Latest news with #Ganymede
Times
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The Times Saturday Quiz: May 17, 2025
1 Which part of the Pinocchio frog of New Guinea is unusually long? 2 Which tax is paid when a person's estate is worth more than £325,000 when they die? 3 Friedrich Merz has been elected as the chancellor of which country? 4 Which Hollywood star is depicted in Andy Warhol's 1963 piece Blue Liz as Cleopatra? 5 Alpine butterfly loop, buntline hitch and sheet bend are types of which fastening? 6 Which bear has been voiced in three full-length live-action films by Ben Whishaw? 7 A failed attempt to turn which satirical magazine into a TV show was broadcast on BBC2 in December 1971? 8 Which Italian astronomer discovered the Jovian moon Ganymede in 1610? 9 Which Labour politician married Sarah Jane Macaulay
Economic Times
15-05-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
NASA study reveals why the Moon's near and far sides tell very different stories and how it influences Earth
NASA's GRAIL mission reveals the Moon's two sides are strikingly different, with the nearside being warmer and more volcanically active than the far side. This disparity is attributed to ancient volcanic activity that concentrated radioactive elements on the nearside, causing a significant temperature difference in the mantle. The findings will aid future lunar missions and navigation. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How are the two sides different? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Moon's deep interior holds clues Why does this matter? A new NASA study has found that the inside of the Moon is not the same on both sides, and this could explain why the side facing Earth looks so different from the one we never findings come from NASA's GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission. Using two robotic spacecraft, GRAIL created the most detailed map of the Moon's gravity so far. This helped scientists look deep inside the Moon and learn more about how it found that the Moon's 'nearside', the side we always see from Earth, is warmer and more geologically active deep down than the far side. This is likely because of massive volcanic activity billions of years ago that shaped the Moon's nearside of the Moon has large dark plains called 'mare' made of cooled volcanic rock. The far side is much more rugged and mountainous. Scientists have long wondered why the two sides are so different.A new study, cited by Reuters, suggests that intense volcanic activity caused certain radioactive elements to accumulate on the Moon's nearside. These elements, such as thorium and titanium, generate heat as they decay, making the nearside mantle, a deep layer beneath the surface, approximately 100 to 200°C hotter than the Moon's mantle, which lies between the crust and the core, makes up about 80% of its mass. It contains minerals like olivine and pyroxene, which are also found in Earth's mantle. The scientists noticed that the shape and behaviour of the Moon during its orbit, known as tidal deformation, is also different on each side. This is because Earth's gravity pulls more on the side facing us.'The fact that the shape of the mantle matches the surface differences gives us strong evidence that ancient volcanic activity on the nearside shaped what we see today,' said NASA researcher Ryan Park The improved gravity map of the Moon will help future space missions. It will help in building accurate lunar navigation systems, like GPS on the Moon, which are essential for upcoming lunar exploration The same method of studying a planet or moon's gravity to learn about its inside could also help with studying other moons like Enceladus (around Saturn) and Ganymede (around Jupiter), which are being explored for signs of life.'The Moon helps keep Earth's rotation stable and causes ocean tides,' Park said. 'Even though we've sent many missions to the Moon, there's still a lot we don't know about its deep interior and past.'Inputs from Reuters
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
NASA study reveals why the Moon's near and far sides tell very different stories and how it influences Earth
A new NASA study has found that the inside of the Moon is not the same on both sides, and this could explain why the side facing Earth looks so different from the one we never see. The findings come from NASA's GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission. Using two robotic spacecraft, GRAIL created the most detailed map of the Moon's gravity so far. This helped scientists look deep inside the Moon and learn more about how it formed. They found that the Moon's 'nearside', the side we always see from Earth, is warmer and more geologically active deep down than the far side. This is likely because of massive volcanic activity billions of years ago that shaped the Moon's surface. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by How are the two sides different? The nearside of the Moon has large dark plains called 'mare' made of cooled volcanic rock. The far side is much more rugged and mountainous. Scientists have long wondered why the two sides are so different. A new study, cited by Reuters, suggests that intense volcanic activity caused certain radioactive elements to accumulate on the Moon's nearside. These elements, such as thorium and titanium, generate heat as they decay, making the nearside mantle, a deep layer beneath the surface, approximately 100 to 200°C hotter than the farside. Live Events The Moon's deep interior holds clues The Moon's mantle, which lies between the crust and the core, makes up about 80% of its mass. It contains minerals like olivine and pyroxene, which are also found in Earth's mantle. The scientists noticed that the shape and behaviour of the Moon during its orbit, known as tidal deformation, is also different on each side. This is because Earth's gravity pulls more on the side facing us. 'The fact that the shape of the mantle matches the surface differences gives us strong evidence that ancient volcanic activity on the nearside shaped what we see today,' said NASA researcher Ryan Park . Why does this matter? The improved gravity map of the Moon will help future space missions. It will help in building accurate lunar navigation systems, like GPS on the Moon, which are essential for upcoming lunar exploration . The same method of studying a planet or moon's gravity to learn about its inside could also help with studying other moons like Enceladus (around Saturn) and Ganymede (around Jupiter), which are being explored for signs of life. 'The Moon helps keep Earth's rotation stable and causes ocean tides,' Park said. 'Even though we've sent many missions to the Moon, there's still a lot we don't know about its deep interior and past.' Inputs from Reuters
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Starwatch: October belongs to Pegasus
October belongs to Pegasus and the water constellations, which float through the southern sky after nightfall. Reigning supreme high in the south are the Great Square of Pegasus and, stretching from its northeast corner, a string of three stars in the constellation Andromeda. Above the middle star, you may see a faint oval smudge; this is the Andromeda galaxy, the Milky Way's largest close neighbor. Below the Great Square, the Circlet of Pisces is easy to find. Moving southwest from the Circlet, the Y-shaped Water Jar is the centerpiece of spidery Aquarius, the water bearer. The water bearer refers to Ganymede, a handsome youth whom Zeus (Jupiter) made cupbearer to the gods. Now, it's also one of Jupiter's four Galilean moons. Southwest of Aquarius is unobtrusive, chevron-shaped Capricornus, the sea goat. And the lonely star far to the south is Fomalhaut, brightest in Piscis Austrinus, the southern fish. A dim Mars manages to stay above the sun's afterglow, but the evening sky's real planetary presence is Jupiter. As October opens, the brilliant planet rises around 9:45 p.m. CDT, and it appears earlier every night. Jupiter sojourns between the horns of Taurus, not far from the bright star Aldebaran, the eye of the bull. In the morning sky, Venus is a beacon in the east. Our sister planet has a close encounter with Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, on the 3rd and gets a visit from a crescent moon on the 12th. October's full hunter's moon falls on the 29th. It will be a beauty, rising close to sunset and only about three hours past perfect fullness. This moon draws its name from the fact that in October the fields have been harvested and the open fields make hunting easier. And with winter approaching, more urgent. The moon will be past full when it rises on Halloween during prime trick-or-treating time. Whether they know it or not, the children (and some adults) dressing up that night will be re-enacting the ancient Celtic rituals of Samhain (rhymes with COW-en), an astronomically based holiday that marked the start of the dark half of the year. At sunset that day, the seam between our world and the netherworld opened, releasing evil spirits that had been banished from the human realm since May Day. People tried to ward off the feisty spirits with lanterns made from hollowed-out gourds, or to appease them by leaving offerings of food. Samhain was one of four cross-quarter days falling midway between an equinox and a solstice.
