Sometimes we see things from orbit that we can't immediately explain. Until recently, scientists were unsure of what caused the spider-like formations observed in the southern hemisphere of Mars by spacecraft such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Now, NASA scientists I have been able to create similar patterns recreating processes involving carbon dioxide ice, which occurs naturally on Mars. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona.
Last week there was a record number of people in space. A total of 19 people were in Earth orbit between September 11 and 15. This included 12 people on the International Space Station, three Chinese taikonauts on the Chinese space station Tiangong-3 and four private astronauts on the Polaris Dawn mission.
NASA is considering proposals to keep the VIPER lunar mission alive. The Polar Exploration Rover that investigates volatiles was abruptly cancelled in July despite being fully built. NASA cited budget issues as the reason for the cancellation, but is now Reviewing proposals from international companies and partners to take over the program.
Earth will have a new mini-moon, but only temporarily. Observations of the recently discovered near-Earth asteroid 2024 PT5 suggest that its horseshoe-shaped orbit around the Sun will take it close enough to Earth to be captured by our gravity on September 29, making it a mini-moon. However, it will not enter orbit around Earth and will leave our gravitational pull on November 25.
It is possible that the Earth once had a ring. Researchers examining the locations of impact craters from a period of intense bombardment 466 million years ago found an unexpected cluster of craters in areas that would have been near the equator at the time, before the continents shifted to their current locations. The researchers suggest the impacts It may have come from a ring of debris. that may have formed around Earth after an asteroid broke up during a close encounter.
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