Latest news with #EugeneCernan
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
See a lunar scar darken the crescent moon tonight
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. May 30 presents a perfect opportunity to spot Mare Crisium — a dark Nevada-sized patch — etched into the delicate curve of the crescent moon before it sinks below the horizon around midnight. Skywatchers in the U.S. will find the moon's sickle-like form hanging around 30 degrees above the western horizon after sunset on May 30, with around 16% of its surface illuminated by direct sunlight, according to stargazing website On May 30, the moon is in the constellation Cancer, with the Beehive cluster close to its left and Mars shining just beyond. To the right, the bright stars Castor and Pollux also make an appearance. The moon is among the most popular targets for astronomers, thanks to the ever-shifting play of light and shadow across its surface. As it makes its near month-long journey around Earth, a myriad of different regions and features come into stark relief, changing night by night. And yet, for all this variety, the moon only ever shows a single side to us as it's tidally locked to our planet. One such feature is the dark lunar maria (Latin for 'seas'), formed when molten lava flooded a network of impact basins that scarred the moon's surface billions of years ago. These lava flows swiftly cooled in the frigid environment of space, leaving behind vast basaltic plains that remain easily visible to the naked eye today. Mare Crisium, or the 'Sea of Crises', can be spotted on the night of May 30 as an oval-shaped dark patch on the moon's northeastern limb, close to the terminator — the line that separates day from night on any solar system body. Spanning 345 miles (555 kilometers), this lunar mare is visible to the naked eye, though a pair of 10x50 binoculars will reveal more of the craggy region surrounding the lunar sea. An entry-level 6-inch telescope, meanwhile, will allow you to pick out the 14-mile-wide (23 km) Picard Crater that stands alone near the south-western rim of the Nevada-sized plane, according to NASA. Just above Picard lies the similarly sized Peirce Crater, with the smaller Swift Crater just beyond. Before the moon dips below the western horizon around midnight local time, moongazers may also catch sight of its shadowed expanse faintly glowing — an effect known as earthshine, caused by sunlight reflected off Earth softly illuminating the moon's night side. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to explore the lunar surface for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. The closest humans have come to Mare Crisium was during the final moon mission of the Apollo era, when Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ron Evans and Harrison "Jack" Schmitt landed on the eastern edge of Mare Serenitatis. However, Mare Crisium did serve as the landing site of the Soviet Luna 15 and Luna 24 robotic missions, and it made headlines again in March 2025 with the successful touchdown of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander. Anyone interested in exploring the lunar surface for themselves should check out our guides to the best binocular and telescope deals available in 2025. Also, be sure to read up on our guide to photographing and exploring the moon's surface. Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Nasa releases first high-def images of sunset on the moon
Nasa has released the first high-definition images of a sunset on the moon, two striking photographs taken by the private lander Blue Ghost that could offer scientists further clues to the mysterious phenomenon known as lunar horizon glow. The agency presented the images to a press conference on Tuesday at Houston's Johnson space center, marking the conclusion of a 14-day mission conducted in partnership with Texas company Firefly Aerospace. The commercial lander, which touched down on 2 March near Mons Latreille, a volcanic formation in Mare Crisium on the moon's north-eastern near side, is part of a $2.6bn investment by Nasa in commercial payload operators aiming to cut costs and support Artemis, the program scheduled to return humans to the moon in 2027. The two images, taken to the west and with Earth and Venus also visible, show the spread of the glow along moon's horizon as the sun appears about halfway set. 'These are the first high-definition images taken of the sun going down and then going into darkness at the horizon,' said Joel Kearns, Nasa's deputy associate administrator for exploration, science mission directorate. 'The images themselves are beautiful, they're really aesthetic, but I know there are a bunch of folks looking at them now that study the moon … Now its time for the specialists in the field to examine it and compare it to the other data we have from the mission and see what conclusions they can propose and draw from.' Lunar horizon glow was first documented by the astronaut Eugene Cernan, one of the last two men to set foot on the moon during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Subsequent observations concluded that the phenomenon was due to tiny dust particles in the moon's thin atmosphere glowing at lunar sunrise and sunset, while some theories suggest the particles levitated. Blue Ghost also captured high-definition imagery of a total eclipse on 14 March, when the Earth blocked the sun from the moon's horizon. A SpaceX Falcon rocket launched the lander, which is about the size of a hippopotamus, on a 2.8-mile journey on 15 January. Blue Ghost was carrying an array of scientific experiments, including a lunar soil analyzer, a radiation-tolerant computer and an experiment testing the feasibility of using the existing global satellite navigation system to navigate the moon. 'Firefly Aerospace is extremely proud to have accomplished this first fully successful commercial moon landing,' Jason Kim, the company's chief executive, said. 'I truly believe Firefly and Blue Ghost's historic mission will be a new chapter in textbooks and become a beacon of what humanity can achieve.' A separate mission by a private company to land a spacecraft carrying scientific equipment on the moon ended in failure earlier this month when the Athena probe launched by Intuitive Machines toppled upon landing and was declared dead.
The Guardian
18-03-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Nasa releases first high-def images of sunset on the moon
Nasa has released the first high-definition images of a sunset on the moon, two striking photographs taken by the private lander Blue Ghost that could offer scientists further clues to the mysterious phenomenon known as lunar horizon glow. The agency presented the images to a press conference on Tuesday at Houston's Johnson space center, marking the conclusion of a 14-day mission conducted in partnership with Texas company Firefly Aerospace. The commercial lander, which touched down on 2 March near Mons Latreille, a volcanic formation in Mare Crisium on the moon's north-eastern near side, is part of a $2.6bn investment by Nasa in commercial payload operators aiming to cut costs and support Artemis, the program scheduled to return humans to the moon in 2027. The two images, taken to the west and with Earth and Venus also visible, show the spread of the glow along moon's horizon as the sun appears about halfway set. 'These are the first high-definition images taken of the sun going down and then going into darkness at the horizon,' said Joel Kearns, Nasa's deputy associate administrator for exploration, science mission directorate. 'The images themselves are beautiful, they're really aesthetic, but I know there are a bunch of folks looking at them now that study the moon … Now its time for the specialists in the field to examine it and compare it to the other data we have from the mission and see what conclusions they can propose and draw from.' Lunar horizon glow was first documented by the astronaut Eugene Cernan, one of the last two men to set foot on the moon during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Subsequent observations concluded that the phenomenon was due to tiny dust particles in the moon's thin atmosphere glowing at lunar sunrise and sunset, while some theories suggest the particles levitated. Blue Ghost also captured high-definition imagery of a total eclipse on 14 March, when the Earth blocked the sun from the moon's horizon. A SpaceX Falcon rocket launched the lander, which is about the size of a hippopotamus, on a 2.8-mile journey on 15 January. Blue Ghost was carrying an array of scientific experiments, including a lunar soil analyzer, a radiation-tolerant computer and an experiment testing the feasibility of using the existing global satellite navigation system to navigate the moon. 'Firefly Aerospace is extremely proud to have accomplished this first fully successful commercial moon landing,' Jason Kim, the company's chief executive, said. 'I truly believe Firefly and Blue Ghost's historic mission will be a new chapter in textbooks and become a beacon of what humanity can achieve.' A separate mission by a private company to land a spacecraft carrying scientific equipment on the moon ended in failure earlier this month when the Athena probe launched by Intuitive Machines toppled upon landing and was declared dead.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Makes It to the Moon
A new commercial lunar lander has made it to the surface of the Moon. Blue Ghost, a lander built and operated by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace, nailed its touchdown attempt Sunday morning after a month and a half of travel. The spacecraft is now preparing to launch a series of science experiments on behalf of NASA. Blue Ghost launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 15. As it punched through Earth's atmosphere, looped around us a handful of times, and settled into lunar transit, the lander grabbed breathtaking footage of Earth in the "rearview mirror" and the Moon's far side. Its Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC) payload, a collaboration between NASA and Montana State University, used the journey to capture data that could help future spacecraft computers recover after radiation-related faults; meanwhile, an Artemis-associated Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder payload developed by the Southwest Research Institute captured changes in nearby magnetic fields. On March 2, Blue Ghost used its engines to kick off a descent orbit insertion burn, which lowered the spacecraft from lunar orbit into a path toward the surface. After just under an hour of coasting, Blue Ghost's thrusters activated, helping to position it over a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille. Hovered over its landing target, Blue Ghost shut off its main engine, using its smaller thrusters to cushion and make small adjustments to its descent. The lander perched on a flat piece of lunar ground at 3:34 a.m. EST on Sunday. Now the spacecraft is preparing to launch 10 science experiments on behalf of NASA and its institutional and commercial partners. The Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER) will use its pneumatic drill to measure the Moon's subsurface heat flow, while a stereo camera will capture the impact of Blue Ghost's landing on nearby regolith. The Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder will switch to scoping out the rocky body's 700-mile-deep subsurface geology. One experiment will even help scientists determine how well lunar regolith sticks to other materials, perhaps in preparation for future Moon colonies. These experiments will run for 14 days, or roughly one lunar day. Before that window closes, Blue Ghost will attempt to capture images of the lunar sunset and of the dust beneath its feet. NASA says this will help scientists explore how regolith responds to lunar dusk after Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan noted the dust might be "one of our greatest inhibitors to a nominal operation on the Moon." Soon, Blue Ghost will have company. Athena, another commercial lunar lander developed by Intuitive Machines, will attempt to land on the Moon on March 6. It, too, has snagged some stunning images during its trip, and it will be the first spacecraft ever to establish a 4G network on the Moon.
Associated Press
02-03-2025
- Science
- Associated Press
Firefly Aerospace Becomes First Commercial Company to Successfully Land on the Moon
CEDAR PARK, Texas, March 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firefly Aerospace, the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, today announced its Blue Ghost lunar lander softly touched down on the Moon's surface in an upright, stable configuration on the company's first attempt. As part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 1, named Ghost Riders in the Sky, sets the tone for the future of exploration across cislunar space as the first commercial company in history to achieve a fully successful soft-landing on the Moon. 'Firefly is literally and figuratively over the Moon,' said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. 'Our Blue Ghost lunar lander now has a permanent home on the lunar surface with 10 NASA payloads and a plaque with every Firefly employee's name. This bold, unstoppable team has proven we're well equipped to deliver reliable, affordable access to the Moon, and we won't stop there. With annual lunar missions, Firefly is paving the way for a lasting lunar presence that will help unlock access to the rest of the solar system for our nation, our partners, and the world.' Carrying 10 NASA instruments, Blue Ghost completed a precision landing in Mare Crisium at 2:34 a.m. CST on March 2 and touched down within its 100-meter landing target next to a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille. Blue Ghost's shock absorbing legs stabilized the lander as it touched down and inertial readings confirmed the lander is upright in a stable configuration. Following touchdown, Firefly is successfully commanding and communicating with the lander from its Mission Operations Center in Cedar Park, Texas. Blue Ghost will now begin its surface operations and support several NASA science and technology demonstrations over the next 14 days – equivalent to a full lunar day. The surface operations include lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, X-ray imaging, and dust mitigation experiments. On March 14, Firefly expects to capture high-definition imagery of a total eclipse when the Earth blocks the sun above the Moon's horizon. On March 16, Blue Ghost will then capture the lunar sunset, providing data on how lunar dust levitates due to solar influences and creates a lunar horizon glow first documented by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17. Following the sunset, Blue Ghost will operate several hours into the lunar night and continue to capture imagery that observes how levitating dust behavior changes after the sunset. 'With the hardest part behind us, Firefly looks forward to completing more than 14 days of surface operations, again raising the bar for commercial cislunar capabilities,' said Shea Ferring, Chief Technology Officer at Firefly Aerospace. 'Just through transit to the Moon, Firefly's mission has already delivered the most science data to date for the NASA CLPS initiative. CLPS has played a key role in Firefly's evolution from a rocket company to a provider of launch, lunar, and on-orbit services from LEO to cislunar and beyond. We want to thank NASA for entrusting in the Firefly team, and we look forward to delivering even more science data that supports future human missions to the Moon and Mars.' Throughout its 45-day journey to the Moon, Blue Ghost traveled more than 2.8 million miles, downlinked more than 27 GB of data, and supported several payload science operations. This included signal tracking from the Global Navigation Satellite System at a record-breaking distance with the LuGRE payload, radiation tolerant computing through the Van Allen Belts with the RadPC payload, and measurements of magnetic field changes with the LMS payload. Firefly will continue to provide regular updates on the Blue Ghost Mission 1 webpage through the completion of the mission. NASA's Artemis blog will share additional details on payload operations. Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end responsive space company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners ('AEI') focused on delivering rapid, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly's small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. For more information, visit
