China grew a plant on the moon — it sprouted two leaves, data indicates

China became the first country to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon. As part of its mission, the Chang'e-4 lunar rover carried a small biosphere containing six lifeforms, including cotton seeds. Using data from the biosphere experiment, researchers generated a virtual simulation of the cotton plant, indicating that it grew two leaves before succumbing to the cold.

China achieved history by landing its Chang'e-4 spacecraft on the moon's far side. The mission was also the first to experiment with growing plants on the moon, and it delivered to the lunar surface a mini-biosphere known as the Lunar Micro Ecosystem (LME). With the exception of microgravity and cosmic radiation, the conditions within this tight, cylindrical biosphere were similar to those on Earth. The LME contained the following:

potato seeds

cotton seedlings

rapeseeds

yeast

fruit fly eggs

A common weed is Arabidopsis thaliana.

Except for cotton, all of these plants died quickly. According to a recent 3D reconstruction, the cotton plant sprouted two leaves before succumbing to frigid circumstances after around two weeks. The results show that the experiment was slightly more successful than expected.

Xie Gengxin of Chongqing University's Advanced Technology Research Institute, the experiment's leader, has no plans to publish any scientific articles based on this research. He does, however, intend to continue investigating how various lifeforms could be able to survive on the moon.

WHY DOES NASA WISH TO GROW PLANTS IN SPACE?

If NASA or other space organisations wish to perform long-term missions, they must discover how to nurture plants in space on a constant basis.

“Simply packing some multi-vitamins will not be enough to keep astronauts healthy as they explore deep space,” NASA wrote. “They will need fresh produce.”

Why? Some reasons are just logistical. The nutrients in supplements and prepared meals, for example, can degrade with time, and radiation may hasten this process. Growing fresh veggies would supply astronauts with greater nourishment and more flavorful food. Furthermore, if astronauts could grow plants in space, they would not need to bring as much prepared food with them.

However, there are psychological advantages to growing plants in space.

“We already know from our pioneering astronauts that fresh flowers and gardens on the International Space Station create a beautiful atmosphere and let us take a little piece of Earth with us on our journeys,” NASA wrote. “They’re good for our psychological well-being on Earth and in space.”

NASA is also interested in making eating in space more enjoyable for astronauts. For example, on recent trips, the agency prepared comfort food and holiday dinners, and it performed study on astronauts’ preferences for group vs solo dining, as well as whether they benefit from cooking their own food. Other academics are investigating how astronauts’ emotional requirements might be met through space dining, as well as how to counteract room problems such as loss of smell.

“At the end of the day, we’re not worried about the muscle cells,” NASA nutritionist Scott Smith told Eater. “We’re worried about the human.”

Reference(s): Eater and NASA

China discovers a new mineral on the Moon

Chinese scientists have discovered a new lunar mineral through the investigation of samples returned from the Moon by the Chang'e-5 mission.

This is the first new mineral discovered on the Moon by China and the sixth by mankind . The new finding makes China the third country in the world to have discovered a new mineral on the Moon, said Dong Baotong, deputy director of the CAEA ( China Atomic Energy Authority)  after the United States and Russia.

Lunar samples from the Chang'e 5 mission in a display case at the National Museum of China in Beijing - CCTV

The new mineral, which has been named Changesite-(Y), is a kind of transparent and colorless columnar crystal. It was discovered from an analysis of lunar basalt particles by a research team from the Beijing Uranium Geology Research Institute, a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation.

Changesite-(Y) has already been officially approved as a new mineral by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association, reports Xinhua.

Li Ziying, research team leader of BRIUG (Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology), said the discovery has great scientific significance for the study of lunar minerals, lunar evolution and deep space exploration.

In 2020, the Chang'e-5 mission recovered Moon samples weighing about 1,731 grams, which were the first lunar samples recovered in more than 40 years, specifically in the northwestern region of Oceanus Procellarum, also known as the Ocean of the storms.

This site was chosen because the region is of relatively young geologic age , compared to sampling areas explored by the United States and the former Soviet Union.

As one of many research institutions involved in lunar sample research, BRIUG focuses on fission and fusion element research from lunar samples , providing basic data for lunar evolution research and resource assessment. moles.

When the research team obtained the first 50 milligrams of lunar samples in July 2021 for mineralogical investigation, they found some traces of a new mineral. But they were unable to obtain the ideal data to determine the mineral, since the lunar soil particles were extremely small.

The team then requested a second batch of lunar samples, weighing about 15 milligrams . From more than 140,000 tiny particles, the researchers ultimately selected a pure single crystal particle , which is 10 by 7 by 4 microns in size, less than a tenth of the average diameter of the human hair. The team deciphered its crystalline structure and verified that it is a new mineral.

Reference(s): Xinhua

China grew a plant on the moon — it sprouted two leaves, data indicates

China became the first country to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon. As part of its mission, the Chang'e-4 lunar rover carried a small biosphere containing six lifeforms, including cotton seeds. Using data from the biosphere experiment, researchers generated a virtual simulation of the cotton plant, indicating that it grew two leaves before succumbing to the cold.

China achieved history by landing its Chang'e-4 spacecraft on the moon's far side. The mission was also the first to experiment with growing plants on the moon, and it delivered to the lunar surface a mini-biosphere known as the Lunar Micro Ecosystem (LME). With the exception of microgravity and cosmic radiation, the conditions within this tight, cylindrical biosphere were similar to those on Earth. The LME contained the following:

potato seeds

cotton seedlings

rapeseeds

yeast

fruit fly eggs

A common weed is Arabidopsis thaliana.

Except for cotton, all of these plants died quickly. According to a recent 3D reconstruction, the cotton plant sprouted two leaves before succumbing to frigid circumstances after around two weeks. The results show that the experiment was slightly more successful than expected.

Xie Gengxin of Chongqing University's Advanced Technology Research Institute, the experiment's leader, has no plans to publish any scientific articles based on this research. He does, however, intend to continue investigating how various lifeforms could be able to survive on the moon.

WHY DOES NASA WISH TO GROW PLANTS IN SPACE?

If NASA or other space organisations wish to perform long-term missions, they must discover how to nurture plants in space on a constant basis.

“Simply packing some multi-vitamins will not be enough to keep astronauts healthy as they explore deep space,” NASA wrote. “They will need fresh produce.”

Why? Some reasons are just logistical. The nutrients in supplements and prepared meals, for example, can degrade with time, and radiation may hasten this process. Growing fresh veggies would supply astronauts with greater nourishment and more flavorful food. Furthermore, if astronauts could grow plants in space, they would not need to bring as much prepared food with them.

However, there are psychological advantages to growing plants in space.

“We already know from our pioneering astronauts that fresh flowers and gardens on the International Space Station create a beautiful atmosphere and let us take a little piece of Earth with us on our journeys,” NASA wrote. “They’re good for our psychological well-being on Earth and in space.”

NASA is also interested in making eating in space more enjoyable for astronauts. For example, on recent trips, the agency prepared comfort food and holiday dinners, and it performed study on astronauts’ preferences for group vs solo dining, as well as whether they benefit from cooking their own food. Other academics are investigating how astronauts’ emotional requirements might be met through space dining, as well as how to counteract room problems such as loss of smell.

“At the end of the day, we’re not worried about the muscle cells,” NASA nutritionist Scott Smith told Eater. “We’re worried about the human.”

Reference(s): Eater and NASA

Turn Your Eyes To The Sky Tonight– It’s The Harvest Moon

With the autumn equinox less than two weeks away, it's easy to see why September's full Moon is known as the Harvest Moon. It will reach its maximum tomorrow, September 10, at 5:59 a.m. EDT, but if you gaze up at the sky, it will appear full until Sunday.

Many of the names given to the full Moons throughout the year come from the Maine Farmer's Almanac, which employs names given to them by various Native American tribes. According to NASA, the name of the last full Moon of summer was already in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1706.

The harvesting theme can be found in the names given to this Moon by various cultures. It's also known as the Fruit Moon and the Barley Moon in Europe. In Italy, this Moon is referred to as "laboriosa" (hardworking). It is the Corn Moon for the Algonquin people, the indigenous inhabitants of what is now the northeastern United States and several portions of Canada.

This moon highlights traditional harvest festivities in various Asian countries, including China and Vietnam. It is known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival in areas of China, with offerings made to the Moon Goddess Chang'e (China's Moon mission is named after her). This Moon is known as Imomeigetsu (potato harvest moon) in Japan as part of the Tsukimi, or Moon-viewing festival. This is the Honey Full Moon Festival, or Madhu Purnima, for Buddhists in Bangladesh and Thailand.

This summer has witnessed four supermoons in a row, which occurs when a full Moon coincides with the Moon's perigee, the closest point in its orbit to us, making it appear enormous in the sky. Now it's back to regular old Moons, but don't worry, we've got plenty to keep us entertained. The Moon may obscure Uranus on September 14, and Jupiter will be the closest it has been to Earth in 70 years on September 26. The partial solar eclipse in October and the partial lunar eclipse in November are both scheduled, so check back here for information on how to best see these.

Surprise: Its officially confirmed, Earth Has Not One, But Three Moons

A team of astronomers from Hungary has proven that the Earth has three moons. According to the Hungarian scientists, these moons are totally formed of dust, and these mystery clouds orbit the earth 250,000 miles distant, nearly the same distance as the moon.

Surprisingly, a controversy regarding the existence of these two celestial bodies began in 1961, when Polish astronomer Kazimierz Kordylewski found two mystery clouds that became known as Kordylewski dust clouds. The Polish scientist further speculated that these dust clouds could be orbiting the Earth near the Lagrange points L4 and L5. Further examination of these celestial bodies has revealed that these dust clouds are essentially fake satellites orbiting the Earth.

"The Kordylewski clouds are two of the toughest objects to find, and though they are as close to Earth as the moon, are largely overlooked by researchers in astronomy. It is intriguing to confirm that our planet has dusty pseudo-satellites in orbit alongside our lunar neighbor," said Judit Slíz-Balogh, an astronomer at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary and the co-author of the study.

 

According to specialists, these satellite clouds have remained hidden for so long because they are extremely faint. However, due to the sun's reflection, these dust clouds can appear briefly. During the study, scientists used advanced polarising filters on their cameras to detect dispersed light reflecting off individual particles within the dust clouds.

Despite the fact that Hungarian researchers have proven the existence of two extra moons orbiting the Earth, some space experts believe that these strange dust clouds are merely a passing occurrence. According to these critics, the massive dust clouds observed by astronomers participating in this study might be quickly swept away due to gravitational jostling from other planets or solar winds.

This is not the first time that fresh space studies have reshaped humanity's knowledge of the solar system. Some astronomers hypothesised a few weeks ago that a rogue space planet, most likely Planet Nine, could be hiding beyond Neptune in the solar system. The researchers also showed that the space in which Planet Nine resides is too dark, which could explain why present observatories on Earth are having difficulty locating this space body.

Source: [National Geographic, Weather.com, Royal Astronopmial Society]

"The Most Ridiculously Detailed" Moon Photo Ever Captured Is Finally Available

The world has been awed by a stunning new image of the moon that has gone viral, but it was not taken by NASA.

Instead, it was the outcome of a two-year project in which two astronomers took "the most insanely precise" pictures of Earth's lunar neighbour.

The 174-megapixel image, which you can download, was made public for the first time on Reddit on Saturday. It shows the moon's colours, craters, and glowing halo in astounding detail.

Together with planetary scientist and fellow photographer Connor Matherne, who is renowned for his stunning astrophotography abilities, Andrew McCarthy created a series of stunning astrophotography images of galaxies and nebulae.

Reddit and Instagram allowed for the partnership.

🌑 by Andrew McCarthy @cosmic_background via @cbs pic.twitter.com/jPWy6z1JgA

— rb 𓂀🪝📿🪔🪷🪬🇼🇸 (@BercovitzRB) August 23, 2022

In an Instagram post he wrote about it, McCarthy described their final product as "the most crazily detailed moon image we could come up with."

They created a gigantic image of the moon by combining more than 200,000 photos taken of it using a technique called "photo stitching."

It’s also a tribute to NASA’s Artemis I mission, which is an uncrewed flight test that, according to the space agency, “will provide a foundation for human deep exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to return humans to the moon and extend beyond.”

The stunning photograph was given the name “The Hunt for Artemis.”

On August 29, 2022, the launch of Artemis I is anticipated to take place between the hours of 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.

“In 9 days, a human-rated lunar rocket will launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida,” McCarthy wrote on Instagram over the weekend, “demonstrating our capability for manned lunar missions for the first time in 50 years.”

The pair of astrophotographers managed to capture significant color data highlighting the reds, grays, blues and browns that help make the moon so unique.

McCarthy stated on Reddit that the image would have been a “dreary gray” if Matherne’s capacity to gather this data hadn’t been available.

“The color in this image is real, but presented with increased saturation so it is easily visible to our eyes,” he wrote.

“The reddish tones demonstrate areas rich in iron and feldspar, while the bluish areas are spots where the regolith is rich in titanium. Oxidization from influence from Earth’s atmosphere makes the colors appear like they do.”

 

To capture all of the color and details on the moon’s surface, Andrew McCarthy and Connor Matherne focused on different aspects of the shoot. McCarthy shot over 200,000 images focusing on the moon’s details and Matherne shot another 500 to capture the vibrant colors.

“Each tile is made up of thousands of photos,” he added.

“When he and I put our heads together we were able to make something a little off brand for both of us, which is cool,” McCarthy told NPR.

“The whole thing is assembled like a mosaic, and each tile is made up of thousands of photos.”

Prints of the photograph can be purchased on McCarthy’s website.