Moons Stories
How NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Could Decipher the Moon’s Icy Secrets
There’s water on the Moon, but scientists only have a general idea of where it is and what form it is in. A trailblazing NASA mission will get some answers. When NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer begins orbiting the Moon next year,…
Brr, It’s Cold in Here! NASA’s Cryo Efforts Beyond the Atmosphere
Establishing sustained operations at the Moon and Mars presents a multitude of opportunities and challenges NASA has yet to encounter. Many of these activities require new technologies and processes to ensure the agency is prepared for its ambitious Artemis missions…
Removing Traces of Life in Lab Helps NASA Scientists Study Its Origins
A specialized laboratory setup at JPL removes the chemical influence of modern organisms so scientists can study the chemistry that may have led to life’s emergence.
NASA Launches Power to Explore Challenge for K-12 Students
And 3, 2, 1…lift off! NASA has officially launched its second Power to Explore Student Challenge, calling on K-12 students in the United States to learn about Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS), and then design a new RPS-powered space mission that…
Collision May Have Formed the Moon in Mere Hours, Simulations Reveal
Billions of years ago, a version of our Earth that looks very different than the one we live on today was hit by an object about the size of Mars, called Theia – and out of that collision the Moon…
10 ‘Super Bowls’ in Our Solar System
Here are 10 impressively super, bowl-shaped venues adorning worlds in our solar system, including a couple where we've actually made…touchdowns!
February 2020: The Next Full Moon is the Snow Moon
The next full Moon will be early on Sunday morning, Feb. 9, 2020, at 2:33 AM EST. The Moon will appear full from Friday evening to Monday morning, making this a full Moon weekend.
NASA Scientists Confirm Water Vapor on Europa
Forty years ago, a Voyager spacecraft snapped the first closeup images of Europa, one of Jupiter’s 79 moons. These revealed brownish cracks slicing the moon’s icy surface, which give Europa the look of a veiny eyeball. Missions to the outer…
Table Salt Compound Spotted on Europa
Related links Europa overview on NASA Solar System ExplorationEuropa poster on NASA Solar System Exploration A familiar ingredient has been hiding in plain sight on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Using a visible-light spectral analysis, planetary scientists at Caltech…
Tiny Neptune Moon Spotted by Hubble May Have Broken from Larger Moon
Astronomers call it “the moon that shouldn’t be there.” After several years of analysis, a team of planetary scientists using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has at last come up with an explanation for a mysterious moon around Neptune that they…