Today Marks 48 Years Since Astronauts First Landed On The Moon
It has been almost five decades since mankind first landed on the Moon. Image Credit: NASA Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong made history when they set foot on the lunar surface 48 years ago today. When the Saturn V rocket carrying Apollo 11 and its crew first took off from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16th, 1969, the whole … Continue reading
Massive Lunar Explosion As 88 Pound Meteor Strikes The Moon, NASA Warns We Could Be Next
A METEOR with the explosive power of TEN cruise missiles has struck the Moon – sparking a massive explosion visible with the naked eye. And terrifyingly the 56,000 mph collision – captured by NASA scientists highlighting the catastrophic danger planet earth faces from similar meteors – was caused by a space rock weighing no more than 88 lbs (40 kilos). … Continue reading
A New Moon Mission is Part of NASA’s Mars Plan
A group of astronauts may spend a year in orbit around the moon in the late 2020s as part of NASA’s plan to send humans to Mars in the 2030s, agency officials said. Greg Williams, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for policy and plans in the agency’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, spoke today at the Humans to Mars Summit … Continue reading
5 Events that Will Change the Solar System
5 EVENTS TO CHANGE THE SOLAR SYSTEM No. 5 – Ringed Mars: New research has determined that Mars might one day kill its nearest moon, Phobos, which is just 22 kilometers (14 mi) wide. With every passing century, the orbit of Phobos shrinks and brings it closer to Mars by 2 meters. Ultimately, this moon will break apart from tidal … Continue reading
New Research Leads to Consideration that Our Moon And Pluto are of Planet Status
Is the moon a planet? How about Pluto? Astronomical authorities say no, but Alan Stern, who led the research on the New Horizons probe to Pluto, begs to differ. Stern is part of the team behind a new paper published in Planetary and Lunar Sciences, which argues that the existing definition of “planet” is flawed. Under Stern’s new definition, the … Continue reading
First Eye Witnessed Lunar Impact Event
Space scientists at Aberystwyth University have reported what they believe to be the first confirmed sighting in the British Isles of a meteorite hitting the Moon. A Lunar Impact Flash – a flash of light when something hits the Moon’s surface – was recorded on the southern hemisphere of the Moon and probably caused by a small meteorite the size … Continue reading
A New Scientific Paper Argues the Moon is a Planet—And So is Pluto
Every now and then a scientific paper makes a real splash. We had one recently, to judge from recent headlines. “Moon rises to claim its place as a planet” said The Sunday Times on February 19, while the Mail Online asked “Is this lunarcy?”. The articles were among many responding to the humble paper: “A Geophysical Planet Definition,” which suggested … Continue reading
The Strange Link Between The Moon and The First Nuclear Test
Despite being one of the two perpetual occupants of Earth’s skies, the Moon still remains somewhat of a mystery to us feeble-minded Earthlings. Scientists and astronomers still debate about the unknown origins of Earth’s satellite, with the most popular theory being the Giant Impact Hypothesis. This theory speculates that some massive object slammed into the Earth at some point in … Continue reading
What You Were Taught About How the Moon Formed May be Completely Wrong
For years planetary scientists have chalked up the moon’s origin to an impact between Earth and a Mars- or larger-sized body called Theia. According to this theory about 4.5 billion years ago a newly-coalesced Earth was hit by another protoplanet. The impact pulverized a sizable part of our young planet, sending the debris into orbit where, under its own gravity, … Continue reading
Comet 45P to Make a Year Ending Appearance in the Northern Hemisphere
Even if you’re not a fan of New Year’s Eve fireworks, you’ll have another reason to look to the skies Saturday. NASA says that as we ring in the new year, a comet will near the moon and be visible to those looking west. But here’s the catch — you’ll need a pair of binoculars to see it. NASA says … Continue reading
