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Posts by
Deborah Byrd
Why the moon’s near and far sides look different
New research suggests that a wayward dwarf planet collided with the moon in the early history of the solar system, causing the stark difference between the moon’s heavily-cratered far side and the lower-lying open basins of its near side.
May 22, 2019
What Chang’e 4 learned from the moon’s far side
Early results from China's historic 1st landing on the moon's far side. Chinese scientists have used in situ data from a far side crater to identify materials on the moon's surface that originated deeper inside the moon.
May 22, 2019
Close encounter sets galaxy ablaze with new stars
A cosmic collision in action. Read more about what happens when 2 galaxies sideswipe each other.
May 20, 2019
Bound for Mars in 2020
The spacecraft for NASA's next Mars mission - Mars 2020 - is really beginning to take shape now. Here's the complete cruise stage, suspended in a cleanroom at JPL. It'll power and guide the spacecraft on its 7-month voyage to Mars.
May 19, 2019
Waxing moon with Golden Handle
Peter Lowenstein in Mutare, Zimbabwe, caught this photo of a waxing moon, setting, with what's called a Golden Handle (the curved feature at top right, jutting up along the line between light and dark on the moon).
May 18, 2019
Lightsail 2 set to launch in June
"We are go for launch!" said Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye. Funded by space enthusiasts, LightSail 2 aims to accomplish the 1st-ever, controlled solar sail flight in Earth orbit next month.
May 14, 2019
Rainbow spokes over Pennsylvania
When dense rain showers are falling into a rainbow, you might see one or more dark spokes centered on the point exactly opposite the sun. These are called rainbow spokes, or rainbow wheels.
May 14, 2019
Nature in Japan: Time travel
Hideto Shimizu hiked many miles across the mountains of Japan to capture the images in this gorgeous 90-second video. He wrote: "I hope it delivers you the feelings of the places I photographed."
May 13, 2019
Star formation burst created 50% of Milky Way disk stars
Analysis of data from the Gaia satellite shows a powerful burst of star formation - a stellar baby boom - in our Milky Way galaxy 2 to 3 billion years ago. This single burst might have created half the stars in the galaxy's flat disk.
May 10, 2019
Why can’t I find the Milky Way in May?
From the Northern Hemisphere now, the plane of the Milky Way is as parallel to your horizon as it can be, in early evening. Just wait. Around midnight, the starry band of the Milky Way will begin ascending in your eastern sky.
May 10, 2019
