An amazing NASA photo: the crescent Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this spectacular photograph taken from the Apollo 17 spacecraft in lunar orbit during the final lunar landing mission in the Apollo program.
Continue reading “The crescent Earth rises above the lunar horizon”Shadow of the Moon during a solar eclipse (amazing video)
This… is… amazing! Astrophotographer Martin Junius recorded this stunning video of the total solar eclipse on March 20, 2015, during the E-Flight AB 1000. In the video, you can see the shadow of the moon moving across the clouds below. The plane was 35,000 feet (10,600 meters) above the Northern Atlantic / Norwegian Sea when the video was recorded.
Continue reading “Shadow of the Moon during a solar eclipse (amazing video)”Earth without Moon: what would it be like?
The Moon is the Earth’s only natural satellite. It is also the fifth-largest natural satellite in the Solar System and the largest among planetary satellites relative to the size of the planet that it orbits. It formed about 4.51 billion years ago from the debris left over after a giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized body called Theia (this is known as the Giant Impact Hypothesis and is the most widely accepted explanation of the formation of the Moon). This impact happened not long after the Earth has been formed. But, what if that giant impact never happened? What would the Earth without Moon be like?
Continue reading “Earth without Moon: what would it be like?”Earth’s oldest rock has been found… on the Moon!
According to research published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Earth’s oldest rock (which is 4.1 billion years old) has been found in an Apollo 14 sample from the Moon. If confirmed, it’s an amazing discovery.
Continue reading “Earth’s oldest rock has been found… on the Moon!”Meteorites do not fall to Earth
When a meteoroid hits Earth, it’s not because the space rock has “fallen out of” its orbit. It’s because its orbit crosses over Earth’s orbit at the exact right (or wrong) moment.
Continue reading “Meteorites do not fall to Earth”Earth: The Pale Blue Dot by Michael Marantz (Video)
A very inspirational video created by Michael Marantz, titled “Earth: The Pale Blue Dot”, contains readings from Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot“.
Continue reading “Earth: The Pale Blue Dot by Michael Marantz (Video)”Dinosaurs were already doomed as the frequency of Asteroid Impacts increased 290 million years ago
By studying lunar craters, scientists have discovered that asteroid impacts became more frequent about 290 million years ago. So was just a matter of time for dinosaurs to become extinct.
Continue reading “Dinosaurs were already doomed as the frequency of Asteroid Impacts increased 290 million years ago”5 space probes leaving the solar system (for now)
As of 2019, only five space probes are leaving the solar system: Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and New Horizons. The Voyagers already left the solar system and entered interstellar space (Voyager 1 on August 25, 2012, and Voyager 2 on November 5, 2018. The others also will leave the heliosphere (see notes 1) and reach interstellar space in a few years.
All of these spacecraft were launched by NASA.
Continue reading “5 space probes leaving the solar system (for now)”Speed of Light [perfect visual explanations]
The speed of light is the Universal speed limit – nothing can travel faster than light. In the vacuum (commonly denoted c), its exact value is 299,792,458 meters per second (around 186,000 miles per second). In other words, if you could travel at the speed of light, you could go around the Earth 7.5 times in one second.
Continue reading “Speed of Light [perfect visual explanations]”Panorama of the far side of the Moon by the Chinese Lunar Lander
On January 10, 2019, the China National Space Agency unveiled the panoramic image of the far side of the Moon taken by the
