research Center, Geosciences, European Space Agency, Arizona State University, Lindsey, University of Alabama, University of Southern, Washington Post, UC Berkeley Locations: South America, Antarctica, University of Southern California, Banda

☆ Small moonquakes caused by Apollo lunar lander module, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A spacecraft left behind by US astronauts on the lunar surface could be causing small tremors known as moonquakes, according to a new study. The lunar surface is an extreme environment, oscillating between minus 208 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 133 degrees Celsius) in the dark and 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) in direct sun, according to a news release about the study. Marusiak was not directly involved in the study, though she did have contact with the authors as a fellow expert in lunar seismology. “Every lunar morning when the sun hits the lander, it starts popping off,” said study coauthor Allen Husker, a research professor of geophysics at Caltech, in a statement. It’s important to note a key difference between the moon and Earth: On the lunar surface, there are no shifting tectonic plates that might cause catastrophic events.

Persons: Francesco Civilini, Artemis, Dr, Angela Marusiak, Marusiak, moonquakes Marusiak, “, —, ”, Allen Husker, I’m, seismometers, ” Marusiak, ” Husker Organizations: CNN, of Geophysical Research, California Institute of Technology, NASA Goddard Space Flight, NASA, University of Arizona’s, Laboratory, Caltech, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO Locations: California

☆ Japan launches X-ray satellite, ‘Moon Sniper’ lunar lander
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A revolutionary satellite that will reveal celestial objects in a new light and the “Moon Sniper” lunar lander lifted off Wednesday night. The XRISM satellite (pronounced “crism”), also called the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, is a joint mission between JAXA and NASA, along with participation from the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency. NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterAlong for the ride is JAXA’s SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. Previously, Japanese company Ispace’s Hakuto-R lunar lander fell 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) before crashing into the moon during a landing attempt in April. If SLIM is successful, JAXA contends, it will transform missions from “landing where we can to landing where we want.”

Persons: Ray, SLIM, Smart Lander, ”, Richard Kelley, James Webb, XRISM, Taylor Mickal, ” Kelley, “, Xtend, Brian Williams, NASA’s, Goddard, Ispace’s Organizations: CNN, Japanese Space Agency, YouTube, Ray Imaging, JAXA, NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, NASA Goddard Space Flight, Goddard Space Flight, Space Center, Soviet Locations: Japan, Greenbelt , Maryland, XRISM, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Japan’s X-ray satellite, ‘Moon Sniper’ lunar lander are ready to launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A revolutionary satellite that will reveal celestial objects in a new light and the “Moon Sniper” lunar lander are expected to lift off Sunday night. The XRISM satellite (pronounced “crism”), also called the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, is a joint mission between JAXA and NASA, along with participation from the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency. Along for the ride is JAXA’s SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. Previously, Japanese company Ispace’s Hakuto-R lunar lander fell 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) before crashing into the moon during a landing attempt in April. If SLIM is successful, JAXA contends, it will transform missions from “landing where we can to landing where we want.”

Persons: Ray, SLIM, Smart Lander, ”, Richard Kelley, James Webb, XRISM, Taylor Mickal, ” Kelley, “, Xtend, Brian Williams, NASA’s, Goddard, Ispace’s Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, YouTube, Ray Imaging, JAXA, NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, Goddard Space Flight, NASA Goddard Space Flight, Space Center, Soviet Locations: Japan, Greenbelt , Maryland, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Earth just had its hottest July 'by a long shot,' NASA and NOAA say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Denise Chow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

NASA and NOAA together found that last month's average global surface temperature was 2.02 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average. Last month was also the fourth consecutive month that global ocean surface temperatures hit a record high, the scientists said. This trend in ocean warming carries far-reaching consequences, he said. Changes in ocean temperatures can also have enormous impacts on marine species and their broader ecosystems, he said. This phenomenon is characterized by warm ocean surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean and tends to boost global temperatures and influence weather conditions around the world.

Persons: Sarah Kapnick, Carlos Del Castillo, Del Castillo, El, Gavin Schmidt, El Niño, Kapnick Organizations: NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Ecology Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight, Northern, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 533rd, El Locations: Greenbelt , Maryland, New York, El

☆ Webb telescope spies giant plume on Saturn’s moon Enceladus
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A record-breaking water plume erupted from Saturn’s moon Enceladus, and the James Webb Space Telescope was watching when it occurred. The geyser-like plumes release water vapor, organic chemicals and ice particles into space. But the plume witnessed by the Webb telescope spanned more than 6,000 miles (9,656 kilometers), which is nearly the distance between Los Angeles and Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to a NASA release. The James Webb Space Telescope captured a a water vapor plume jetting from the south pole of Enceladus. The inset image, taken by the Cassini orbiter, shows how small Enceladus appears compared with the water plume.

Persons: James Webb, Cassini, —, Webb, . Villanueva, ”, Geronimo Villanueva, ” Villanueva, “, NASA’s, Stefanie Milam, we’ve Organizations: CNN, NASA, James Webb Space, Cassini, ESA, CSA, Goddard Space Flight, Saturn, Clipper, NASA Goddard Space Flight Locations: Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Greenbelt , Maryland

☆ Lasers on Artemis II will share high-definition video of the moon
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —When the crewed Artemis II mission makes its lunar flyby in late 2024, we’ll be able to see video of the moon like never before — and it’s all thanks to lasers. Along for the historic journey to the moon will be the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System, or O2O — making Artemis II the first crewed lunar flight to demonstrate laser communications technology. This illustration depicts the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System sending a laser signal from the Orion spacecraft to Earth. Lasers will be able to send back more data at a quicker rate across longer distances, such as when Orion is flying by the moon during Artemis II. “We are thrilled by the promise laser communications will offer in the coming years,” says Badri Younes, deputy associate administrator and program manager for space communications and navigation at NASA headquarters in a statement.

“We need to have tabletop exercises that go through a variety of scenarios, including possibly nuclear weapons,” a senior official told CNN earlier this month. Leaks loomRecent online leaks of Pentagon documents involving South Korea also loom over the visit. One of the leaked documents describes, in remarkable detail, a conversation between two senior South Korean national security officials about concerns by the country’s National Security Council over a US request for ammunition. Plans and pompWednesday’s events mark just the second state visit of the Biden presidency (Biden hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte in December 2022). President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, Tuesday.

☆ Webb telescope takes striking image of planet Uranus
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a new stunning image of ice giant Uranus, with almost all its faint dusty rings on display. Uranus has 13 known rings, with 11 of them visible in the new Webb image. A November Hubble image of Uranus (left) captured the planet's bright polar cap, while the recent Webb image displayed more detail, with a subtle enhanced brightness at the cap's center. With the exact mechanism behind the haze unknown, scientists are studying the polar cap using telescope images such as this new Webb image. In this new Webb image, similar to other recent images by the Hubble Space Telescope, storm clouds can be seen at the edge of the polar cap.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a video of a tornado churning on the sun. The fiery formation of boiling solar plasma grew to an estimated height of 14 Earths. SDO/NASAThe magnetic structure that caused this tornado is actually a lot bigger than what we're seeing. As these move around the sun, they create magnetic fields that erupt through the solar surface. The sun is getting more activeA video from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the massive hole in the sun's atmosphere.

☆ Webb telescope spies clouds beneath haze of Saturn moon Titan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The James Webb Space Telescope has spied clouds on one of the solar system’s most intriguing moons. Titan’s atmosphere is made of nitrogen and methane, which gives it a fuzzy, orange appearance. Astronomers compared Webb (left) and Keck images of Titan to see how clouds evolved. The data, which is still being analyzed, was able to see deeper into Titan’s atmosphere and surface than the Cassini spacecraft, which orbited Saturn and its moons for 13 years. The cloud observations were a long time coming.

☆ James Webb Space Telescope: No evidence linking namesake to firings of LGBTQ staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Despite numerous calls from astronomers to rename its powerful new telescope, NASA officials stood by the naming of the James Webb Space Telescope before its launch. With the telescope nearly a year into its stint in space, the agency has released its chief historian’s investigation into the namesake of the telescope. Earlier this summer, Dr. Jane Rigby, the operations project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, tweeted that “a transformative telescope should have a name that stands for discovery and inclusion.”Officials at NASA have refused to rename it, though, citing an investigation into Webb’s career. The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope ever built. NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterNo evidence links Webb to any action that followed those discussions, Odom said.

☆ Astronauts' stunning photos from the International Space Station show Earth's triumphs and tragedies in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

"At the beginning of the war, the whole country went dark at night," German astronaut Matthias Maurer said in May, adding, "People actually only recognized Kyiv." Kyiv, Ukraine, as seen by satellite in January 2022, left, and March 2022, right. NASA Earth Observatory/Joshua Stevens/Black Marble data courtesy of Ranjay Shrestha/NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterThat's what he told German broadcaster ARD's "Morgenmagazin" program, according to a translation in Newsweek. "Then you could also see the impacts in the first days of the war. In Kyiv, you could see lightning at night," as well as the "rockets that hit," he added, according to Newsweek.

☆ A lunar eclipse will bring a blood red moon on Election Day — the last one for 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

That paints the full moon red, raising a blood moon into the skies on Election Day morning. The next total lunar eclipse won't happen until 2025. It's a total lunar eclipse, often called a "blood moon," and there won't be another one until 2025. The blue light from the sun scatters away, and longer-wavelength red, orange, and yellow light pass through, turning our moon red. Then wait until March 14, 2025, for the next total lunar eclipse.

☆ Fact Check-The Earth is not covered by a dome or ‘firmament’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Users on social media are saying people on Earth are living under a dome, also called a “firmament,” without providing evidence to support the claim. But the video’s examples offer no proof of humans living under a dome or firmament, while there is ample evidence that no dome exists. “Rocket hitting the flat earth dome”, reads the title of one of the YouTube clips. SIXTY YEARS OF SPACEFLIGHTExperts pointed out that if there were a dome that covered the Earth, astronauts would have encountered it by now. A video provides no evidence that the Earth is under a dome or “firmament”.

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