Earth’s atmosphere extends beyond the Moon

According to a new study published in the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) Journal of Geophysical Research, the geocorona (the luminous part of the outermost region of the Earth’s atmosphere, the exosphere) reaches up to 630,000 kilometers (391,000 miles) away, or 50 times the diameter of our planet. For comparison, the average distance between Earth and …

Driving Distances on Mars and the Moon [Out-of-This-World-Records]

This chart, prepared by NASA illustrates comparisons among the driving distances by various wheeled vehicles on the surface of the planetary bodies other than Earth (as of February 13, 2019, only the Moon and Mars). Opportunity rover, which declared dead after record-breaking 15-years on the Martian surface also holds the off-Earth roving distance record after …

Opportunity Rover’s first and last images from the Martian surface

The first and the last images of NASA’s Opportunity rover from the Martian surface. The first photo (on the left) was acquired on Sol 1 (at approximately 14:58:27 Mars local solar time on January 25, 2004). The last photo (on the right) was taken on Sol 5111 (on June 10, 2018 ), before the rover …

NASA Explorers: Permafrost (video)

In this episode of NASA Explorers (Season 1 Episode 7), the scientists go back in time – by going underground. In the Arctic, a frozen layer of soil – permafrost, the “permanently” frozen earth – trapped dead plants and animals for thousands of years. As the climate warms, that soil is beginning to thaw, releasing …