Universe Today
• Andy Tomaswick
A long, narrow white cloud appears west of the 20-kilometer-high extinct volcano Arsia Mons every day during the Martian summer. It stretches about 1,800 kilometers, dissipates within hours and returns the next morning, a pattern that may challenge conventional explanations of cloud formation.
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A long, narrow white cloud appears west of the 20-kilometer-high extinct volcano Arsia Mons every day during the Martian summer. It stretches about 1,800 kilometers, dissipates within hours and returns the next morning, a pattern that may challenge conventional explanations of cloud formation.
A new study maps how rain billions of years ago may have transported formaldehyde, an important prebiotic molecule, across the Martian surface. The researchers say the map could help future missions prioritize locations in the search for signs of past life; it does not establish that life arose there.
The Soviet Union launched Zond 8 toward the moon on Oct. 20, 1970, in what the article identifies as the final Zond lunar mission. The anniversary offers a marker in the history of Soviet lunar exploration and the use of robotic spacecraft to pursue missions to the moon.
A rover named FLIP is preparing to carry a supercomputer to the lunar surface, marking the first time a supercomputer has been sent to the moon, according to the article. The mission draws inspiration from Mars rover designs, though the article provides no launch date or further mission details.
A study of lunar scarp faults calculates how much the Moon is shrinking as it cools, finding the rate is extremely small. Even so, the resulting geological activity could trigger landslides, creating a potential hazard for missions operating on the lunar surface.
NASA has opened its Artemis human lunar program with the uncrewed Artemis 1 test flight and the crewed Artemis 2 mission around the moon. The next challenge is translating those milestones into crewed lunar landings, a progression the article argues will depend on sound decisions.
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