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Big Muley, the largest sample brought back by the Apollo program, is seen just above the right extension of astronaut John Young’s shadow on the left of this image. A new analysis of Big Muley and other Apollo moon rocks shows that the Moon’s magnetic field was limited to its early history — possibly only
This week we'll be focusing on the Moon, as Tuesday brings us three amazing events. The September Full Moon occurs on Tuesday night, bringing us the Harvest Moon of the year and the second of four stunning Supermoons of 2024. At the same time, visible across much of the globe (including the entire continental United
Back to list of articles Early risers on Tuesday will be able to see the Moon alongside two bright planets. Credit: Stellarium/USGS/Celestia/Clementine In the predawn hours of Tuesday, August 27, you'll be able to see a nice grouping of solar system objects. First, look for the Moon, about 40 percent illuminated. The next brightest object,
The Pragyan rover's wheels penetrated several centimeters into the lunar soil, allowing the rover's APXS instrument to analyze the composition of the lunar regolith beneath the upper surface layer. Credit: ISRO 4.5 billion years ago, amid the chaos of the early solar system, the young Earth was rocked by a cataclysmic collision with another Mars-sized
Back to list of articles Reeves, a well-known and accomplished lunar observer and photographer, has just published two new books perfect for amateur astronomers ready to explore Earth's satellite. Courtesy of Robert Reeves Lightning rarely strikes twice in the same place, but in the world of lunar astronomy, that's exactly what just happened. I've had
Back to list of articles Numerous tiny impacts that vaporize lunar soil and throw atoms into the air largely create the moon's thin, transient atmosphere, a new study finds. Credit: NASA Unlike the layer of air that supports life on Earth, the Moon has only a thin layer of atmosphere. Now, a new study using
Artist's rendering of the Lunar Prospector space probe. (Credit: NASA/JPL) On July 31, 1999, human eyes were fixed with great excitement on the Moon's south pole as a spacecraft hurtled toward its destination in an astonishing attempt to discover traces of water on a parched world. Although the Lunar Prospector probe quickly died in a
Back to list of articles The robotic mission marks a historic first for China and could help unravel the mysteries of the Moon's formation. The Chang'e 6 lander sits on the Moon in this image taken by the Jinchan mini-rover. Credit: CNSA On June 25, 2024, China’s Chang’e 6 mission came to an end when
The VIPER, equipped with headlights, would have been the first robotic lunar rover capable of operating at night. Credit: NASA To the surprise of the lunar scientific community, on July 17, NASA… cancelled the long-awaited VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission, which was expected to search for water ice on the Moon, a critical
E: The Time Telescope was an almanac published in London between 1814 and 1834. Credit: Raymond Shubinski Every September, almanacs begin appearing all over the United States. The most well-known is The Old Farmer's Almanac, which has been in print since 1792. Its cover claims it is “useful, with a pleasant degree of humor,” and
