Tag: South Pole

Huge asteroid that hit the moon may be preserved below the surface

The iron core of an asteroid that crashed into the moon 4 billion years ago to create a huge crater at its south pole may have been found Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2205882-huge-asteroid-that-hit-the-moon-may-be-preserved-below-the-surface/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

What Chang’e 4 learned from the moon’s far side

Early results from China’s historic 1st landing on the moon’s far side. Chinese scientists have used in situ data from a far side crater to identify materials on the moon’s surface that originated deeper inside the moon. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/what-change-4-learned-from-the-moons-far-side…

Lunar South Pole Atlas—a new online reference for mission planners

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), managed by Universities Space Research Association (USRA), has compiled and made available an atlas of the Moon’s south pole. Given NASA’s recent direction to implement Space Policy Directive-1 landing astronauts at the south pole by 2024, the LPI has compiled a series of maps, images, and illustrations designed to provide context and reference for those interested…

China’s Rover Reveals Moon’s Hidden Depths

China’s Chang’e-4 mission to the dark side of the moon has discovered signs of mantle material at the moon’s surface, “effectively setting an ‘X’ on lunar maps for future explorers seeking this not-so-buried geological treasure,” reports Scientific American. From the report: China’s Chang’e-4 mission touched down near the south pole on the lunar far side on January 3, 2019, the first…

India aims for 1st landing near moon’s south pole

The moon’s south pole has never been explored from the ground, but India’s new Chandrayaan-2 mission will attempt a 1st-ever landing there, with a rover, this September. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/india-mission-chandrayaan-2-moon-south-pole…

Amazon’s Bezos unveils lunar lander project ‘Blue Moon’

Jeff Bezos, who heads both Amazon and space company Blue Origin, unveiled on Thursday a lunar lander that he said would be used to transport equipment, and possibly human beings, to the south pole of the Moon by 2024. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-05-amazon-bezos-hell-spaceship-moon.html…

Why Pluto is losing atmosphere: Winter is coming

Pluto’s orbit is very elongated. Right now, it’s in a part of its orbit where its distance from the sun is steadily increasing. That fact is devastating its atmosphere. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/pluto-losing-atmosphere-winter…

How did the moon end up where it is?

Nearly 50 years since man first walked on the moon, the human race is once more pushing forward with attempts to land on the Earth’s satellite. This year alone, China has landed a robotic spacecraft on the far side of the moon, while India is close to landing a lunar vehicle, and Israel continues its mission to touch down on the…

Northerners’ guide to Southern Cross

The Southern Cross climbs highest – due south – in the evening around now. Latitudes like Hawaii can see it. It’s possible to see from latitudes like the far-southern contiguous U.S., but difficult. Source: https://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/the-southern-cross-signpost-of-southern-skies…