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☆ Giant oddball planet has the density of fluffy cotton candy, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

An international coalition of astronomers has newly discovered an unusual planet, dubbed WASP-193b, that’s about 50% bigger than Jupiter and somehow still the second lightest planet ever found. Because of how small the mass signal was, it took the team four years to gather data and calculate WASP-193b’s mass, Barkaoui explained. Eventually the team discovered the planet’s mass is a measly 14% that of Jupiter, despite being so much bigger. But a bigger size means a bigger “extended atmosphere,” said study coauthor Julien de Wit, an associate professor of planetary science at MIT. “WASP-193b is an outlier of all planets discovered to date,” he said.

Persons: puffy, Kepler, Jupiters, Khalid Barkaoui, James Webb, ”, Barkaoui, Francisco Pozuelos, Julien de Wit, Wit, Stone, puffy Jupiters, it’s Organizations: CNN, James Webb Space Telescope, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, WASP, Spain’s Institute of Astrophysics, MIT Locations: Andalucia

☆ What’s on the far side of the moon? Here’s why scientists want to find out
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The far side of the moon is very different from the near side,” said Li Chunlai, China National Space Administration deputy chief designer. The Yutu-2 lunar rover took an image of the Chang'e-4 lunar probe on the far side of the moon on January 11, 2019. Far side mysteriesDespite years of orbital data and samples collected during six of the Apollo missions, scientists are still trying to answer key questions about the moon. Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty ImagesChang’e-6 is just one mission heading to the moon’s far side as NASA has plans to send robotic missions there as well. Cracking the lunar codeOne of the most fundamental questions that scientists have tried to answer is how the moon formed.

Persons: Von, hasn’t, ”, Li Chunlai, David Trone, Bill Nelson, ” Nelson, “ We’re, Pink Floyd, Renu Malhotra, Louise Foucar, we’ve, Noah Petro, Artemis III, “, ” Petro, Artemis, Malhotra, Brett Denevi, ” Denevi, Hector Retamal, Denevi, Aitken, “ it’s, CNN’s Wayne Chang Organizations: CNN, China National Space Administration, NASA, Louise Foucar Marshall Science Research, Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Apollo, Reconnaissance, Artemis, Soviet Union, Johns Hopkins, Getty Locations: China, Tucson, AFP, Hainan Province

☆ Crater offers new clue near-Earth asteroid is really a piece of the moon, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The space rock, known as 2016 HO3, is a rare quasi-satellite — a type of near-Earth asteroid that orbits the sun but sticks close to our planet. Astronomers first discovered it in 2016 using the Pan-STARRS telescope, or Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, in Hawaii. Scientists call the asteroid Kamo’oalewa, a name derived from a Hawaiian creation chant that alludes to an offspring traveling on its own. Kamo’oalewa specimen: A connecting puzzle pieceStudying crater impacts on the moon can also help scientists better understand the consequences of asteroid impacts should a space rock pose a threat to Earth in the future. There’s no other place, no other planet in our solar system with a moon like our moon.

Persons: they’ve, Giordano Bruno, Yifei Jiao, ”, Erik Asphaug, Kamo’oalewa, “ You’d, Asphaug, ” Jiao, ” Asphaug, Renu Malhotra, China’s, Patrick Michel, Noah Petro, Artemis III, Petro, “, ” Petro, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Survey Telescope, University of Arizona’s, Laboratory, Tsinghua University, University of, London, NASA, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, National Centre for Scientific Research, Reconnaissance, Artemis Locations: Hawaii, Beijing, “, France

☆ Lyrid meteor shower peaks this week right before the pink full moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The total solar eclipse has come and gone, but sky-gazers have reason to keep looking up — a meteor shower will peak this week right before a full moon rises. The Lyrid meteor shower will be most active Sunday night through the early morning hours of Monday, according to the American Meteor Society. And April’s full moon, also known as the pink moon, reaches the crest of its full phase at 7:49 p.m. The pink moon actually got its moniker due to its annual appearance not long after the start of spring, much like its namesake, a hot pink wildflower called Phlox subulata that blooms in early springtime, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Instead, an annular solar eclipse creates a “ring of fire” in the sky as the sun’s light surrounds the moon.

Persons: Ashley King, don’t, “, ” King, Paul Hayne, Hayne, It’s, ” Hayne, Lorenzo Di Cola, Alpha Capricornids, Perseids, Draconids, Orionids, Leonids, Geminids, Ursids Organizations: CNN, American Meteor Society, Northern, NASA, University of Colorado, Orvieto Cathedral, •, Alpha Locations: Southern, University of Colorado Boulder, Orvieto, Umbria, Italy, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, North America

☆ Pluto’s heart was likely created by an ancient collision
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A deep basin called Sputnik Planitia, which makes up the “left lobe” of the heart, is home to much of Pluto’s nitrogen ice. The New Horizons spacecraft took an image of Pluto's heart on July 14, 2015. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/NASAThrough new research on Sputnik Planitia, an international team of scientists has determined that a cataclysmic event created the heart. The teardrop shape of Sputnik Planitia is a result of the frigidity of Pluto’s core, as well as the relatively low velocity of the impact itself, the team found. The researchers believe that the new theory regarding Pluto’s heart could shed more light on how the mysterious dwarf planet formed.

Persons: Clybe Tombaugh, Pluto, it’s, ”, Harry Ballantyne, Erik Asphaug, ” Asphaug, “ That’s, Sputnik Planitia, Martin Jutzi, Kelsi Singer, ” Singer Organizations: CNN, Regio, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Research Institute, NASA, Sputnik, Pluto, University of Bern, University of Arizona’s, Laboratory, University of Bern’s Physics, Kelsi, Southwest Research, New Locations: United States, Switzerland, Boulder , Colorado

☆ Returning samples from Mars will require a new plan, NASA says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —NASA is seeking innovative methods that could help retrieve samples collected by the Perseverance rover on Mars in the future. The original design for the Mars Sample Return program, a partnership between NASA and the European Space Agency, was a complex one. Reviews of the program have recommended that the Mars Sample return should not cost more than $5 billion to $7 billion, Nelson said. “Mars Sample Return will be one of the most complex missions NASA has ever undertaken. “We are operating from the premise that this is an important national objective that we return the samples,” Nelson said.

Persons: NASA's, Bill Nelson, Nicky Fox, Nelson, “, ” Nelson, ”, Noble, Emissivity, won’t, It’s, Fox, ” Fox Organizations: CNN, NASA, European Space Agency, JPL, Caltech, Budget, Science, VERITAS, Imaging, Radio Science, Fox, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mars Locations: Mars, Pasadena , California

☆ Meteorites may be lost to Antarctic ice as climate warms, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Ice sampling occurs on a blue ice area during the 2022 Chilean Antarctic Institute field mission. “As the climate continues to warm, Antarctic rocks are sinking into the ice at an increasing rate. Meteorites are particularly plentiful in blue ice fields. Steven Goderis/Vrije Universiteit BrusselResearchers have identified areas of meteorite-rich blue ice mostly by luck. “The main worry is the logistical aspect of searching for Antarctica meteorites, which is already difficult today due to the remoteness of Antarctica.

Persons: Maria Valdes, ”, Valdes, Robert A, “, José, wasn’t, Balchenfjella, Steven Goderis, Veronica Tollenaar, ” Valdes, Tollenaar, ” Tollenaar, Harry Zekollari, Katherine Joy, Matthias van Ginneken, van Ginneken, Kevin Righter, Righter Organizations: CNN, Field, University of Chicago, Pritzker Center, Meteoritics, Polar Studies, Antarctic Institute, University of Santiago, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Université Libre de Bruxelles, University of Manchester, University of Kent’s, Astrophysics, NASA Johnson Space Center Locations: Antarctica, Chile, Vrije, Université, Belgium, Houston

☆ Mars volcano the size of Mount Everest was hiding in plain sight, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Scientists may have pinpointed a massive, oddly shaped volcano taller than Mount Everest on the surface of Mars — and it has been hiding in plain sight for decades, according to new research. Some of the largest volcanoes on Mars lie relatively close to the proposed “Noctis volcano.” Shown here: 1) Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in our solar system. This NASA visualization of the Tharsis rise shows Olympus Mons, Tharsis Montes, Noctis Labyrinthus, and Valles Marineris. NASA SVSA volcano, a glacier and the history of MarsThe existence of a volcano in Noctis Labyrinthus could also help explain the creation of this bizarre landscape. The existence of a volcano in the region, Lee said, might offer more support for the latter theory.

Persons: Everest, Pascal Lee, NASA SVS Lee, Sourabh, Lee, “ It’s, ”, NASA’s, Noctis Labyrinthus, “, ” Lee, Shubham, Adrien Broquet, we’ve, —, we’re, Noctis, Ernst Hauber, ” Hauber, David Horvath —, Tucson , Arizona —, Broquet, Horvath, ” Horvath, Carl Sagan Organizations: CNN —, Mars, Planetary Science Conference, Olympus, NASA, University of Maryland, College, CNN, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance, Marineris, Humboldt Research, German Aerospace Center, SETI Institute, German Aerospace Center’s, of Planetary Research, Planetary Science Institute Locations: The Woodlands , Texas, That’s, Mars, Noctis, Valles, Tharsis Montes, Labyrinthus, Tucson , Arizona

☆ NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will carry a poem and millions of names to ocean moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —When NASA’s Europa Clipper aims to launch on its highly anticipated mission to an icy moon in October, the spacecraft will carry a unique design etched with names, poetry and artwork symbolizing humanity. This latest mission is headed to Jupiter’s moon Europa, one of several lunar ocean worlds considered to be the best places to search for life beyond Earth. NASA/JPL-CaltechA planetary legacyEarly NASA probes such as Pioneer 10 and Voyager have continued to inspire the artwork that travels aboard other planetary science missions. “The content and design of Europa Clipper’s vault plate are swimming with meaning,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, in a statement. “We’ve packed a lot of thought and inspiration into this plate design, as we have into this mission itself,” said Robert Pappalardo, project scientist at JPL, in a statement.

Persons: Ada Limón, Ron Greeley, Drake, Frank Drake, ”, Lori Glaze, Robert Pappalardo, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Clipper, Parker, Probe, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ”, US, Arizona State University, University of California, NASA, JPL, Caltech, Planetary Science, Europa Clipper Locations: Pasadena , California, Europa, University of California Santa Cruz

☆ Opinion: Precious samples from Mars have been collected. Now it’s up to Congress to get them back
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Opinion Jonathan I. Lunine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He served on the NASA Mars Sample Return Independent Review Board in 2023. Within these tubes are priceless samples of Mars that hold the clues to when and how Mars went from Earth-like habitability to uninhabitable desolation. Mars Sample Return is among the most challenging and complex robotic missions ever attempted, requiring the largest lander ever put on Mars, which would carry a rocket to launch the samples off the surface into Martian orbit. Mars holds secrets about what makes it possible for a planet to support life, locked in the samples that await return to Earth. NASA must provide that plan to Congress as soon as possible so that Congress can move forward with adequate funding.

Persons: Jonathan Lunine, David C, Duncan, Jonathan I, Mars Organizations: Cornell University, NASA, CNN, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, Apollo, European Space Agency, US National Academy of Sciences, MSR, Planetary Science Locations: Washington, DC, China

☆ A signal linked to aliens by a Harvard professor may have been caused by a passing truck
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewYet another study is calling into question a Harvard professor's claims that metallic balls discovered under the ocean may have been made by aliens . Johns Hopkins University-led (JHU-led) research said a blip on the seismometer that Loeb used to pinpoint the crash site may simply have been caused by the vibrations of a passing truck. AdvertisementPinpointing the crash siteIn 2019, Loeb and his team searched databases for unusual meteors that were moving rapidly. The meteor, dubbed by Loeb's team IM1, was first spotted by the Department of Defense's (DoD) sensors. Loeb's team recovered 805 spherules.

Persons: —, Avi Loeb, Loeb, Ben Fernando, It's, Fernando, it's, Charles Hoskinson, Undeterred Organizations: Service, Harvard, Business, Johns Hopkins University, JHU, Department of Defense's, DoD, Planetary Science Conference, Galileo, Space Force Locations: Papua, Guinea, 2401.09882, Papua New Guinea, Houston

☆ NASA’s DART mission: Spacecraft impact reshaped Dimorphos asteroid
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —When NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft intentionally slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos in September 2022, the impact may have caused “global deformation” of the space rock, according to new research. Dimorphos is a moonlet asteroid that orbits a larger parent asteroid known as Didymos. The DART mission ended upon impact, but prior to colliding with Dimorphos, the spacecraft transmitted an incredibly detailed view of the little asteroid’s boulder-covered surface that is helping researchers learn more about how the space rock formed. Rather than forming a simple crater on Dimorphos, the DART impact reshaped the entire asteroid, the results have suggested. Recreating the DART impactA team of researchers modeled the impact using the Bern smoothed-particle hydrodynamics shock physics code to achieve their results.

Persons: Dimorphos, It’s, ”, Dr, Sabina Raducan, Japan’s, ” Raducan, Martin Jutzi, Hera, Raducan, Sir Brian May, Claudia Manzoni Organizations: CNN, DART, Dimorphos, University of Bern’s Physics Locations: Italian, Dimorphos, Bern, Switzerland

☆ Water molecules found on asteroids thought to be ‘completely dry’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Water molecules have been detected on the surface of asteroids for the first time, proving that these remnants from the formation of our solar system aren’t just dried-up space rocks. Searching for water across the solar systemThe researchers attempted to look for water on two other asteroids using SOFIA, but the detection was too faint. Now, the team is using the James Webb Space Telescope to zero in on different asteroids and search for water signatures. “We really weren’t expecting to find water on these silicate-rich asteroids,” Arredondo said. I want to know if the carbon-rich asteroids have significantly more water than silicate-rich asteroids, or if they have similar amounts.”

Persons: Iris, Massalia, SOFIA, Anicia, Maggie McAdam, Arredondo, ” Arredondo, McAdam’s, James Webb, Webb, “, ” Webb, REx Organizations: CNN, Astronomy, Boeing, SOFIA, Science, Southwest Research Institute, NASA’s Ames Research Locations: SOFIA, San Antonio, Mountain View , California, Iris

The East Coast Is Sinking New satellite-based research reveals how land along the coast is slumping into the ocean, compounding the danger from global sea level rise. SINKING BY 2050 RISING –5 +5 cm –20 –15 –10 0 Atlantic City is sinking up to 4 centimeters per decade. SINKING BY 2050 RISING –5 +5 cm –20 –15 –10 0 Several hotspots in Maryland are sinking over 10 centimeters per decade, while other areas are rising. SINKING BY 2050 RISING –5 +5 cm –20 –15 –10 0 Charleston, S.C., which is affected by groundwater pumping, is sinking up to 5.7 centimeters per decade. Portland, Maine 47.0 cm 45.8 cm +40 cm 40.6 cm Relative sea level rise 33.8cm +30 cm +20 cm SUBSIDENCE +10 cm Change since 1925 Global sea level rise 1925 2023 1925 2023 1925 2023 1925 2023 Sources: Dangendorf (2019) and the National Oceanography Centre.

Persons: ”, Leonard Ohenhen, Kenneth Miller, Inner Harbor BOSTON Charles, “, Miller, “ We’ve, Sandy, we’ve, Sandy Hertz, Hertz Organizations: Virginia Tech, U.S . Geological Survey, NASA, Rutgers University ., Places New, National Oceanography, The New York Times, East Boston Charleston East Cambridge Airport, Inner, Pleasure, Roxbury, Boston City Archives, Boston Public Library, Boston Groundwater Trust, PNAS, Rutgers University, American Society of Civil Engineers, Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of Transportation Locations: Boston, New York City, Long, Maryland, Hampton, Va, Charleston, S.C, Florida, Miami, Places New York City, N.Y, Atlantic City, N.J, Mass, Portland , Maine, York City, New Jersey, East, Inner Harbor BOSTON, Pleasure Bay, Savin, Roxbury Grove, Shirzaei, Cape Canaveral, exurbs, Delaware, Atlantic, East Coast

☆ Crucial ocean current system could be on course to collapse with catastrophic impacts on global weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This new study provides an “important breakthrough,” said René van Westen, a marine and atmospheric researcher at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and study co-author. It’s the first time a collapse has been detectable using these complex models, representing “bad news for the climate system and humanity,” the report says. “But we can at least say that we are heading in the direction of the tipping point under climate change,” van Westen said. The AMOC’s collapse could also cause sea levels to surge by around 1 meter (3.3 feet), van Westen said. “(It) adds significantly to the rising concern about an AMOC collapse in the not too distant future,” he said.

Persons: ”, René van Westen, van Westen, ” van Westen, Stefan Rahmstorf, Rahmstorf, Joel Hirschi, Jeffrey Kargel, Hirschi, “ Organizations: CNN, Northern, University of Utrecht, Southern, Potsdam University, National Oceanography, Planetary Science Institute Locations: Atlantic, Netherlands, Europe, Germany, Arizona

☆ Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon is hiding an internal ocean, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Astronomers have uncovered additional evidence that one of Saturn’s smallest moons, Mimas, is hiding a global ocean beneath its icy surface. Discovered in 1789 by English astronomer William Herschel as a tiny dot near Saturn, Mimas was first imaged from space by the Voyager probes in 1980. Craters cover the surface of Mimas, but the largest one is 80 miles (about 130 kilometers) across and causes the moon to resemble the Death Star from the “Star Wars” films. But Saturn’s Enceladus appears younger because active geysers have contributed to resurfacing, or depositing of new, fresh material on that moon’s surface. “Mimas certainly demonstrates that moons with old surfaces can be hiding young oceans, which is pretty exciting,” Rhoden said.

Persons: Mimas, Cassini, William Herschel, Observatoire, Dr, Valéry Lainey, Lainey, ”, Nick Cooper, Saturn, ” Lainey, “, Triton, Frédéric, ” Cooper, “ Lainey, Matija Ćuk, Alyssa Rose Rhoden, Rhoden Organizations: CNN —, Saturn, Voyager, “, Physical, Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, NASA, Clipper, SETI Institute, Southwest Research Locations: Paris, California, Colorado

☆ Yes, the moon is shrinking but that's not the disturbing news scientists discovered that could threaten future NASA missions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementDanger at the lunar south poleArtemis III plans to land astronauts near the moon's south pole , which contains water ice, among other vital resources. Even small tremors at the moon's south pole could trigger landslides, according to a NASA press release, which may be dangerous to astronauts. Asteroids and comets have also broken up the lunar surface, Nicholas Schmerr, a co-author on the study, said in a statement . Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). The setback will likely also delay NASA's later missions and the agency's aspirations to build a permanent base at the moon's south pole.

Persons: Artemis, —, Artemis III, Tom Watters, Watters, Shackleton, Nicholas Schmerr, James B, Irwin, Artemis II Organizations: Service, NASA, Science, Newsweek, BBC, Lunar, Apollo, CNN, Orion

☆ The moon is shrinking, and it could be a problem for astronauts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

On the lunar surface, however, it’s a different story. “We also knew that the largest of the shallow moonquakes detected by the Apollo seismometers was located near the south pole. As part of the mission, two astronauts will spend about a week living and working on the lunar surface. They can be an opportunity to better study the moon as we do on the Earth with earthquakes,” Husker said. Studying moonquakes at the south pole will tell us more about the Moon’s interior structure as well as its present-day activity.”

Persons: India’s, Russia’s Luna, Artemis, ”, Thomas R, Watters, ” Watters, LRO, “, Renee Weber, ” Weber, Weber, Yosio Nakamura, Nakamura, Allen Husker, Husker, Jeffrey Andrews, Hanna Organizations: CNN, NASA, National Air, Space Museum’s, for, Planetary Studies, Lunar, Science, Apollo, University of Texas, California Institute of Technology, University of Arizona Locations: China, Austin

☆ Sea of Nectar: What you should know about the moon area where Japan’s lander touched down
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

If the lander turns on again, it could make good on its objectives to collect unprecedented information about a region called the Sea of Nectar. The 1969 US moon mission Apollo 11 captured this oblique view of the large crater Theophilus at the northwest edge of the Sea of Nectar. Here's the first picture sent back by the Moon Sniper after it landed on the lunar surface. The Sea of Nectar is much smaller than its neighbor the Sea of Tranquility, which is over 540 miles (875 kilometers) across and is similarly smooth and flat. “After the Apollo missions, we brought back samples and learned they were essentially massive lava planes,” Osinski said.

Persons: Smart, SLIM —, Moon, Theophilus that’s, ”, Gordon Osinski, who’s, Artemis, Osinski, we’ve, ” Osinski, Sara Russell, haven’t, Russell, “, SLIM, ” “, John Pernet, Fisher, Pernet, it’s, Tranquillity, Canada’s, maria ”, “ It’s, NASA’s Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, NASA, Western University, Lunar Reconnaissance, Planetary Materials, Ritsumeikan University, Aizu, University of Manchester, Planetary Institute, Apollo, Getty Locations: Japan, , Ontario, Shioli, United Kingdom

☆ Lunar Anthropocene: Humans may have kicked off a new geological period on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Touching down on the lunar surface is incredibly difficult, as evidenced by numerous crashes that have made their mark and created new craters. Ultimately, 12 NASA astronauts walked on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. Declaring a Lunar Anthropocene could make it clear that the moon is changing in ways it wouldn’t naturally due to human exploration, the researchers said. But a propulsion issue noticed hours after liftoff means that Peregrine won’t be able to attempt a moon landing, and currently, its fate is uncertain. NASA/JSCThe Apollo 11 lunar landing marked the first time humans set foot on another world.

Persons: —, ”, Justin Holcomb, ” Holcomb, bootprints, NASA’s, Micrometeorites, Eugene A, Cernan, It's, ‘, landers, Russia’s Luna, Astrobotic, Peregrine won’t, “, we’re Organizations: CNN, NASA, Geoscience, Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas, ”, Humanity, ASU, Apollo, JSC, Navajo Locations: Soviet, Mare Imbrium, Kansas, Canada, ’, Africa

☆ NASA unlocks last of OSIRIS-Rex asteroid sample trapped by stuck fasteners
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Two stubborn fasteners trapped invaluable material sampled from an asteroid — but after a monthslong process, it has finally been released, NASA announced Thursday. The space agency already harvested about 2.5 ounces (70 grams) of rocks and dust from its OSIRIS-REx mission, which traveled nearly 4 billion miles to collect the unprecedented sample from the near-Earth asteroid called Bennu. But NASA revealed in October that some material remained out of reach in a capsule hidden inside an instrument called the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism — a robotic arm with a storage container at one end that collected the sample from Bennu. The sampler head is held shut by 35 fasteners, according to NASA, but two of them proved too difficult to open. What the asteroid sample has revealed so farAs of Thursday afternoon, NASA said the trapped sample material had not yet been revealed.

Persons: REx, ”, Nicole Lunning, REx curation, NASA’s, Dante Lauretta Organizations: CNN, NASA, Space Center, Johnson Space Center, University of Arizona Locations: Houston

☆ A rogue star could save Earth from extinction in a billion years by knocking it out past Pluto
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An unexpected rescue mission could come in the form of a star flying by the solar system. There's a slim chance the star could pull the Earth to a more habitable zone, a study suggested. The researchers ran 12,000 simulations to see what would happen if a star passed within 100 astronomical units (about 9.3 billion miles) from Earth. In 92% of cases, the solar system would remain almost intact even as a star passed by the solar system. In some simulations, Earth remained in the solar system but was pulled to a region beyond Pluto that's about 10% cooler than our current orbit.

Persons: —, Sean Raymond, there's, Raymond, that's Organizations: Service, University of Bordeaux, Planetary Science Institute, New, Royal Astronomical Society Locations: France, Tucson , Arizona

☆ The mystery of how the moon formed is still puzzling scientists. The secret could lie deep within our planet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AdvertisementHere are four leading theories of how the moon was formed, and why the secret to uncovering the truth could lie deep within our planet. The moon wandered by the Earth and was captured into its orbitAccording to the capture theory, the moon was wandering through the universe like a giant asteroid. NASA/NOAAThe moon formed alongside the EarthThe accretion hypothesis ties the moon to the birth of the Earth. The problem is that while the moon and the Earth share isotopes, the way they put them together is very different. The moon also pulls as the earth, scientists have found.

Persons: we're, —, Elon Musk, Sara Russell, Russell, Russel, it's, Vincent Eke, Jacob A, Theia, Deng, Artemis Organizations: Service, NASA, Elon, Apollo, NOAA, Chinese Academy of Sciences, ESA Locations: Theia

☆ Researchers explored pitch-black pits in Yucatán's labyrinthine underwater caves to unlock the secrets of the rivers that provide drinking water to millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThe Sac Actun cave system on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula contains many wonders, from a 13,000-year-old skeleton to human artifacts and fossils of giant sloths. The underwater cave microbial communityThe cave system is a network of over 900 miles of connected caves that contain a mix of freshwater and saltwater. Caves flooded with coastal seawater had different microbes than The Pit, a deep cenote exposed to the surface, for example. For example, she noted that a planned train system from Cancún to the Yucatán Peninsula could affect the cave system. The potential for contamination is a problem anywhere there are caves, Osburn said.

Persons: —, It's, Magdalena, Osburn, Natalie Gibb, Comamonadaceae Organizations: Service, Northwestern University, Microbiology, Reuters Locations: Cancún, In Kentucky

☆ Scientists discern internal structure of mysterious dwarf planet Eris
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An artist's concept of the dwarf planet Eris and its moon Dysnomia is seen in this undated illustration released by NASA. Most likely there is no liquid ocean inside Eris," Nimmo added. Eris has a diameter of about 1,445 miles (2,326 km), slightly smaller than Pluto's 1,473 miles (2,370 km). Because of its greater concentration of rock, which is denser than ice, Eris has about 25% more mass than Pluto. "Just like the Earth-moon system, tides on Eris slowly push Dysnomia away and slow down the spin of Eris.

Persons: Pluto, Eris, Francis Nimmo, Nimmo, Mike Brown, Dysnomia, " Nimmo, Brown, we've, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NASA, JPL, Caltech, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, of California, Astronomical Union, Thomson Locations: of California Santa Cruz, Neptune

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