Dusting the house might be a chore here on Earth, but when astronauts return to the Moon, they'll need to be neat freaks. Their lives might depend on it! According to researchers at the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, the health of lunar astronauts will depend on how well they can keep the fine lunar dust out of the air.
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Scientists looking at the various Lagrangian Points in our solar system noticed a pattern. Lagrange points, (named after their discoverer Josef Lagrange) are five special locations in the vicinity of two orbiting masses where a third, smaller mass can orbit at a fixed distance from the larger masses. Essentially, the gravity from each large mass is equal at that point and the smaller object can be "trapped" there. The 4th and 5th Largrange points, called L4 and L5, are stable points. Researchers Jack Lissauera, and John Chambers noticed that more than 2200 cataloged asteroids are located about the L4 and L5 points of the Sun–Jupiter system, and five bodies have been discovered around the L4 point of the Sun–Neptune system. Small satellites have also been found librating about the L4 and L5 points of two of Saturn's moons. However, no objects have been discovered around the Earth–Moon L4 and L5 points. Their research led them to believe that other small moons may once have existed in these points.
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Have you ever dreamt of travelling to the Moon? Unfortunately, for the time being, this will be a privilege only for an elite few astronauts and robotic explorers. But NASA has just released news that you will have the opportunity to send your name to the Moon on board their next big Moon mission, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. So get over to the mission site and send your name that will be embedded into a computer chip, allowing a small part of you to orbit our natural satellite over 360,000 km (220 000 miles) away…
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The uses for duct tape seem to be endless. From the Apollo missions in the 1970's to the International Space Station today, duct tape has been used as quick fixes and semi-permanent solutions to a variety of tasks. In a story released today from NASA documenting the events of the Apollo 17 in 1972, duct tape became the saviour of astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt as they sped around on the lunar surface in their moonbuggy. Damage to the buggy's wheel arch could have put the pair at risk and may have curtailed the surface mission (pictured). But with a flash of inspiration and "can do" attitude Cernan and Schmitt found the answer in a roll of grey sticky tape…
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It happens every month and specifically every time the moon is full. According to scientists, for about three days on both sides of a full moon, the lunar surface could transform from a tranquil, inert landscape to an electrically charged, potentially dangerous environment. During this time, the moon ploughs through Earth’s magnetic “tail” — an extension of Earth’s magnetic field. Out in space, the solar wind stretches out the magnetic bubble that surrounds our planet, creating a long "magnetotail" in the downwind direction. When the moon comes in contact with this field, it could cause lunar dust storms and discharges of static electricity. Future lunar explorers might possibly have to take extra precautions during that time of the month.
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Question: What is the distance to the Moon?
Answer: Here's a quick answer. The average distance from the center of the Earth to the center of the Moon is 384,403 km (238,857 miles).
Wait!
Before you write that into your homework assignment, you've got to realize that the Moon travels around the Earth in an ellipse. That means it gets closer and further, depending on where it is in its orbit. At its closest point, the Moon gets to 363,104 km (225,622 miles), and at its furthest point, it's 405,696 km (252,088 miles).
This variation can make the size of the Moon noticeably different from full Moon to full Moon. When the Moon is at its closest point, this is called perigee. Here's a picture that illustrates the difference.
How have scientists been able to measure this distance so accurately? When the Apollo astronauts visited the Moon, they left behind some special mirrors that reflect light back towards the Earth. Scientists here on Earth can fire lasers at the Moon, and measure the time it takes to make the trip within the scale of picoseconds. Four of these lunar retro-reflectors are still functional.
In fact, their experiments are so accurate they can measure the distance to the Moon within millimeters. For more information on this project, check out the APOLLO experiment page.
Now that you know the distance to the Moon, find out how long it takes to get to the Moon.
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Question: What is the far side of the Moon?
Answer: Did you ever notice that the Moon always looks the same? Sure, it waxes and wanes from a new moon to a full moon, but the bright and dark patches on the Moon always look the same. In fact, these features are so familiar that people call it the Man in the Moon.
This is because the Moon always points the same face towards the Earth. The Moon does actually rotate on its axis, it's just that the amount of time it takes to make a complete orbit around the Earth matches the amount of time it takes to complete one rotation. In both cases, this is 27.3 days.
So, when you hear people refer to the far side of the Moon, they're talking about the part of the Moon that always faces away from the Earth. Until we sent spacecraft into orbit around the Moon to take pictures, nobody on Earth had ever seen what the far side of the Moon looks like.
But why does this happen? Over the few billions years since its formation, the Moon has become tidally locked with the Earth. In the distant past, the Moon had different rotation and orbital speeds, and it showed all of its sides to our planet. But the gravity of the Earth tugged at the irregular shapes on the Moon, causing it to slow its rotation down until it was exactly the same length as its orbit.
The Earth, on the other hand, has so much mass that the force of gravity from the Moon pulling on Earth can't overcome its rotational speed. The Moon does create the tides, though, and causes the ground to rise and fall - it's just such a small amount that you can't feel it.
Sometimes people mistakenly call this the dark side of the Moon. But there is no dark side of the Moon. Think about it, when we're seeing a new moon, that's because the familiar part that we can always see is in shadow. But at that point, the far side will be bathed in sunlight.
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NASA is exploring the possible designs for lunar bases, intended for an extended stay on the Moon. A NASA official from the Advanced Capabilities Division also said on Friday that they may be inspired by a concept based on the technology of the International Space Station (ISS). Very little official indication about the future of NASA's lunar policy has come to light, so this is interesting news. Although the statement was suitably sketchy, a six-month extended mission to the Moon seems to be most likely. How does this development compare with the lunar settlement designs already proposed?
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Ian reported yesterday on the high definition topographical maps recently released by the Japanese SELENE mission, also known as Kaguya, which will provide exact locations of essential minerals to future lunar explorers. And now, via Emily Lakdawalla at the Planetary Society comes more from Kaguya — movies of an Earthrise and Earthset from the moon. While the movies don't provide much as far as scientific data, they are off the charts as far being aesthetically pleasing and just tremendously magnificent. Emily grabbed individual frames from the longer, but smoother high-definition movies that the Japanese Space Agency JAXA created from the HD Camera on board the moon-orbiting Kaguya to create quick little movies. Above is the Earthrise quick movie.
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The Japanese SELENE lunar orbiter has returned some of the most detailed maps of the Moon to date. The new collection of high-definition maps includes topological data and mineral location. Critically, the locations of uranium, thorium and potassium have been mapped, essential for mission planners when considering the future of manned settlements on the Moon. Seeing the lunar relief mapped to such fine detail makes for an impressive sight. So far six million data points have been collected and there's more to come…
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In a recent interview, Richard Branson outlined his vision for Virgin Galactic's future. Once tourists are taken into Earth orbit, it seems possible that space hotels could be developed for longer stop-overs in space. He then went on to mention that short "sight-seeing" tours to the Moon could be started from these ultimate hotels. If we are to make travel to the Moon routine enough to send tourists there, the trip would need to be as short as possible. So how long is the commute from the Earth to the Moon anyway? Man and machine have made that trip already, some took a very long time, and others were astonishingly fast…
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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! If we've explored the Moon in "Astronomy For Kids", then by all means let's explore the Moon in Astronomy for BIG kids! This weekend would be an great opportunity to dust off your telescopes or binoculars and do a little moongazing, because… Here's what's up! Read more…
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Right now, while the sky still gets dark early, is a great time to enjoy looking at the Moon with your small children or grandchildren. Even if you don’t have a telescope or binoculars, there are lots of fun ways that you can both enjoy our mysterious Moon together. Each evening as it gets dark, go outside and take a look at where the Moon is. There are nights when it will be cloudy, so it makes the game even more fun! Read more…
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In this exciting but challenging period of space exploration, the time is fast approaching for serious design concepts for the first habitats that will be built on the lunar landscape. In previous articles, we have examined the hazards associated with such an endeavour, we have looked at the structures available to us, we have even detailed a particular hangar-like structure that might use locally mined materials. Now, we look into the possible infrastructure elements that will be needed to support a viable colony on the Moon. Florian Ruess, a structural engineer who is working on the future of habitats in extreme environments, also took some time with the Universe Today to give his opinions on mankind's future on lunar soil…
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Based on what we currently know about the makeup of the lunar regolith, future colonists on the moon will not be able to use the soil on hand to grow food. But in a new experiment, bacteria called cyanobacteria grew quite well in simulated lunar soil. While this wouldn't be a food source for humans, it would enable lunar soil to be broken down to extract resources for making rocket fuel and fertilizer for crops. This could help with the feasibility of setting up a base on the moon, aiding in reducing costs for certain supplies.
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Let's say something terrible happens to your computer, like it crashes or you drop it. All of those movies you bought online are toast, as is your address book and most of your work. It's always a good idea to have a backup somewhere else, right?
Having a backup of your computer is handy, but having a backup of the entire progress of human civilization is even more practical. If a major catastrophic event like nuclear war or an asteroid strike wipes out most of the humans on the planet, it would be helpful for the survivors to have a record of all the accomplishments we've made in the past few thousands of years to help rebuild and repopulate the Earth. Read more…
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Running is more efficient than walking for humans wearing spacesuits on the moon, according to a new study. A laboratory simulation of moonwalking found that pressurized spacesuits act as springs for our legs, and on the moon this effect is most pronounced during activity where the knee is bending at a greater angle, such as running. These findings may help NASA develop more efficient and comfortable spacesuits for future moon explorers, while also assisting research in prostheses for amputees. And who knows, maybe it could even promote the first lunar marathon run.
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Using new high resolution terrain mapping data obtained by the Deep Space Network, NASA has created some new animations that take viewers to the moon’s south pole. The videos include a flyover of Shackleton Crater and a very nifty animation of descent to the lunar surface of a future human lunar lander.
"I have not been to the moon, but this imagery is the next best thing," said Scott Hensley, a scientist at JPL and lead investigator for obtaining the data. "With these data we can see terrain features as small as a house without even leaving the office."
Here’s the descent and landing animation. Make sure you watch to the very end, because the ending is the most impressive part, when you realize where you’ve landed.
The rim of Shackleton Crater is considered a candidate landing site for a future human mission to the moon.
And there’s more:
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It won't just be astronauts returning to the Moon in the next decade. They're also going to be bringing their equipment, including shelters and vehicles. And NASA's working on the ultimate off-road vehicle. It's a six-wheel drive lunar truck reminiscent of the Mars rovers, but designed to carry astronauts and their equipment.
Oh, and you can have any colour you like, as long as it's gold.
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Building the first Moon base will be the biggest challenge mankind has ever embarked on. We can already speculate about the hazards, natural and manmade, associated with a human presence on the lunar surface. In response, we already have some habitat structures in mind - ranging from inflatable structures to underground burrows inside ancient lava vents. Now it is about time we seriously start designing our first habitat structure, protecting us from micrometeorites, sustaining terrestrial pressures and using locally mined materials where we can…
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Perhaps one of the best reasons to return to the Moon will be the boon to astronomy. Without an atmosphere, an observatory the Moon won't have to peer through an obscuring atmosphere, but people will still be able to walk over and fix it - and even upgrade it - into the future. It's the best of both worlds. It's no surprise then, that engineers are working on plans for lunar observatories. When the next wave of astronauts return to the Moon, they'll be bringing their 'scopes.
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Plans are afoot to build a manned base on the Moon. As you probably would have guessed, there are quite a few hazards and dangers with sending humankind back to establish lunar "real estate". However, once our intrepid lunar colonists begin to build, the hazards will become less and development will accelerate. This is all very well, but how will we gain that first foothold in the lunar regolith? What will be the best form of habitat structure that can be built to best suit our needs? These questions have some obvious and not-so-obvious answers from the structural engineers already publishing their ideas and building prototypes…
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So, we want to go to the Moon. Why? Because the Moon is an ideal "staging post" for us to accumulate materials and manpower outside of the Earth's deep gravitational well. From the Moon we can send missions into deep space and ferry colonists to Mars. Tourists may also be interested in a short visit. Mining companies will no doubt want to set up camp there. The pursuit of science is also a major draw. For what ever reason, to maintain a presence on this small dusty satellite, we will need to build a Moon base. Be it for the short-term or long-term, man will need to colonize the Moon. But where would we live? How could we survive on this hostile landscape? This is where structural engineers will step in, to design, and build, the most extreme habitats ever conceived…
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Lunar orbit is getting to be a busy place, with several different countries sending spacecraft to the moon. Currently orbiting the moon are Japan’s Kaguya (also known as SELENE) spacecraft, which has been sending back 3-D movies of the lunar surface, and China’s Chang’e 1, which will gather information on the moon’s chemical composition with its various cameras, spectrometers and other scientific equipment. In addition, two new missions to the moon will launch this year: India’s Chandrayaan-1 and NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
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The Moon is a pretty popular destination these days: Google's X-Prize is already getting applicants, Kaguya and Chang'e-1 are currently snapping pictures and taking measurements, and both India and the U.S. have missions lined up to launch in the next 10 years or so. MIT announced last week that it would join in on the fun, designing a spacecraft to study the Moon, schedule for launch in 2011.
In cooperation with NASA, MIT head a up a mission to send two satellites to simultaneously study the gravity field of the Moon in detail. Named GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory), the mission will study the gravity of the Moon to shed light on its thermal history and composition. By using two satellites to do so, GRAIL will create a map of the Moon's gravity field that is 1,000 times more accurate than previous maps.
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