#Aitken Basin
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Boulders rolled down an incline on a terrace near the Schrödinger basin rim on the moon.
Boulders are ~20 to 30 m in size. Image width is ~ 1.2 km, downslope direction to upper left.
Schrödinger is located on the rim of the huge South-Pole Aitken basin.
#moon photography#moon phases#moon landing#full moon#moon#astronomy#astronomers#nasa#universe#astrophotography#nasa photos#astrophysics#outer space#nasawebb#hubble space telescope#planetary science#planetary nebula#space exploration#space#science#space science#i love astronomy#astronomy facts#astrography#astrobiology#astro community#astro notes#astro observations#astroblr#astrology observations
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10 Fascinating Facts about the Moon
About 4.5 billion years ago, when Earth was still very young, something big happened. A huge object, possibly as big as Mars, crashed into Earth. This collision was so powerful that it sent a lot of debris flying into space. Over time, this debris came together and formed what we now call the moon. This event didn't just create the moon; it also changed how Earth developed.
The Moon's Formation
Scientists believe the moon came into being about 4.5 billion years ago, not long after Earth was formed. According to a widely accepted idea called the giant impact hypothesis, a huge object about the size of Mars smashed into early Earth. This colossal collision sent a lot of debris flying into space, eventually forming the moon. This event was significant because it not only gave birth to the moon but also played a big role in shaping how Earth evolved over time.
Why do We Always See the Same Side of Earth?
The moon is really interesting because it spins at the same speed it orbits Earth. This means we always see the same side of it from here. It's like it's locked in place, which scientists call "tidal locking." The side we can't see from Earth is called the "far side" or "dark side." We didn't get to see it until spaceships went there in the 1900s.
Lunar Phases
The moon looks different in the sky as it moves around the Earth each month. Sometimes it appears as a small curve, then it gets bigger until it looks like a full circle, and then it gets smaller again. These changes happen because of how the sun, Earth, and moon are positioned. When the sun shines on different parts of the moon, we see different shapes or phases. Long ago, people used these changes in the moon to know when to plant crops and when certain events would happen. It helped them keep track of time and plan their lives.
Exploring the Origins and Nature of Lunar Maria
The dark, flat spots you see on the moon are called lunar maria, which means "seas" in Latin. But don't let the name fool you—they're not actually filled with water. Instead, they're old volcanic plains that formed a long time ago from volcanic eruptions. These areas look darker because they're made of solidified lava that came from inside the moon.
Understanding the Impact of Space Rocks on the Moon's Surface
The moon's surface is covered in lots of holes called craters. These craters are formed when rocks from space, like meteoroids, asteroids, or comets, crash into the moon. Some of these craters are small, like little dents, while others are huge, like the South Pole-Aitken basin, which is one of the biggest and oldest craters in the whole solar system. Scientists study these craters to learn how often rocks from space hit planets and what happens when they do. It helps us understand more about how planets are affected by these collisions.
How Space Debris and Radiation Shaped the Moon's Regolith
On the moon, there's no protective layer like Earth's atmosphere. So, over billions of years, space debris and radiation have pounded its surface, creating a dusty layer called regolith. Regolith is made up of tiny bits of dust, rocks, and debris from space crashes and weathering.
The Temperature Challenges Faced by Astronauts on the Moon
On the moon, it gets really hot during the day, reaching more than 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). But at night, it gets super cold, dropping to about -173 degrees Celsius (-280 degrees Fahrenheit). This big difference between day and night shows how tough it is for astronauts when they go there.
The Surprising Volcanic History of the Moon
While many people think the moon doesn't have much going on geologically, there's evidence suggesting otherwise. It seems that volcanic activity happened on the moon for billions of years after it formed. This volcanic activity created large areas covered in lava, rounded hills called volcanic domes, and cone-shaped formations known as lunar pyroclastic deposits.
Even though the moon's volcanic activity has slowed down a lot, recent discoveries hint that some volcanic processes might still be happening, just much slower than before. This shows that the moon, despite its quiet appearance, still has some geological surprises up its sleeve.
The Discovery of Water on the Moon and Its Implications for Future Space Exploration
For a long time, scientists thought the moon had no water at all. But now, new research has found that there are actually some water molecules on the moon's surface. This is a big deal because it means we might be able to use that water in the future. It could help astronauts who live on the moon by providing them with water to drink and use for other things. Also, it could be used to make fuel for spacecraft that travel to other places in space. So, finding water on the moon opens up a lot of exciting possibilities for exploring and living in space.
Lunar Mysteries
Even though people have been studying and exploring the moon for a long time, it still keeps scientists curious because there are things we don't fully understand about it. Some of these mysteries include strange patterns on the moon's surface called lunar swirls, temporary changes in its appearance known as transient lunar phenomena, and what the inside of the moon is made of. Scientists are working hard to solve these puzzles because figuring them out will help us know more about the moon's history, what it's like now, and how it fits into the universe.
Conclusion
The moon is a fascinating object in the sky that has been around for a very long time. It's full of interesting stories and is very beautiful to look at. Scientists believe it was formed a really long time ago, just like Earth. The moon has played a big part in how our planet looks and behaves. We've learned a lot about the moon over time, but there's still so much we don't know. That's what makes it so exciting to study facts about the moon! By using science and sending spacecraft to explore it, we're getting closer to understanding its secrets. Each new thing we find out helps us learn more about our closest neighbor in space.
FAQs
What is unique about a moon?
The Moon is a special object that orbits around Earth. It's the only natural thing in space that revolves around our planet. It stays about 239,000 miles away from Earth, which is really far. What's interesting is that the Moon and Earth are like best friends in space—they're so close that they're always especially facing each other.
Which is older sun or moon?
The Sun is a bit older than us, around 4.6 billion years old according to our best sources. Earth is about 4.54 billion years old. As for the Moon, it's approximately 4.53 billion years old.
Is the Sun 400 times bigger than the Moon?
Even though the Sun is much bigger than the Moon, it's also much farther away. Surprisingly, this makes them look almost the same size in the sky. When there's a total solar eclipse, the Moon moves right in front of the Sun and almost completely covers it up.
Is Pluto bigger than the Moon?
Pluto is much smaller than Earth's Moon, being only about two-thirds of its size. Scientists think it has a solid center made of rock, covered by a layer of frozen water. The surface of Pluto is coated with icy substances like methane and nitrogen. Because Pluto is not very dense, it's much lighter than Earth's Moon, only about one-sixth of its mass.
#science#space#astronomy#universe#education#moon#lunar eclipse#astrophotography#astrophysics#facts#moon facts
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Scientists propose an updated time scale scheme of the Earth’s Moon
This study is led by Dr. Dijun Guo (National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Dr. Jianhzong Liu (Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences), and Dr. James W Head (Brown University). In this contribution, the authors revisit the fundamental lunar stratigraphic time scale, suggest some important updates to reflect a more holistic and synergistic view, taking into account major advances in our understanding of the Moon after the Apollo era.
To begin with, the Moon's evolutionary history is divided into three distinct phases based on the temporal interplay of exogenic and endogenic processes in altering the Moon. These phases are defined as Eon-level time scale units, which provide insights into the temporal dynamics of lunar evolution. The Eolunarian Eon (4.52–4.31 Ga), refers to magma ocean formation, differentiation and the solidification of the primary crust, a phase of evolution that largely involved endogenic forces and processes. The Paleolunarian Eon (4.31–3.16 Ga), characterized by comparable effects of endogenic and exogenic processes, including great impact events and significant volcanic activities. The Neolunarian Eon (3.16 Ga–present), represents the era dominated by exogenic processes, characterized by reduced volcanic activities and the prevalence of impact events in modifying the lunar surface.
Furthermore, the researchers have identified the ejecta stratum of the South Pole-Aitken Basin and named it "Das Formation". As the oldest stratum resulting from exogenic processes within the lunar crust, the Das Formation serves as the boundary between the Eolunarian and Paleolunarian Eons. By utilizing the Das Formation as a marker, the previously defined Pre-Nectarian Period is further divided into two distinct periods: the early Magma-oceanian Period and the relatively later Aitkenian Period.
The newly proposed lunar time scale scheme, consisting of three Eons and six Periods units, offers a systematic framework for describing the evolutionary history of the Moon. This scheme effectively illustrates the advantages of expressing the progression, development, and transformation of both endogenic and exogenic processes that have taken place on the Moon. The scheme has been applied in the 1:2.5 million-scale lunar global geologic map compiled by the same group, and it holds significant implications for studying the geological evolution of other terrestrial planets.
TOP IMAGE....Evolution of endogenic processes is indicated by simulated melt production rate and mare basalt volume. Evolution of exogenic process is indicated by impactor kinetic energy. The points represent ages of lunar samples produced from different geologic processes. The three evolution phases are designated as Eolunarian, Paleolunarian, and Neolunarian from old to young. Credit ©Science China Press
LOWER IMAGE....The stratigraphic column of the Moon corresponding to the new time scale. Credit ©Science China Press
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Luna
The moon, Earth's only natural satellite, has captivated the human imagination for millenia. Its barren, cratered surface tells a story of cosmic impacts and volcanic activity. The moon lacks an atmosphere, making it an airless world with extreme temperature variations. Its geography is marked by vast plains called "maria" (Latin for ocean) formed from ancient lava flows. These dark patches contrast greatly with the bright, rugged highlands, where mountains and deep craters dominate the landscape. The moon's most iconic feature is the massive South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest impact craters in the solar system. While we know the moon holds nothing for us in terms of preexisting life, it may yet prove useful as a cosmic stepping stone to further planets of the solar system.
Both images taken by me!
1. Image using research telescope, it's really not meant for nearby objects so the moon isn't able to fit into frame. (FOV of 15")
2. Image taken on my phone through a smaller telescope piggybacking on the research telescope.
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Current spellcard to-do list. Watch out for these in the future. Highlighted are spellcards belonging to muses on this blog
UNEXPECTED TOKEN YOU IN POSITION 0
Aitken Basin "Pristine Lunar Lunacy"
Colour "Unknown Wavelength from Space"
Entomophobia "A Hoard of Insects Writhing Beneath Your Skin"
Reborn Star "Alpha Phoenicis"
Ancient Technique "A Slash to Rend the Worlds Asunder"
Lovesick "I'm Right Behind You"/Lovesick "I'm Right Next to You"
Third Dimension "Triple Axis Extension"
Art of Creation "Potter's Wheel"
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Chinese Academy of Sciences: China Publishes World's First High-definition Lunar Geologic Atlas
— April 22, 2024 | Global Times
China Sunday released a set of geologic atlas of the global moon with a scale of 1:2.5 million, which is the first complete high-definition lunar geologic atlas in the world, providing basic map data for future lunar research and exploration. This photo shows the set of Geologic Atlas of the Lunar Globe. Chinese Academy of Sciences/Handout via Xinhua
China on Sunday released a geologic atlas set of the global moon with a scale of 1:2.5 million, which is the first complete high-definition lunar geologic atlas in the world, providing basic map data for future lunar research and exploration.
This geologic atlas set, available in both Chinese and English, includes the Geologic Atlas of the Lunar Globe and the Map Quadrangles of the Geologic Atlas of the Moon, according to the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
"The geologic atlas of the moon is of great significance for studying the evolution of the moon, selecting the site for a future lunar research station and utilizing lunar resources. It can also help us better understand the Earth and other planets in the solar system, such as Mars," said Ouyang Ziyuan, who is a CAS academician and a well-known lunar scientist.
"The world has witnessed significant progress in the field of lunar exploration and scientific research over the past decades, which have greatly improved our understanding of the moon. However, the lunar geologic maps published during the Apollo era have not been changed for about half a century, and are still being used for lunar geological research. With the improvements of lunar geologic studies, those old maps can no longer meet the needs of future scientific research and lunar exploration," said Liu Jianzhong, a senior researcher from the Institute of Geochemistry of the CAS.
Since 2012, Ouyang Ziyuan and Liu Jianzhong have led a team of scientists and cartographers from relevant research institutions in compiling this atlas.
With a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the origin and evolution of the moon, the team compiled the atlas based on scientific exploration data gained from China's Chang'e lunar exploration program and other research results from both Chinese and international missions, Liu said.
This atlas set not only provides basic data and scientific references for the formulation and implementation of scientific goals in China's lunar exploration program, but also fills the blank in China's compilation of geologic maps of the moon and planets, contributing to the study of the origin and evolution of the moon and the solar system, Liu said.
Based on the perspective of lunar dynamic evolution, Chinese researchers creatively established an updated lunar geological time scale, objectively depicting the geological evolution of the moon, and clearly showing the characteristics of lunar tectonic and magmatic evolution.
A total of 12,341 impact craters, 81 impact basins, 17 types of lithologies and 14 types of structures all over the moon are mapped in the atlas.
This atlas set has been integrated into the digital lunar cloud platform built by Chinese scientists, and will serve lunar scientific research, science education, as well as landing site selection, lunar resource exploration and path planning for China's future lunar exploration projects, Liu said.
He mentioned that China's upcoming Chang'e-6 mission is expected to collect samples in the Apollo Basin within the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon, which means materials ejected from ancient terrain may be collected in the process. "Our map can provide a macroscopic geologic background to improve the purpose and efficiency of the sample research," Liu explained.
The compilation of this map was an immense task, which required the organization and cooperation of many well-informed researchers over many years to be able to achieve a consistent and complete result, commented Gregory Michael, a senior scientist from the Free University of Berlin in Germany.
"This map, in particular, is the first on a global scale to utilize all of the post-Apollo era data. It builds on the achievements of the international community over the last decades, as well as on China's own highly successful Chang'e program. It will be a starting point for every new question of lunar geology, and become a primary resource for researchers studying lunar processes of all kinds," Michael added.
China Sunday released a set of geologic atlas of the global moon with a scale of 1:2.5 million, which is the first complete high-definition lunar geologic atlas in the world, providing basic map data for future lunar research and exploration. This page is the Geologic Map of the Moon. Chinese Academy of Sciences/Handout via Xinhuab
China Sunday released a set of geologic atlas of the global moon with a scale of 1:2.5 million, which is the first complete high-definition lunar geologic atlas in the world, providing basic map data for future lunar research and exploration. This page is the Lithologic Map of the Moon. Chinese Academy of Sciences/Handout via Xinhua
China Sunday released a set of geologic atlas of the global moon with a scale of 1:2.5 million, which is the first complete high-definition lunar geologic atlas in the world, providing basic map data for future lunar research and exploration. This page is the Tectonic Map of the Moon. Chinese Academy of Sciences/Handout via Xinhua
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On July 14th, 2023, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched the third mission in its Chandrayaan (“Moon vehicle” in Hindi) lunar exploration program. Earlier this week (Wednesday, August 23rd), the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s Vikram lander touched down on the far side of the Moon, making India the fourth nation in the world to send missions to the lunar surface and the first to land one near the Moon’s south pole region. Shortly after that, the ISRO announced that they had deployed Pragyan, the rover element of the mission, to the surface. The ISRO shared the news via its official Twitter account on the evening of August 23rd, stating, “Chandrayaan-3 ROVER: Made in India. Made for the MOON! The Ch-3 Rover ramped down from the Lander, and India took a walk on the Moon!” Multiple updates followed, including how communications were established between the lander and the ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking, and Command center and the Mission Control /Mission Analysis Room (ISTRAC-MOX) in Bengaluru, India, and how the rover had completed its first maneuvers and systems’ checks: “All planned Rover movements have been verified. The Rover has successfully traversed a distance of about 8 meters. Rover payloads LIBS and APXS are turned ON. All payloads on the propulsion module, lander module, and rover are performing nominally.” … … and here is how the Chandrayaan-3 Rover ramped down from the Lander to the Lunar surface. pic.twitter.com/nEU8s1At0W— ISRO (@isro) August 25, 2023 They also shared images of the lunar surface taken by Vikram’s Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera (LHVC) as it slowly descended. These and other images were stitched together to create animations of the lander’s descent and the rover’s deployment onto the surface (see above). The lander and rover will conduct science experiments on the surface, including characterizing the local environment, atmosphere, and surface composition while also scouting for resources (the most important being water ice). This research will enable future missions, which could include sending crews (vyomanauts) to the Moon. As noted, this mission is the first to land near the Moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin, a highly significant accomplishment given that this is where multiple space agencies plan to establish habitats that will enable lunar research, exploration, and development. This includes NASA’s Artemis Program – which will lead to the Lunar Gateway and the Artemis Base Camp – and the Russian-Chinese International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Under the circumstances, this successful landing and deployment show that India will likely be a crucial partner in any future lunar settlement. This is all the more poignant given the current competition between India and its Russian counterparts. Chandrayaan-3 launched on July 14th and established orbit around the Moon by August 4th, almost three weeks before making its descent. Meanwhile, Roscosmos launched its comparatively smaller and lighter Luna-25 mission on August 10th, reaching lunar orbit on the 16th. Roscosmos has reportedly scheduled a landing date for Monday, August 21st, but the mission controllers reported an “abnormal situation” that was later revealed to be due to an engine failure. This caused the mission to crash into the surface (in the southern Pontecoulant crater) two days before its scheduled landing. A day later, RussianSpaceWeb creator/publisher Anatoly Zak posted that according to rumors on Russian social media, “mission managers were pressured not to postpone the transfer to a lower orbit in order to beat an Indian lander to the lunar surface.” The Vikram lander with its ramp deployed to show how the rover will roll onto the surface. Credit: ISRO The fact that Chandrayaan-3 made it to the surface safely indicates that a slow and measured approach is better than a hasty one. It was also a welcome relief after the failure of Chandrayaan-2, which crashed on the lunar surface in September 2019 during an attempted landing. The lessons learned from that mission helped inform the design of Chandrayaan-3, which included improvements like autonomous attitude control, a Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV), greater systems redundancy, and stronger landing legs. The Pragyan rover will spend the next two weeks studying the composition of the lunar surface, measuring the presence of water in the regolith, and gathering data on the history of impacts in the region and the evolution of the Moon’s tenuous atmosphere. Similarly, the Vikram lander will rely on its suite of instruments to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature of the lunar surface, search for seismic activity around the landing site, and estimate the near-surface plasma density over time. Further Reading: ISRO The post India's Rover Rolls Out Onto the Lunar Surface appeared first on Universe Today.
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China Will Use Two Rockets to Put Humans on the Moon
As of 2019, China began conducting preliminary studies for a crewed lunar mission that would take place by the 2030s. Two years later, the China National Space Agency (CNSA) and Roscosmos announced a partnership to create an International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) around the South Pole-Aitken Basin. The proposed timeline for development came down to three phases: Reconnaissance (2021-25),…
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'Allo, and happy belated WBW! :D So I see you're a hard sci-fi writer with a WIP in the planning stages, and I'm gunning for that in particular. 8) Have you created an alien species, and if so, what are they like? Where do they live, and what sort of society do they have?
Hi Jax and happy WBW! Thanks for the ask!
8) Have you created an alien species, and if so, what are they like? Where do they live, and what sort of society do they have?
Unfortunately, there are no aliens in White Sky. A very early draft had the plot centered around the discovery of an alien artifact discovered in Mars' Schiaparelli crater, followed by a second, buried artifact at the bottom of the Aitken basin on the lunar south pole. I nixed this when I rewrote White Sky as a less futuristic thriller, mostly to rid the draft of many space opera elements and because it felt a bit too 2001-ish. However, another rough idea of mine centres on aliens entirely: basically, a mysterious species known only as 'The Shapemakers' are using stellar engines to move the entire Milky Way galaxy, for unknown reasons. To do this, they disassemble the parent star's entire solar system to get enough material: the plot kicks off when an FTL alien spacecraft shows up in our near-future solar system and almost blows up Saturn by deaccelerating from warp speed. This is just one of many species who have basically become perpetual refugees, fleeing the encroaching Shapemakers and their unknown machinations. I wrote a piece of flash fiction about this spacecraft's arrival from the POV of six teenagers having a barbecue: I might post it at some point.
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Astronomers Discover "Deep Structure" Under Moon's Largest Crater
Astronomers Discover “Deep Structure” Under Moon’s Largest Crater
A team of astronomers found a “large excess of mass” under the Moon’s largest crater, the Aitken basin — likely a relic from an ancient asteroid impact event, but perhaps something much stranger.
“Imagine taking a pile of metal five times larger than the Big Island of Hawaii and burying it underground,” said lead author Peter B. James from Baylor University in Waco, Texas in a statement. “That’s…
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It's January 3nd. 🌜 On this day in 2019, at 02:26 UTC, China's Cheng'e 4 (嫦娥四号, Moon Goddess 4) spacecraft achieved the world’s first soft landing on the far side of the Moon. The Yutu 2 (玉兔二号, Jade Rabbit 2) rover was deployed about 12 hours later. Cheng'e 4 is the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program's fourth of six planned missions to the moon. The first two missions achieved Lunar orbit. The third and fifth missions collected Lunar samples on the near side and returned them to Earth. The sixth will attempt to do the same in 2025.
Gheng’e 4’s ongoing mission is to determine the age and composition of this unexplored region of the Moon. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) targeted the landing for the Von Kármán crater within the South Pole-Aitken basin, a low-lying area 2,500 kilometers across and 13 kilometers deep which covers nearly a quarter of the Moon's surface. Scientists believe this basin – the largest hole in the solar system – is the result of a massive impact. CNSA hopes that Cheng'e 4 can find and study some exposed deep lunar crust and mantle rocks. This would provide an unprecedented view into the Moon's internal structure and origins.
In May 2019, CNSA reported that Cheng'e 4 had found what appear to be mantle rocks. CNSA continues to report Cheng'e 4's findings to the world concerning Lunar surface temperatures, Lunar rock and soil chemical compositions, Solar corona radiation characteristics, and cosmic ray observations.
"The re-tuned data should provide us valuable information to disclose the secrets of our Moon, from the never-touched side! My fingers are crossed!" – Le Qiao, Lunar Geologist, Shandong University, Weihai, China. ☮️ Peace… Jamiese of Pixoplanet
#Jamiese#Pixoplanet#world braille day#braille#louis braille#braille day#blind#sdg#visual impairment#amsa#braille army#braille art#inclusion#blindness#aveugle#visually impaired#united nations#happy braille day#global goals#six dots#learning braille#braille bricks#please touch#instagram#facebook#twitter#pinterest#tumblr#tiktok#youtube
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Chinese scientists help solve riddle of moon's largest crater
Chinese scientists help solve riddle of moon’s largest crater
Chinese scientists have published a study that helps to explain an anomaly in the composition of the moon’s biggest crater – the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin – identifying the abnormal materials there as originating from the lunar crust.
The study was conducted by a Chinese research team studying planetary sciences at Shandong University, and was published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.…
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Nobody Knows What Made the Gargantuan Crater on the Dark Side of the Moon
Billions of years earlier, something knocked into the dark side of the moon and took a really, large hole. Extending 1,550 miles (2,500 kilometers) broad and 8 miles (13 km) deep, the South Pole-Aitken basin, as the significant hole is understood to Earthlings, is the earliest and inmost crater on the moon, and one of the biggest craters in the whole planetary system.
For years, scientists have actually presumed that the gargantuan basin was developed by a head-on accident with a huge, really quick meteor. Such an effect would have ripped the moon’s crust apart and spread pieces of lunar mantle throughout the crater’s surface area, offering an uncommon peek at what the moon is actually made of (spoiler: It’s not cheese). That theory acquired some credence previously this year, when China’s Yutu-2 rover, which settled into the bottom of the crater aboard the Chang’e 4 lander in January, found traces of minerals that appeared to stem from the moon’s mantle.
Now, nevertheless, a research study released Aug. 19 in the journal Geophysical Research Study Letters tosses those outcomes — and the crater’s origin story — into concern. After evaluating the minerals in 6 plots of soil at the bottom of the South Pole-Aitken basin, a group of scientists argues that the crater’s structure is all crust and no mantle, recommending that whatever effect opened the crater billions of years earlier did not strike hard enough to spray the moon’s innards onto the surface area.
Related: 5 Strange, Cool Things We have actually Just Recently Found Out About the Moon
“We are not seeing the mantle materials at the landing site as expected,” research study co-author Hao Zhang, a planetary researcher at the China University of Geosciences, stated in a declaration. These findings all however eliminate a direct accident with a high-velocity meteor and raise the concern: What, if not a head-on meteor strike, developed the biggest crater on the moon?
Lighting up the dark side
In their brand-new research study, the scientists utilized a strategy called reflection spectroscopy to recognize particular minerals in the lunar soil based on how specific grains show noticeable and near-infrared light.
Utilizing devices aboard the Yutu-2 rover, the group performed reflectance tests on 6 spots of soil in the initially 2 days following Chang’e 4’s landing, venturing about 175 feet (54 meters) far from the lander. With the aid of a database that recognizes lunar minerals based on a range of elements, consisting of size, reflectance and destruction due to solar wind, the group approximated the mineral concentration in each of the plots.
Yutu-2 discovered a strangely-colored compound in a crater on the far side of the moon.
(Image credit: China Lunar Expedition Task)
A crystalline rock called plagioclase was without a doubt the most plentiful mineral in each sample, representing 56% to 72% of the crater’s structure, the scientists composed. Formed as prehistoric oceans of lava cool, plagioclase is incredibly typical in the crusts of Earth and the moon alike, however less plentiful in either body’s mantle. Though the group found other minerals in the crust that are more typical in the moon’s mantle, such as olivine, these rocks comprised too little a portion of the soil samples to recommend that part of the mantle had actually broken through the crust.
This mineral makeup makes complex the theory that a giant, high-velocity meteor developed the South Pole‐Aitken basin billions of years earlier, as such an effect would likely spread pieces of mantle over the lunar surface area.
So, what, then, developed the crater? The scientists do not hypothesize in the brand-new research study — nevertheless, previous research study has actually recommended that an abandoner space rock is still the perpetrator, however the hit might not have actually been so direct. A research study released in 2012 in the journal Science argued that a somewhat slower-moving meteor might have struck the back of the moon at an angle of about 30 degrees and led to a properly big crater that never ever disrupted the moon’s mantle — nevertheless, those scientists had just simulations to go on.
If absolutely nothing else, the brand-new research study recommends that there’s a lot more checking out to do in the South Pole‐Aitken basin prior to a response emerges. See you on the dark side of the moon.
Initially released on Live Science.
New post published on: https://livescience.tech/2019/09/25/nobody-knows-what-made-the-gargantuan-crater-on-the-dark-side-of-the-moon/
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Updated spellcard list. Bold entries are spellcards owned by the muses of this blog.
Aitken Basin "Pristine Lunar Lunacy"
Reborn Star "Alpha Phoenicis"
Third Dimension "Triple Axis Extension"
Geometric Fractal "Infinite Triangle of Sierpinski"
Complex Fractal "Wake of a Buring Ship"
Chaotic Motion "Brownian Motion of Microscopic Particles"
Hypothermic Apathy "Lack of Emotional Warmth"
"Remembrance of No One"
Repeating Flow "Vortex Street of Kármán"
Supercell "Drops of Rain Suspended in a Mesocyclone"
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On August 10th, 2023, Roscosmos’ Luna-25 mission launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome atop a Soyuz-2 rocket. This mission was the first lunar mission to launch from Russia since the 1970s and would be the first Russian lander to touch down in the South-Pole Aitken basin. This mission was part of Roscosmos’ partnership with China to develop an International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) in the region by 2030. Unfortunately, Russia announced on Saturday, August 19th, that the lander spun out of control and crashed into the surface. According to the Roscosmos statement, mission controllers lost contact with the craft at 11:57 AM GMT (07:57 AM EST; 04:57 AM PST) after the craft entered its pre-landing orbit. A soft landing was originally planned for Monday and would have been the first time a non-Soviet mission reached the lunar surface. Originally named the Luna-Glob lander, the first of three that would explore the Moon’s southern polar region, the agency decided to change the name to Luna-25 to establish continuity with the Soviet program. As Roscosmos explained on the mission website: “[D]uring the operation to transfer to the pre-landing orbit, an abnormal situation occurred that did not allow the maneuver to be performed with the specified parameters. According to the results of the preliminary analysis, due to the deviation of the actual pulse parameters from the calculated ones, the automatic station switched to an off-design orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface.” Artistic rendering of the Luna-25 lander on the surface of the Moon. Credit: NASA Roscosmos also indicated a special inter-departmental commission had been established to investigate the reason for the failure. According to Anatoly Zak, the creator and publisher of RussianSpaceWeb (who has been following the mission and posting regular updates), the flight control systems were rumored to be at fault. As he published on August 20th: “According to one rumor [that] surfaced on August 20, the Onboard Flight Control System, BKU of the lander mishandled the so-called variable thrust controller (privod regulyatora tyagi), which manages the operation of the propulsion system on Luna-Glob. Around the same time, the [official] Russian media quoted IKI scientist Natan Eismont as saying that [the] problems with the spacecraft had been discovered well before the fatal orbit-lowering maneuver, which would have to be postponed to deal with the problem.” Zak also related a subsequent statement made by Roscosmos Director General Yuri Borisov earlier today, which was also reported by Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets and Radio Free Europe. All sources confirm that Borisov announced that an engine failure was to blame after it fired for 127 seconds instead of the planned 84 seconds. The failure is a rather significant blow to the Russian space program, which has experienced several setbacks since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, including the termination of its agreement with the ESA to launch the ExoMars 2022 mission and its planned withdrawal from the International Space Station (ISS). The mission was also intended to raise Russia’s profile in space since the previous Russian-built mission that went to the Moon was the Luna-24 lander in 1976, nearly 50 years ago. Hoping to pick up where their Soviet counterparts left off, Roscosmos initiated the program in 1999 after two years of delays caused by the Russian financial crisis. By the late 2000s, Russia made significant progress, thanks in part to international cooperation and contribution from JAXA and China. This program also served as a pathfinder for the Phobos-Grunt mission, which failed in 2011 when its upper-stage engines failed to ignite. Luna-25 was to be followed by two more robotic landers that would explore the South Pole-Aitken Basin and scout locations and resources for the future ILRS – a program created in response to the Artemis Accords. This failure underscores Russia’s decline as a space power since the days of the Space Race and delivered a blow to the country’s space program when it really needed a win. It also comes at a time when Roscosmos is facing a budget crunch thanks to the strain of sanctions and the cost of fighting the largest war in Europe since World War II. Mission Poster for the Russian Phobos-Grunt soil sample return spacecraft that launched to Mars and its moon Phobos on 9 November 2011. Credit: Roscosmos/IKI The failure is good news for the India Space Research Organization (ISRO), which has been in competition with Roscosmos to get their Chandrayaan-3 mission to the lunar surface. Similar to its Chandrayaan-2, the mission consists of an orbiter, a Vikram lander, and a Pragyan rover that is scheduled to land on Wednesday, August 23rd, at 05:20 PM India Standard Time (07:50 AM EST; 04:50 AM PST). As Zak reported, the competition to “get their first” may have played a role in the failure: “[According] to some speculations on Russian social media, the mission managers were pressured not to postpone the transfer to a lower orbit in order to beat an Indian lander to the lunar surface, which was scheduled to touch down near the South Pole of the Moon on Aug. 23, 2023,” he wrote. This echoes sentiments allegedly expressed by Russian scientists complaining that Russia’s space program has been hampered by poor management, corruption, the desire for unrealistic vanity space projects, and a general decline in rigor for Russia’s post-Soviet science education. Leading Soviet-era physicist and astronomer Mikhail Marov, currently a professor of Planetary Physics at Moscow State University and consulted on the Luna-25 mission, was rushed to hospital after learning of the crash. In an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets from the hospital (quoted by the UK publication Metro), he expressed how the mission was a personal tragedy for him but that he hoped another attempt to land a Luna mission would be made in the near future: “I’m under observation. How can I not worry, this is largely a matter of life. It’s all very hard. It’s sad that we didn’t manage to land the device. For me, this was perhaps the last hope to see the revival of our lunar program. I hope that we can manage, that the leadership of Roskosmos will have a desire, even a conscious need to repeat this experiment.” Moskovsky Komsomolets has also reported that scientists at the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, part of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), modeled the trajectory of the Luna-25’s spacecraft to determine where it crashed. According to their calculations, the spacecraft landed in the Pontecoulant crater in the southern hemisphere of the Moon. Further Reading: Reuters The post Russia's Luna 25 Lander Crashed Into the Moon appeared first on Universe Today.
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Mars: how we discovered two huge, unusual impact craters – and the secrets they unveil
Mars: how we discovered two huge, unusual impact craters – and the secrets they unveil
Most of the worlds of our Solar System are pockmarked with impact craters. These bear testament to the violence of the early days of the Sun, when asteroids, comets and entire planets routinely collided with and annihilated each other.Our own Moon was most likely formed by one of these collisions, and is itself home to the largest impact feature in the Solar System – the South Pole/Aitken Basin,…
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