Tag

Moons

All articles tagged with #moons

science16 days ago•5 min saved

Mars's Lost Giant Moon: Evidence for an 18× Phobos-Sized Satellite

Sedimentary rhythmites in Gale Crater's Jura outcrop, analyzed by NASA's Curiosity rover, point to Mars once hosting a much larger moon capable of driving tides in an ancient lake. The proposed moon would have been about 18 times the mass of Phobos and may have been tidally destroyed into rings that later formed Phobos and Deimos. While promising, the evidence isn’t definitive and researchers will inspect additional sites to test the idea.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#curiosity-rover #gale-crater #mars

science5 months ago•4 min saved

Charon’s Guts May Have Created Pluto’s Moons

New research using the James Webb Space Telescope suggests that Pluto's moons Nix and Hydra may be composed of material ejected from Charon during its formation, indicating they could be fragments of Charon's interior. This supports the idea that these moons originated from debris created in a collision that formed Pluto and Charon, and they may still be interacting with Charon's surface today. The findings provide new insights into the history and composition of Pluto's satellite system.

via Space|

#charon #jwst #kuiper-belt

science6 months ago•2 min saved

Jupiter and Moons' Sky Parade on Aug. 8: How to View

On August 8, early in the morning, skywatchers in the U.S. can witness a rare alignment of Jupiter's four largest moons—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—forming a 'parade' in the sky, visible with binoculars or small telescopes, offering a spectacular view of the Jovian system.

via Space|

#astronomy #jupiter #moons

space7 months ago•4 min saved

NASA captures rare photo of Mars and its moons

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft captured a rare infrared image of Mars and its moons Phobos and Deimos during a flyby, providing valuable data for its mission to explore Jupiter's moon Europa and testing its thermal camera. The image offers a unique view of the planetary trio and helps refine the spacecraft's instruments for future exploration.

via Mashable|

#europa-clipper #infrared-imaging #mars

science8 months ago•3 min saved

Mars's Moons: Do They Exist?

Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, whose origins are still debated; they may be captured asteroids or formed from debris after a collision with Mars. Upcoming JAXA missions aim to analyze samples from Phobos to better understand their formation and possibly early Mars conditions.

via Live Science|

#deimos #mars #moons

science8 months ago•2 min saved

Photographer Captures Solar Eclipse on Saturn

Amateur astrophotographer AJ Smadi captured a rare solar eclipse on Saturn caused by its moon Titan, along with images of other moons, during a brief 13-year window when such eclipses occur. The photos highlight Saturn's complex system of 145 moons and the unique features of Titan, which may harbor life. Smadi used a backyard telescope to capture this spectacular event, which is considered a bucket list achievement for astronomers.

via PetaPixel|

#astrophotography #moons #saturn

space-exploration8 months ago•3 min saved

NASA's Cassini Ends Its Mission with a Dramatic Dive into Saturn's Atmosphere

NASA's Cassini spacecraft concluded its 13-year mission by plunging into Saturn's atmosphere, after providing groundbreaking insights into the planet and its moons, especially Titan and Enceladus, which are key to understanding potential extraterrestrial life and early Earth conditions.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#cassini #enceladus #moons

science8 months ago•3 min saved

Uranus's Moons Reveal Unexpected Dark and Magnetic Mysteries

Scientists using the Hubble telescope discovered that the leading sides of Uranus's largest moons are darker and redder than expected, challenging previous assumptions about magnetic interactions and suggesting dust accumulation from micrometeorites as a possible cause. This finding adds new complexity to our understanding of Uranus's system.

via Gizmodo|

#hubble-telescope #magnetic-field #moons

science8 months ago•3 min saved

Hubble Uncovers Mysteries of Uranus's Moons and Rings

New observations from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal that Uranus's largest moons are not showing the expected radiation damage from the planet's warped magnetic field; instead, dust accumulation from micrometeorites is darkening their leading sides, suggesting a more complex interaction between Uranus's magnetic environment and its moons. The inner moons appear unaffected, and further studies with the James Webb Space Telescope are planned to better understand these phenomena.

via Space|

#dust #hubble-telescope #magnetic-field

science8 months ago•5 min saved

Hubble Study Reveals Unexpected Moons of Uranus

A Hubble study of Uranus's four largest moons revealed unexpected surface darkening patterns, suggesting the planet's magnetosphere interacts less with its moons than previously thought, and dust from irregular satellites may influence their surface brightness. The findings challenge existing models and highlight the need for further investigation into Uranus's magnetic environment.

via Phys.org|

#hubble-telescope #magnetosphere #moons

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Wobbles May Reveal Hidden Oceans on Uranus' Moons

NASA is planning a mission to explore the possibility of hidden liquid oceans beneath the moons of Uranus, which could provide insights into the potential for life beyond Earth. The mission, still in the conceptual stage, would use a spacecraft to measure the wobbles of Uranus's moons, as moons with internal oceans tend to sway more due to the liquid inside. This method has previously been used to confirm an ocean on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Discovering such oceans could expand our understanding of where life might exist in the galaxy.

via Space.com|

#moons #nasa #oceans

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Martian Moons: Shattered Asteroid Theory Gains Ground

New computer simulations suggest that the Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, may have originated from a near miss by a large asteroid, rather than being captured asteroids or the result of a direct impact. This model proposes that tidal forces from Mars could have fragmented the asteroid, creating a debris ring from which the moons formed. This theory could explain their circular orbits and differing distances from Mars. The upcoming Mars Moons eXploration mission (MMX) in 2026 aims to gather samples from Phobos to further investigate their origins.

via ScienceAlert|

#astronomy #mars #moons

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Unveiling Hidden Oceans on Uranus and Neptune: A New Frontier

Researchers at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics have developed a computer model to detect potential liquid water oceans beneath the icy surfaces of Uranus's moons, such as Ariel. This model analyzes the wobbles in a moon's spin to determine its internal composition, which could indicate the presence of subsurface oceans. The findings could significantly impact our understanding of where life might exist in the universe, as similar techniques have confirmed oceans on Saturn's moon Enceladus. The research aims to aid future NASA missions to Uranus in detecting these hidden oceans.

via Phys.org|

#moons #nasa #oceans

science1 year ago

Mars' Moons: Shattered Asteroid Origins Unveiled

A new study suggests that a massive asteroid impact may have once given Mars a set of rings, which eventually coalesced into its current moons, Phobos and Deimos. This theory provides a potential explanation for the unusual orbits and characteristics of these Martian moons, indicating a dynamic history of celestial events around the planet.

via The New York Times|

#asteroid #mars #moons

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Voyager 2 Data Unveils New Insights and Anomalies on Uranus

New research suggests that the moons of Uranus, previously thought to be inactive and sterile, may have subsurface oceans capable of supporting life. This revelation comes from a reanalysis of data from NASA's Voyager 2, which visited Uranus during a solar storm that distorted its magnetic field, leading to misleading conclusions. The findings have prompted NASA to plan a new mission, the Uranus Orbiter and Probe, to further investigate these moons, potentially arriving by 2045.

via BBC.com|

#life #moons #nasa