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"title": "Newly-Found Asteroids and Meteoroids Could Pose Collision Threat: NASA",
"headTitle": "Newly-Found Asteroids and Meteoroids Could Pose Collision Threat: NASA | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>After a three-year mission hunting for near-Earth asteroids and comets, NASA’s \u003ca href=\"http://neowise.ipac.caltech.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NEOWISE\u003c/a> program has delivered a fresh batch of discoveries. In the past year alone, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6864\">NEOWISE has detected\u003c/a> 97 previously unknown solar system objects, 28 of which are Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) that come close to or cross Earth’s orbit, and can pose a potential collision threat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past three years, NEOWISE has revealed the characteristics of 693 Near-Earth Objects, 114 of which are new discoveries. In the past year alone, it discovered ten \u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/neo_groups.html\">potentially hazardous objects\u003c/a>. An object is classified as ‘potentially hazardous’ if its minimum distance from Earth is 4,647,790 miles — or less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/neowise/\">NEOWISE \u003c/a>is a reinvention of \u003ca href=\"http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/\">NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) \u003c/a>mission, which was launched back in December 2009. WISE’s goal was to map the entire sky with its 16-inch telescope looking for sources of infrared light, which it accomplished in six months of observation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1746746\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1746746\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-800x402.jpg\" alt=\"An all-sky map produced by NASA's WISE spacecraft over six months of observation, dominated by the glow of the Milky Way galaxy. Four infrared wavelengths are represented. Cyan indicates the emissions mostly by stars and distant galaxies, while green and red represent emissions mostly by dust. \" width=\"800\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-800x402.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-768x386.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-1020x513.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-1920x966.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-1180x594.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-960x483.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-240x121.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-375x189.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-520x262.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An all-sky map produced by NASA’s WISE spacecraft over six months of observation, dominated by the glow of the Milky Way galaxy. Four infrared wavelengths are represented. Cyan indicates the emissions mostly by stars and distant galaxies, while green and red represent emissions mostly by dust. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With extreme sensitivity to infrared radiation at four different wavelengths, WISE detected faint celestial heat sources across the cosmos — such as galaxies billions of light years away, objects within the Milky Way such as black holes, forming star systems and cool brown dwarf stars, and asteroids and comets within our solar system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just within our solar system WISE observed about 154,000 objects, including 33,500 new asteroid and comet discoveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Being NEO-wise\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October 2010, WISE’s primary mission ended. Then, in September 2013, NASA reactivated the spacecraft and re-purposed it to begin a new mission, focused on the hunt for asteroids and comets, with particular interest in Near-Earth Objects that could be potentially hazardous to us. The NEOWISE mission was born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1754415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1754415\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Cross section of Near Earth Object discoveries by NEOWISE, as of September 2014. The blue circles represent the orbits of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, the cyan circle is Earth's orbit. Green dots represent NEOs that come within 1.3 astronomical units (the Earth-Sun distance) of Earth. Yellow squares are comets. White and gray dots are all other asteroid detections. \" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cross section of Near Earth Object discoveries by NEOWISE, as of September 2014. The blue circles represent the orbits of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, the cyan circle is Earth’s orbit. Green dots represent NEOs that come within 1.3 astronomical units (the Earth-Sun distance) of Earth. Yellow squares are comets. White and gray dots are all other asteroid detections. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/PSI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Knowing about a threat is the first step in avoiding it. In the case of Near-Earth Objects and potentially hazardous asteroids, which occasionally collide with the Earth to cause local or global mayhem, the more we know, the better our chances of predicting a future impact with enough warning to do \u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/pd/\">something to prevent it\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1746585\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1746585\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Radar images of Asteroid 2015 TB145 during a close flyby of Earth in October 2015. \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-520x293.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Radar images of Asteroid 2015 TB145 during a close flyby of Earth in October 2015. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR/NRAO/AUI/NSF)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In fact, due to the group efforts of NEOWISE and professional and amateur astronomers around the world, as of June 2017 we know of the existence of 16,294 Near Earth Objects of all categories (meteoroids, asteroids, and comets that come close to or cross Earth’s orbit). Of these, 1,806 are classified as “potentially hazardous”—that is, have the potential to come close to the Earth, and are large enough to cause significant damage should they impact us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If these numbers cause you concern, there are some other numbers you can check out for a little reassurance that the sky is probably not falling anytime soon. The \u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/\">Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS)\u003c/a> at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory posts on their Sentry site an automatically calculated list of the most significant risks of impact by potentially hazardous objects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can dig into the numbers if you have the time or statistical inclination, but perhaps the biggest takeaway from those probabilities is that we are exposed to numerous Earthly risks every day–traffic accidents, disease, slipping in the shower — that rate much higher danger than any threats from these NEOs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Friday, June 30th is International Asteroid Day, a day of awareness of the risk of asteroid impacts, and for support of efforts to devise a defense against them.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>After a three-year mission hunting for near-Earth asteroids and comets, NASA’s \u003ca href=\"http://neowise.ipac.caltech.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NEOWISE\u003c/a> program has delivered a fresh batch of discoveries. In the past year alone, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6864\">NEOWISE has detected\u003c/a> 97 previously unknown solar system objects, 28 of which are Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) that come close to or cross Earth’s orbit, and can pose a potential collision threat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past three years, NEOWISE has revealed the characteristics of 693 Near-Earth Objects, 114 of which are new discoveries. In the past year alone, it discovered ten \u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/neo_groups.html\">potentially hazardous objects\u003c/a>. An object is classified as ‘potentially hazardous’ if its minimum distance from Earth is 4,647,790 miles — or less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/neowise/\">NEOWISE \u003c/a>is a reinvention of \u003ca href=\"http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/\">NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) \u003c/a>mission, which was launched back in December 2009. WISE’s goal was to map the entire sky with its 16-inch telescope looking for sources of infrared light, which it accomplished in six months of observation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1746746\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1746746\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-800x402.jpg\" alt=\"An all-sky map produced by NASA's WISE spacecraft over six months of observation, dominated by the glow of the Milky Way galaxy. Four infrared wavelengths are represented. Cyan indicates the emissions mostly by stars and distant galaxies, while green and red represent emissions mostly by dust. \" width=\"800\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-800x402.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-768x386.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-1020x513.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-1920x966.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-1180x594.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-960x483.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-240x121.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-375x189.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA15481-520x262.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An all-sky map produced by NASA’s WISE spacecraft over six months of observation, dominated by the glow of the Milky Way galaxy. Four infrared wavelengths are represented. Cyan indicates the emissions mostly by stars and distant galaxies, while green and red represent emissions mostly by dust. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With extreme sensitivity to infrared radiation at four different wavelengths, WISE detected faint celestial heat sources across the cosmos — such as galaxies billions of light years away, objects within the Milky Way such as black holes, forming star systems and cool brown dwarf stars, and asteroids and comets within our solar system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just within our solar system WISE observed about 154,000 objects, including 33,500 new asteroid and comet discoveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Being NEO-wise\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October 2010, WISE’s primary mission ended. Then, in September 2013, NASA reactivated the spacecraft and re-purposed it to begin a new mission, focused on the hunt for asteroids and comets, with particular interest in Near-Earth Objects that could be potentially hazardous to us. The NEOWISE mission was born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1754415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1754415\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Cross section of Near Earth Object discoveries by NEOWISE, as of September 2014. The blue circles represent the orbits of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, the cyan circle is Earth's orbit. Green dots represent NEOs that come within 1.3 astronomical units (the Earth-Sun distance) of Earth. Yellow squares are comets. White and gray dots are all other asteroid detections. \" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA21653_hires.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cross section of Near Earth Object discoveries by NEOWISE, as of September 2014. The blue circles represent the orbits of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, the cyan circle is Earth’s orbit. Green dots represent NEOs that come within 1.3 astronomical units (the Earth-Sun distance) of Earth. Yellow squares are comets. White and gray dots are all other asteroid detections. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/PSI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Knowing about a threat is the first step in avoiding it. In the case of Near-Earth Objects and potentially hazardous asteroids, which occasionally collide with the Earth to cause local or global mayhem, the more we know, the better our chances of predicting a future impact with enough warning to do \u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/pd/\">something to prevent it\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1746585\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1746585\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Radar images of Asteroid 2015 TB145 during a close flyby of Earth in October 2015. \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF-520x293.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/PIA20043-16_Asteroid-2015_-TB145_NASAJPL-Caltech-GSSR-NRAO-AUI-NSF.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Radar images of Asteroid 2015 TB145 during a close flyby of Earth in October 2015. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR/NRAO/AUI/NSF)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In fact, due to the group efforts of NEOWISE and professional and amateur astronomers around the world, as of June 2017 we know of the existence of 16,294 Near Earth Objects of all categories (meteoroids, asteroids, and comets that come close to or cross Earth’s orbit). Of these, 1,806 are classified as “potentially hazardous”—that is, have the potential to come close to the Earth, and are large enough to cause significant damage should they impact us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If these numbers cause you concern, there are some other numbers you can check out for a little reassurance that the sky is probably not falling anytime soon. The \u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/\">Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS)\u003c/a> at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory posts on their Sentry site an automatically calculated list of the most significant risks of impact by potentially hazardous objects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can dig into the numbers if you have the time or statistical inclination, but perhaps the biggest takeaway from those probabilities is that we are exposed to numerous Earthly risks every day–traffic accidents, disease, slipping in the shower — that rate much higher danger than any threats from these NEOs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Friday, June 30th is International Asteroid Day, a day of awareness of the risk of asteroid impacts, and for support of efforts to devise a defense against them.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "You Know About This Summer's Spectacular Solar Eclipse, Right?",
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"content": "\u003cp>Save the date: August 21st. On that Monday, across the United States, millions of people will be granted a rare chance to see a total solar eclipse. The last time a total solar eclipse crossed the contiguous U.S., Jimmy Carter was president (1979). It has been nearly a century since an eclipse swept the country from coast to coast (1918).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not often that celestial events favor our own country in such a way,” says \u003ca href=\"http://www.seti.org/users/sshostak\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seth Shostak\u003c/a>, senior astronomer at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.seti.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SETI Institute\u003c/a>. “And this gives the opportunity to a lot of people to see something that really shouldn’t be missed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The eclipse will first be visible by land at Lincoln Beach, Oregon. At 8:04 a.m. the moon will begin to edge in on the sun, taking a tiny chip out of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1745905\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 375px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1745905 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eclipse_V04B_170620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"375\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eclipse_V04B_170620.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eclipse_V04B_170620-160x285.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eclipse_V04B_170620-240x428.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eclipses are possible thanks to a happy coincidence: The Sun is 400 times the diameter of the moon, while also being 400 times farther away from Earth. To us, both the moon and the Sun appear to be the same size allowing the moon to block light from the sun during solar eclipses.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the 70 million million million metric tons of rock that we know as our moon slide across the solar disc, darkness will descend, sweeping in from the west. The temperature will drop. Birds may cease singing, squirrels may give up their foraging. The stars will come out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Observers of past eclipses say life seems suspended in animation, as the shadow of the moon sweeps over them. Looking up they see a “hole in the sky” surrounded by flowing flames. Or, “a black sunflower with the most delicate of silver petals,” as Frank Close writes in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/book/9780198795490\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eclipse: Journeys to the Dark Side of the Moon\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These ‘petals’ are the sun’s corona. Curiously, this outer atmosphere of the sun is far, far hotter (up to 450 times hotter) than the surface of the sun. But why this is so is still a mystery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The stage where the corona is visible to the naked eye is the moment of total eclipse, called “totality.” You will see the total eclipse only if you are inside the 50-mile wide band marked out on the map below, a path that will sweep across the country stretching from just west of Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. (Check out the \u003ca href=\"https://eclipsemega.movie/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eclipse Megamovie Project\u003c/a>, a joint project of Google and UC Berkeley. Type a location into their \u003ca href=\"https://eclipsemega.movie/simulator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">simulator \u003c/a>to see what the eclipse will look like from there.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgZnha_S9BQ\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A word on safety: Don’t look directly at the sun. Ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the first hour of the eclipse, the moon with be sliding over the disc of the sun taking, as Shostak says, “bigger and bigger cookie bites.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if it is partially blocked, if you look into the sun it may be the last thing you’ll ever see. You can, however, watch with eclipse glasses, which are equipped with protective film. Or, cut a hole in a piece of paper or cardboard and project the eclipse onto a surface, such as the ground or a wall. Once the moon has completely blocked out the sun (during totality) it is okay to look up. In fact, don’t miss looking up! You can even take a peek through your binoculars or telescope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.kqed.org/.stream/mp3splice/radio/science/2017/06/Eclipse_170619.mp3\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak recommends Oregon as the most practical locale for Californians to view the eclipse, if they’re willing to travel. “You might think ‘Gosh! That’s a long trip for two minutes of celestial fireworks,'” says Shostak. “But I can assure you, seeing the moon get in front of the sun is something you will always remember.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read more KQED eclipse coverage:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/forum/2017/07/26/americans-prepare-for-first-total-solar-eclipse-in-century/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Americans Prepare for First Coast-to-Coast Total Solar Eclipse in Century\u003c/a> (\u003cem>KQED Forum\u003c/em>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2017/07/24/dont-be-in-the-dark-answers-to-your-burning-questions-about-the-august-eclipse/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don’t Be in the Dark: Answers To Your Burning Questions About the August Eclipse\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2017/08/11/help-make-history-eclipse-projects-for-citizen-scientists/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Help Make History: Eclipse Projects for Citizen Scientists\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Save the date: August 21st. On that Monday, across the United States, millions of people will be granted a rare chance to see a total solar eclipse. The last time a total solar eclipse crossed the contiguous U.S., Jimmy Carter was president (1979). It has been nearly a century since an eclipse swept the country from coast to coast (1918).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not often that celestial events favor our own country in such a way,” says \u003ca href=\"http://www.seti.org/users/sshostak\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seth Shostak\u003c/a>, senior astronomer at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.seti.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SETI Institute\u003c/a>. “And this gives the opportunity to a lot of people to see something that really shouldn’t be missed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The eclipse will first be visible by land at Lincoln Beach, Oregon. At 8:04 a.m. the moon will begin to edge in on the sun, taking a tiny chip out of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1745905\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 375px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1745905 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eclipse_V04B_170620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"375\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eclipse_V04B_170620.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eclipse_V04B_170620-160x285.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eclipse_V04B_170620-240x428.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eclipses are possible thanks to a happy coincidence: The Sun is 400 times the diameter of the moon, while also being 400 times farther away from Earth. To us, both the moon and the Sun appear to be the same size allowing the moon to block light from the sun during solar eclipses.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the 70 million million million metric tons of rock that we know as our moon slide across the solar disc, darkness will descend, sweeping in from the west. The temperature will drop. Birds may cease singing, squirrels may give up their foraging. The stars will come out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Observers of past eclipses say life seems suspended in animation, as the shadow of the moon sweeps over them. Looking up they see a “hole in the sky” surrounded by flowing flames. Or, “a black sunflower with the most delicate of silver petals,” as Frank Close writes in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/book/9780198795490\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eclipse: Journeys to the Dark Side of the Moon\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These ‘petals’ are the sun’s corona. Curiously, this outer atmosphere of the sun is far, far hotter (up to 450 times hotter) than the surface of the sun. But why this is so is still a mystery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The stage where the corona is visible to the naked eye is the moment of total eclipse, called “totality.” You will see the total eclipse only if you are inside the 50-mile wide band marked out on the map below, a path that will sweep across the country stretching from just west of Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. (Check out the \u003ca href=\"https://eclipsemega.movie/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eclipse Megamovie Project\u003c/a>, a joint project of Google and UC Berkeley. Type a location into their \u003ca href=\"https://eclipsemega.movie/simulator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">simulator \u003c/a>to see what the eclipse will look like from there.)\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/zgZnha_S9BQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/zgZnha_S9BQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>A word on safety: Don’t look directly at the sun. Ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the first hour of the eclipse, the moon with be sliding over the disc of the sun taking, as Shostak says, “bigger and bigger cookie bites.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if it is partially blocked, if you look into the sun it may be the last thing you’ll ever see. You can, however, watch with eclipse glasses, which are equipped with protective film. Or, cut a hole in a piece of paper or cardboard and project the eclipse onto a surface, such as the ground or a wall. Once the moon has completely blocked out the sun (during totality) it is okay to look up. In fact, don’t miss looking up! You can even take a peek through your binoculars or telescope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.kqed.org/.stream/mp3splice/radio/science/2017/06/Eclipse_170619.mp3\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak recommends Oregon as the most practical locale for Californians to view the eclipse, if they’re willing to travel. “You might think ‘Gosh! That’s a long trip for two minutes of celestial fireworks,'” says Shostak. “But I can assure you, seeing the moon get in front of the sun is something you will always remember.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read more KQED eclipse coverage:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/forum/2017/07/26/americans-prepare-for-first-total-solar-eclipse-in-century/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Americans Prepare for First Coast-to-Coast Total Solar Eclipse in Century\u003c/a> (\u003cem>KQED Forum\u003c/em>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2017/07/24/dont-be-in-the-dark-answers-to-your-burning-questions-about-the-august-eclipse/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don’t Be in the Dark: Answers To Your Burning Questions About the August Eclipse\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2017/08/11/help-make-history-eclipse-projects-for-citizen-scientists/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Help Make History: Eclipse Projects for Citizen Scientists\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Why We Celebrate Asteroids, Even Though They Might Be Coming for Us",
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"content": "\u003cp>Remember Friday, June 30th is \u003ca href=\"https://asteroidday.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">International Asteroid Day\u003c/a>—or have you forgotten that we share our neighborhood of the solar system with a million chunks of rock and metal? Many of these fragments even cross Earth’s orbit threatening a collision.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">Asteroids are left over bits from the solar system’s formation—stuff that didn’t get rolled up into the formation of the planets.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Set on the June 30th anniversary of the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/30jun_tunguska\">“Tunguska” explosion and impact\u003c/a> over Siberia in 1908, International Asteroid Day is intended to raise awareness about the possibility of a “Near Earth Object” (NEO) hitting Earth. The goal is to solicit support for NEO research including detecting and tracking the objects, predicting future impacts, and developing technologies and techniques aimed at averting them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>International Asteroid Day was co-founded by Grigorij Richters, the \u003ca href=\"https://b612foundation.org/\">B612 Foundation\u003c/a> and Brian May of the rock band Queen. All three have an interest in asteroids: Richters’ film “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxlSkotTkiw\">51 Degrees North\u003c/a>” depicts a fictional asteroid impact in London and the \u003ca href=\"https://b612foundation.org/\">B612 Foundation\u003c/a> is dedicated to defending the Earth from devastating asteroid impacts. Perhaps most interesting is Brian May of Queen who is not only a guitarist but also an astrophysicist, interested in rock of both the musical and astronomical variety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Asteroid Awareness\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rocks falling from the sky and sparking explosive mayhem are not part of most people’s everyday experience–beyond the occasional sighting of a meteor flashing across the night sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/target_earth.html\">In fact\u003c/a>, every day about 100 tons of material, mostly dust-sized particles and small bits of rock and metal, enter our atmosphere and drift downward to the surface. And every year, 25 to 30 asteroids—typically less than 100 feet across—\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/\">pass by Earth\u003c/a> at distances closer than our moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1699484\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 700px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1699484\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR.jpg\" alt=\"Radar images of the asteroid 2014 JO25, captured by the Goldstone Observatory radio telescope last April when the 0.8-mile-long object passed by at a distance a little over a million miles. \" width=\"700\" height=\"343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR.jpg 700w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR-160x78.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR-240x118.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR-375x184.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR-520x255.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Radar images of the asteroid 2014 JO25, captured by the Goldstone Observatory radio telescope last April when the 0.8-mile-long object passed by at a distance a little over a million miles. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Larger objects have caused major disturbances, but are less frequent. The 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia was caused by an asteroid or comet that was between 200 to 620 feet across, which exploded in the atmosphere. The resulting blast flattened over 700 square miles of forest—an area about the size of Alameda County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svzB0QYNIWI\">2013 Chelyabinsk event\u003c/a> (another aerial explosion over Russia) inflicted considerable damage to buildings over a wide area with its shock wave, but was caused by a rock only 60 feet across.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asteroids larger than 300 feet across will impact Earth’s surface and probably leave a crater, as well as cause devastation in the region they strike. This scale of impact happens on average every 10,000 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asteroids larger than half a mile across will create global disturbances and can cause mass extinctions. This magnitude of impact happens on average every several hundred thousand years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rubble of the Solar System\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our solar system is home to uncounted \u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/asteroids\">millions of asteroids\u003c/a>, chunks of rock and metal ranging from a few hundred miles across to a few feet in size, and everything between. This interplanetary “rubble,” most of which orbits the sun in the Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, is material left over from the solar system’s formation five billion years ago—stuff that didn’t get rolled up into the formation of the planets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1701365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 498px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1701365\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eros_rotation_Dec._3-4_2000.gif\" alt=\"The roughly 10-mile sized Near Earth Asteroid Eros, imaged by the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft in 2000. Though Eros' orbit comes close to Earth's, their paths do not cross. Eros is the first discovered, and second largest, Near Earth Asteroid.\" width=\"498\" height=\"390\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The roughly 10-mile sized Near Earth Asteroid Eros, imaged by the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft in 2000. Though Eros’ orbit comes close to Earth’s, their paths do not cross. Eros is the first discovered, and second largest, Near Earth Asteroid. \u003ccite>(NASA/NEAR-Shoemaker)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The largest asteroids—those that are tens or hundreds of miles in size—don’t concern us much regarding collision threats. These mostly reside within the Asteroid Belt and don’t come near the Earth. They’re large enough for us to detect at great distances, and astronomers know their orbital paths with high accuracy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The smallest bits of rock—those less than a hundred feet or so in size—are also not a major concern. Though they are small enough to elude detection until they get very close—literally coming at us out of the dark—they’re not big enough to cause major damage even if they hit, and may break up or explode in the atmosphere before impact, as the Chelyabinsk meteorite did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defending the Earth\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1701367\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 414px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1701367\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of a "gravity tractor" robotic spacecraft, a concept for gradually altering an asteroid's orbital trajectory through the gentle, but constant gravitational attraction between the object and the spacecraft.\" width=\"414\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy.jpg 414w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy-240x176.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy-375x274.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of a “gravity tractor” robotic spacecraft, a concept for gradually altering an asteroid’s orbital trajectory through the gentle, but constant gravitational attraction between the object and the spacecraft. \u003ccite>(B612 Foundation/Dan Durda)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But protecting ourselves from possible major future impacts is all about being aware of what’s out there, and predicting a possible strike far enough in advance to give us time to do something about it. With enough advance warning—a few years would be great—a relatively minor and well-placed “nudge” to an inbound NEO can make the difference between it hitting us and cruising safely by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Developing the capability to give a NEO that nudge is one of the B612 Foundation’s primary objectives. Concepts like massive robotic “tugboat” spacecraft that would gradually alter an asteroid’s trajectory are being explored, as well as using a form of solar sail or reflector to harness sunlight pressure to deliver the needed nudge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the early detection side of the equation, astronomers around the world, both professional and amateur, work to detect and track NEOs, and supply their observations to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/mpc.html\">International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center\u003c/a>, which tracks all known NEOs and uses the observational data to calculate future impact probabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1701368\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1701368\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"Chabot astronomers Gerald McKeegan and Conrad Jung, using the 36-inch telescope, Nellie, to track Near Earth Objects.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-240x360.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-375x563.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-520x780.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chabot astronomers Gerald McKeegan and Conrad Jung, using the 36-inch telescope, Nellie, to track Near Earth Objects. \u003ccite>(Chabot Space & Science Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.chabotspace.org/asteroid-search.htm\">Astronomers at Chabot Space & Science Center\u003c/a> participate in this world-wide effort, using our 36-inch reflecting telescope, “Nellie.” If you want to learn about this work first-hand, come up to Chabot on June 30th for a day of asteroid fun and fascination…and awareness.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "International Asteroid Day, on Friday, June 30th commemorates the anniversary of the \"Tunguska\" explosion over Siberia in 1908.\r\n\r\n",
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"description": "International Asteroid Day, on Friday, June 30th commemorates the anniversary of the "Tunguska" explosion over Siberia in 1908.\r\n\r\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Remember Friday, June 30th is \u003ca href=\"https://asteroidday.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">International Asteroid Day\u003c/a>—or have you forgotten that we share our neighborhood of the solar system with a million chunks of rock and metal? Many of these fragments even cross Earth’s orbit threatening a collision.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">Asteroids are left over bits from the solar system’s formation—stuff that didn’t get rolled up into the formation of the planets.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Set on the June 30th anniversary of the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/30jun_tunguska\">“Tunguska” explosion and impact\u003c/a> over Siberia in 1908, International Asteroid Day is intended to raise awareness about the possibility of a “Near Earth Object” (NEO) hitting Earth. The goal is to solicit support for NEO research including detecting and tracking the objects, predicting future impacts, and developing technologies and techniques aimed at averting them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>International Asteroid Day was co-founded by Grigorij Richters, the \u003ca href=\"https://b612foundation.org/\">B612 Foundation\u003c/a> and Brian May of the rock band Queen. All three have an interest in asteroids: Richters’ film “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxlSkotTkiw\">51 Degrees North\u003c/a>” depicts a fictional asteroid impact in London and the \u003ca href=\"https://b612foundation.org/\">B612 Foundation\u003c/a> is dedicated to defending the Earth from devastating asteroid impacts. Perhaps most interesting is Brian May of Queen who is not only a guitarist but also an astrophysicist, interested in rock of both the musical and astronomical variety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Asteroid Awareness\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rocks falling from the sky and sparking explosive mayhem are not part of most people’s everyday experience–beyond the occasional sighting of a meteor flashing across the night sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/target_earth.html\">In fact\u003c/a>, every day about 100 tons of material, mostly dust-sized particles and small bits of rock and metal, enter our atmosphere and drift downward to the surface. And every year, 25 to 30 asteroids—typically less than 100 feet across—\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/\">pass by Earth\u003c/a> at distances closer than our moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1699484\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 700px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1699484\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR.jpg\" alt=\"Radar images of the asteroid 2014 JO25, captured by the Goldstone Observatory radio telescope last April when the 0.8-mile-long object passed by at a distance a little over a million miles. \" width=\"700\" height=\"343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR.jpg 700w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR-160x78.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR-240x118.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR-375x184.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/2014-JO25-Goldstone_FEA_NASA-JPL-Caltech-GSSR-520x255.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Radar images of the asteroid 2014 JO25, captured by the Goldstone Observatory radio telescope last April when the 0.8-mile-long object passed by at a distance a little over a million miles. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Larger objects have caused major disturbances, but are less frequent. The 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia was caused by an asteroid or comet that was between 200 to 620 feet across, which exploded in the atmosphere. The resulting blast flattened over 700 square miles of forest—an area about the size of Alameda County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svzB0QYNIWI\">2013 Chelyabinsk event\u003c/a> (another aerial explosion over Russia) inflicted considerable damage to buildings over a wide area with its shock wave, but was caused by a rock only 60 feet across.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asteroids larger than 300 feet across will impact Earth’s surface and probably leave a crater, as well as cause devastation in the region they strike. This scale of impact happens on average every 10,000 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asteroids larger than half a mile across will create global disturbances and can cause mass extinctions. This magnitude of impact happens on average every several hundred thousand years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rubble of the Solar System\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our solar system is home to uncounted \u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/asteroids\">millions of asteroids\u003c/a>, chunks of rock and metal ranging from a few hundred miles across to a few feet in size, and everything between. This interplanetary “rubble,” most of which orbits the sun in the Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, is material left over from the solar system’s formation five billion years ago—stuff that didn’t get rolled up into the formation of the planets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1701365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 498px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1701365\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/Eros_rotation_Dec._3-4_2000.gif\" alt=\"The roughly 10-mile sized Near Earth Asteroid Eros, imaged by the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft in 2000. Though Eros' orbit comes close to Earth's, their paths do not cross. Eros is the first discovered, and second largest, Near Earth Asteroid.\" width=\"498\" height=\"390\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The roughly 10-mile sized Near Earth Asteroid Eros, imaged by the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft in 2000. Though Eros’ orbit comes close to Earth’s, their paths do not cross. Eros is the first discovered, and second largest, Near Earth Asteroid. \u003ccite>(NASA/NEAR-Shoemaker)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The largest asteroids—those that are tens or hundreds of miles in size—don’t concern us much regarding collision threats. These mostly reside within the Asteroid Belt and don’t come near the Earth. They’re large enough for us to detect at great distances, and astronomers know their orbital paths with high accuracy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The smallest bits of rock—those less than a hundred feet or so in size—are also not a major concern. Though they are small enough to elude detection until they get very close—literally coming at us out of the dark—they’re not big enough to cause major damage even if they hit, and may break up or explode in the atmosphere before impact, as the Chelyabinsk meteorite did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defending the Earth\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1701367\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 414px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1701367\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of a "gravity tractor" robotic spacecraft, a concept for gradually altering an asteroid's orbital trajectory through the gentle, but constant gravitational attraction between the object and the spacecraft.\" width=\"414\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy.jpg 414w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy-240x176.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/gravity-tractor-copy-375x274.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of a “gravity tractor” robotic spacecraft, a concept for gradually altering an asteroid’s orbital trajectory through the gentle, but constant gravitational attraction between the object and the spacecraft. \u003ccite>(B612 Foundation/Dan Durda)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But protecting ourselves from possible major future impacts is all about being aware of what’s out there, and predicting a possible strike far enough in advance to give us time to do something about it. With enough advance warning—a few years would be great—a relatively minor and well-placed “nudge” to an inbound NEO can make the difference between it hitting us and cruising safely by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Developing the capability to give a NEO that nudge is one of the B612 Foundation’s primary objectives. Concepts like massive robotic “tugboat” spacecraft that would gradually alter an asteroid’s trajectory are being explored, as well as using a form of solar sail or reflector to harness sunlight pressure to deliver the needed nudge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the early detection side of the equation, astronomers around the world, both professional and amateur, work to detect and track NEOs, and supply their observations to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/mpc.html\">International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center\u003c/a>, which tracks all known NEOs and uses the observational data to calculate future impact probabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1701368\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1701368\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"Chabot astronomers Gerald McKeegan and Conrad Jung, using the 36-inch telescope, Nellie, to track Near Earth Objects.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-240x360.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-375x563.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam-520x780.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/06/ChabotNeoTeam.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chabot astronomers Gerald McKeegan and Conrad Jung, using the 36-inch telescope, Nellie, to track Near Earth Objects. \u003ccite>(Chabot Space & Science Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.chabotspace.org/asteroid-search.htm\">Astronomers at Chabot Space & Science Center\u003c/a> participate in this world-wide effort, using our 36-inch reflecting telescope, “Nellie.” If you want to learn about this work first-hand, come up to Chabot on June 30th for a day of asteroid fun and fascination…and awareness.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Scientists Discover a Scorched Planet With a Comet-Like Tail",
"headTitle": "Scientists Discover a Scorched Planet With a Comet-Like Tail | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Scientists have found a shockingly hot, massive, Jupiter-like planet that has a tail like a comet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is so hot that it is hotter than most stars that we know of out there,” says \u003ca href=\"http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~gaudi/\">Scott Gaudi\u003c/a> of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, whose team \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature22392.html\">describes\u003c/a> the scorching world called KELT-9b in the journal \u003cem>Nature\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=”6iS3LfH6dxMzr5AUHORXk7ZUeyX3p0aX”]The planet, which is around three times more massive than Jupiter, orbits a blue star about 650 light-years away from Earth. This star is nearly twice as hot as our own sun, and this planet whips around it once every one and a half Earth days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One side of the planet is locked in perpetual night. The other side always faces the searing heat of its host star and has a surface temperature of around 7,820 degrees Fahrenheit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s so hot that we think that there’s no molecules that can live on the day side of this planet,” Gaudi says. “Its day side would be very bright orange. Its night side would be very dark red. And it would have a cloud of evaporating hydrogen and helium, which would actually look violet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gas giant’s atmosphere is probably evaporating at a high rate, maybe even fast enough that it would all get blasted away before the star dies. All that would remain is a rocky, barren core — if the planet has one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a long time, we went back and forth about whether or not this planet could possibly be real. In fact, I had a bet with my graduate student over a very nice bottle of single malt scotch,” Gaudi says. “Just for the record, I won.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, scientists have focused on finding small planets around small, cool stars, such as \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/24/490947403/this-planet-just-outside-our-solar-system-is-potentially-habitable\">Proxima Centauri\u003c/a>. That’s because, with today’s technology, it’s much easier to study the atmospheres of planets around those stars to look for hallmarks of a potentially habitable world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as a result, scientists haven’t spent much time looking for planets around bigger, hotter stars. What’s more, these stars have certain characteristics that make finding their planets especially challenging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So even though researchers have detected \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/2013/11/05/242991030/galaxy-quest-just-how-many-earth-like-planets-are-out-there\">thousands\u003c/a> of planets orbiting other stars, they know of only a half-dozen that orbit hot, A-type stars, and none has been found orbiting even hotter B-type stars. This new planet’s star is just on the dividing line between those two types.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is certainly exciting to have spotted another rare system of A-type star plus planet. The A stars are the brightest stars in the sky, and likely most of the stars you know by name: Sirius, Vega, Altair, etc.,” says \u003ca href=\"https://asd.gsfc.nasa.gov/Marc.Kuchner/home.html\">Marc Kuchner\u003c/a>, an astrophysicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. “Since A stars are so bright and yet still common, we tend to know a lot about them — their sizes and shapes and what they look like when they are young. So it’s been frustrating not to have many planets known around such stars to study.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our own sun is a G-type star, which is pretty middle-of-the-road in terms of temperature. If you go outside at night and just look up, “the majority of the stars you can see are more luminous, or hotter, than the sun,” Gaudi says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this new planet was detected with a relatively inexpensive \u003ca href=\"http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/keltnorth/Home.html\">telescope\u003c/a> built using off-the-shelf technology, the team hopes to do follow-up studies using space telescopes such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html\">Hubble\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/main/index.html\">Spitzer\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That way, “we can really study a planet under the most extreme conditions, basically, that we’ve seen any kind of giant planet experience,” Gaudi says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.astro.ucsc.edu/faculty/profiles/singleton.php?&singleton=true&cruz_id=jfortney\">Jonathan Fortney\u003c/a> at the University of California, Santa Cruz, says he thinks the most interesting question is how warm the planet’s permanent night side might be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What kinds of winds might operate to bring absorbed stellar energy to the night side?” Fortney wonders. “Understanding that could only come from viewing the thermal infrared radiation from the planet over the course of a whole orbit. That could certainly be done with the Spitzer Space Telescope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He notes that KELT-9b’s surface temperature is so unusual that he wasn’t able to analyze it using his regular computer simulation of hot Jupiter-sized planets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In my database of the absorption coefficients of molecules and atoms, I never expected we would go beyond 3000 Kelvin,” Fortney says, “and here we are at 4000+ Kelvin!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Scientists+Discover+A+Scorched+Planet+With+A+Comet-Like+Tail&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Scientists have found a shockingly hot, massive, Jupiter-like planet that has a tail like a comet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is so hot that it is hotter than most stars that we know of out there,” says \u003ca href=\"http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~gaudi/\">Scott Gaudi\u003c/a> of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, whose team \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature22392.html\">describes\u003c/a> the scorching world called KELT-9b in the journal \u003cem>Nature\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>The planet, which is around three times more massive than Jupiter, orbits a blue star about 650 light-years away from Earth. This star is nearly twice as hot as our own sun, and this planet whips around it once every one and a half Earth days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One side of the planet is locked in perpetual night. The other side always faces the searing heat of its host star and has a surface temperature of around 7,820 degrees Fahrenheit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s so hot that we think that there’s no molecules that can live on the day side of this planet,” Gaudi says. “Its day side would be very bright orange. Its night side would be very dark red. And it would have a cloud of evaporating hydrogen and helium, which would actually look violet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gas giant’s atmosphere is probably evaporating at a high rate, maybe even fast enough that it would all get blasted away before the star dies. All that would remain is a rocky, barren core — if the planet has one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a long time, we went back and forth about whether or not this planet could possibly be real. In fact, I had a bet with my graduate student over a very nice bottle of single malt scotch,” Gaudi says. “Just for the record, I won.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, scientists have focused on finding small planets around small, cool stars, such as \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/24/490947403/this-planet-just-outside-our-solar-system-is-potentially-habitable\">Proxima Centauri\u003c/a>. That’s because, with today’s technology, it’s much easier to study the atmospheres of planets around those stars to look for hallmarks of a potentially habitable world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as a result, scientists haven’t spent much time looking for planets around bigger, hotter stars. What’s more, these stars have certain characteristics that make finding their planets especially challenging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So even though researchers have detected \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/2013/11/05/242991030/galaxy-quest-just-how-many-earth-like-planets-are-out-there\">thousands\u003c/a> of planets orbiting other stars, they know of only a half-dozen that orbit hot, A-type stars, and none has been found orbiting even hotter B-type stars. This new planet’s star is just on the dividing line between those two types.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is certainly exciting to have spotted another rare system of A-type star plus planet. The A stars are the brightest stars in the sky, and likely most of the stars you know by name: Sirius, Vega, Altair, etc.,” says \u003ca href=\"https://asd.gsfc.nasa.gov/Marc.Kuchner/home.html\">Marc Kuchner\u003c/a>, an astrophysicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. “Since A stars are so bright and yet still common, we tend to know a lot about them — their sizes and shapes and what they look like when they are young. So it’s been frustrating not to have many planets known around such stars to study.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our own sun is a G-type star, which is pretty middle-of-the-road in terms of temperature. If you go outside at night and just look up, “the majority of the stars you can see are more luminous, or hotter, than the sun,” Gaudi says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this new planet was detected with a relatively inexpensive \u003ca href=\"http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/keltnorth/Home.html\">telescope\u003c/a> built using off-the-shelf technology, the team hopes to do follow-up studies using space telescopes such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html\">Hubble\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/main/index.html\">Spitzer\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That way, “we can really study a planet under the most extreme conditions, basically, that we’ve seen any kind of giant planet experience,” Gaudi says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.astro.ucsc.edu/faculty/profiles/singleton.php?&singleton=true&cruz_id=jfortney\">Jonathan Fortney\u003c/a> at the University of California, Santa Cruz, says he thinks the most interesting question is how warm the planet’s permanent night side might be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What kinds of winds might operate to bring absorbed stellar energy to the night side?” Fortney wonders. “Understanding that could only come from viewing the thermal infrared radiation from the planet over the course of a whole orbit. That could certainly be done with the Spitzer Space Telescope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He notes that KELT-9b’s surface temperature is so unusual that he wasn’t able to analyze it using his regular computer simulation of hot Jupiter-sized planets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In my database of the absorption coefficients of molecules and atoms, I never expected we would go beyond 3000 Kelvin,” Fortney says, “and here we are at 4000+ Kelvin!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Scientists+Discover+A+Scorched+Planet+With+A+Comet-Like+Tail&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "NASA Casts An Eye Toward a Possible Europa Landing Mission",
"headTitle": "NASA Casts An Eye Toward a Possible Europa Landing Mission | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>NASA is setting its sights on getting a much closer, deeper look at Jupiter’s tantalizing moon, \u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/europa/indepth\">Europa\u003c/a>, and the mysterious ocean hidden beneath its icy crust. With two orbital missions already in the works, by NASA and the European Space Agency, NASA is looking further into the future toward a possible mission to put a robot on the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Europa’s ocean, which may lie under only a few miles of ice—perhaps only a few hundred feet in some places—may be as deep as 30 miles, and contains more water than in all of Earth’s oceans. With the possibility of some form of \u003ca href=\"http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/vents.html\">hydrothermal vents\u003c/a> supplying heat and life-supporting chemicals on the ocean’s floor, like those on Earth, the tiny moon has become one of the hottest subjects in the search for extraterrestrial life in the solar system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1664466\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 641px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1664466\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway.jpg\" alt=\"Artist illustration showing speculations on the conditions in Europa's ocean based on observed evidence on and above its surface. \" width=\"641\" height=\"830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway.jpg 641w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway-240x311.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway-375x486.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway-520x673.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist illustration showing speculations on the conditions in Europa’s ocean based on observed evidence on and above its surface. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In advance of issuing a call for formal proposals, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6847\">NASA is priming the scientific community\u003c/a> to begin thinking about what set of scientific instruments should be included on a lander. Ultimately, ten proposals will be selected to proceed to a competitive concept study, which carries funding of $1.5 million for each selected group, who will have a year to submit their technical proposals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Europa’s Ocean\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Past spacecraft, including NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/\">Voyager\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/galileo/\">Galileo\u003c/a>, gathered the first evidence leading to the discovery of Europa’s ocean: patterns in the \u003ca href=\"http://www.caltech.edu/news/probing-mysteries-europa-jupiters-cracked-and-crinkled-moon-48593\">cracks of the moon’s icy crust\u003c/a> interpreted as ice sheets floating on water, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v395/n6704/full/395777a0.html\">disturbances in Jupiter’s magnetic field\u003c/a> in Europa’s vicinity that can be explained by the presence of a salty ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1664465\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1664465\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Fractures and lines in Europa's icy surface, one of the first pieces of evidence for the existence of the moon's ocean hidden beneath.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fractures and lines in Europa’s icy surface, one of the first pieces of evidence for the existence of the moon’s ocean hidden beneath. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Most recently, the Hubble Space Telescope detected \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-hubble-spots-possible-water-plumes-erupting-on-jupiters-moon-europa\">plumes of water vapor erupting\u003c/a> from Europa’s surface, further wetting scientists’ appetites to explore the liquid realm beneath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Europa was \u003ca href=\"http://solarviews.com/eng/galdisc.htm\">discovered by Galileo\u003c/a> in January 1610, along with three other large moons, the “Galileans.” Through a small telescope like Galileo’s, they appear as mere star-like dots, and for over 300 years that’s about all that humans could see of them. Only when the first robotic probe, Pioneer 10, passed through the Jupiter system did we get a closer picture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1664577\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 206px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1664577\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b.jpg\" alt=\"Our first close-up look at Europa, through Pioneer 10 in 1973. \" width=\"206\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b.jpg 206w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-160x162.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-96x96.jpg 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Our first close-up look at Europa, through Pioneer 10 in 1973. \u003ccite>(Pioneer 10/NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Envisioning the Lander\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How would you design a robot to probe Europa’s deep dark waters from a landing site on the icy surface above? That’s the primary framing question for any competitive design concept. NASA will only select proposals that address specific scientific goals—namely, to look for evidence of life and a habitable environment in Europa’s ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1664464\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1664464\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-800x675.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of a possible future landing mission to the surface of Jupiter's ocean-bearing moon, Europa. \" width=\"800\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-800x675.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-160x135.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-768x648.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-960x810.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-240x202.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-375x316.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-520x439.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept.jpg 970w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of a possible future landing mission to the surface of Jupiter’s ocean-bearing moon, Europa. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What instruments would you include? Ground-penetrating radar to survey structures in the moon’s crust? Chemical detectors to sniff for water vapor and other volatiles that may seep up from the ocean? Motion sensors to measure the movements of floating ice? Sensitive microphones to listen for any sounds penetrating the ice from below? NASA has issued just the right challenge to get imaginations churning….\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not technically feasible at present to deliver a probe directly to the waters under Europa’s ice crust—let alone to the ocean floor tens of miles below that—so a lander will need to do its job without direct visual inspection. Pictures of Europan jellyfish swimming around would be nice—but we can’t get a camera down there yet. It’s difficult enough exploring the depths of Earth’s oceans….\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Else Does the Lander Need?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final design of the lander ultimately will comprise more than the scientific instruments it carries. There will be plenty of engineering challenges and considerations further along in the design process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Simply landing the probe will require some serious thought. Unlike landings on Venus, Mars, and Saturn’s moon Titan, parachutes are not an option since Europa has no atmosphere to help slow a lander down. Some form of rocket-powered descent and soft touchdown might work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deciding \u003cem>where\u003c/em> to land requires planning as well. A landing site where the ice is thin and the waters relatively near the surface could make it easier for the lander to measure properties of the ocean, but we know very little about the nature of Europa’s surface terrain. Other than a few pictures taken by passing spacecraft, Europa is mostly unexplored. Planners should get some guidance from surveys by upcoming missions–NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-mission-named-europa-clipper\">Europa Clipper\u003c/a> and ESA’s “\u003ca href=\"http://sci.esa.int/juice/\">JUICE\u003c/a>“—but right now the icy moon is terra incognita.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another design consideration is a lander’s \u003ca href=\"https://planetaryprotection.nasa.gov/about-requirements/\">end-of-mission disposition\u003c/a>. The Galileo spacecraft was deliberately incinerated in Jupiter’s atmosphere at the close of its mission, to prevent it from crashing into a moon like Europa and contaminating a potentially life-bearing environment with any biological material that may have hitched a ride with the spacecraft. Even if the lander were completely sterilized, an outer space version of environmental “green” responsibility seems like a good idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists preparing concept proposals don’t need to concern themselves with the robot’s landing or safe-self-destruct modes right now–just its scientific capabilities. Now is the time for dreaming up how the lander might tell us what, if anything, is swimming in the waters of Europa.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "NASA is setting its sights on a much closer, deeper look at Jupiter's tantalizing moon, Europa, and the mysterious ocean hidden beneath its icy crust. With two orbital missions in the works, by NASA and the European Space Agency, NASA is looking further into the future toward a possible robotic lander. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>NASA is setting its sights on getting a much closer, deeper look at Jupiter’s tantalizing moon, \u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/europa/indepth\">Europa\u003c/a>, and the mysterious ocean hidden beneath its icy crust. With two orbital missions already in the works, by NASA and the European Space Agency, NASA is looking further into the future toward a possible mission to put a robot on the surface.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Europa’s ocean, which may lie under only a few miles of ice—perhaps only a few hundred feet in some places—may be as deep as 30 miles, and contains more water than in all of Earth’s oceans. With the possibility of some form of \u003ca href=\"http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/vents.html\">hydrothermal vents\u003c/a> supplying heat and life-supporting chemicals on the ocean’s floor, like those on Earth, the tiny moon has become one of the hottest subjects in the search for extraterrestrial life in the solar system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1664466\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 641px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1664466\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway.jpg\" alt=\"Artist illustration showing speculations on the conditions in Europa's ocean based on observed evidence on and above its surface. \" width=\"641\" height=\"830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway.jpg 641w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway-240x311.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway-375x486.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-ocean-cutaway-520x673.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist illustration showing speculations on the conditions in Europa’s ocean based on observed evidence on and above its surface. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In advance of issuing a call for formal proposals, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6847\">NASA is priming the scientific community\u003c/a> to begin thinking about what set of scientific instruments should be included on a lander. Ultimately, ten proposals will be selected to proceed to a competitive concept study, which carries funding of $1.5 million for each selected group, who will have a year to submit their technical proposals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Europa’s Ocean\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Past spacecraft, including NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/\">Voyager\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/galileo/\">Galileo\u003c/a>, gathered the first evidence leading to the discovery of Europa’s ocean: patterns in the \u003ca href=\"http://www.caltech.edu/news/probing-mysteries-europa-jupiters-cracked-and-crinkled-moon-48593\">cracks of the moon’s icy crust\u003c/a> interpreted as ice sheets floating on water, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v395/n6704/full/395777a0.html\">disturbances in Jupiter’s magnetic field\u003c/a> in Europa’s vicinity that can be explained by the presence of a salty ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1664465\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1664465\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Fractures and lines in Europa's icy surface, one of the first pieces of evidence for the existence of the moon's ocean hidden beneath.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-cracks-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fractures and lines in Europa’s icy surface, one of the first pieces of evidence for the existence of the moon’s ocean hidden beneath. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Most recently, the Hubble Space Telescope detected \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-hubble-spots-possible-water-plumes-erupting-on-jupiters-moon-europa\">plumes of water vapor erupting\u003c/a> from Europa’s surface, further wetting scientists’ appetites to explore the liquid realm beneath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Europa was \u003ca href=\"http://solarviews.com/eng/galdisc.htm\">discovered by Galileo\u003c/a> in January 1610, along with three other large moons, the “Galileans.” Through a small telescope like Galileo’s, they appear as mere star-like dots, and for over 300 years that’s about all that humans could see of them. Only when the first robotic probe, Pioneer 10, passed through the Jupiter system did we get a closer picture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1664577\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 206px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1664577\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b.jpg\" alt=\"Our first close-up look at Europa, through Pioneer 10 in 1973. \" width=\"206\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b.jpg 206w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-160x162.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Pioneer_10_-_p102b-96x96.jpg 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Our first close-up look at Europa, through Pioneer 10 in 1973. \u003ccite>(Pioneer 10/NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Envisioning the Lander\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How would you design a robot to probe Europa’s deep dark waters from a landing site on the icy surface above? That’s the primary framing question for any competitive design concept. NASA will only select proposals that address specific scientific goals—namely, to look for evidence of life and a habitable environment in Europa’s ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1664464\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1664464\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-800x675.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of a possible future landing mission to the surface of Jupiter's ocean-bearing moon, Europa. \" width=\"800\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-800x675.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-160x135.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-768x648.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-960x810.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-240x202.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-375x316.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept-520x439.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/europa-lander-concept.jpg 970w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of a possible future landing mission to the surface of Jupiter’s ocean-bearing moon, Europa. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What instruments would you include? Ground-penetrating radar to survey structures in the moon’s crust? Chemical detectors to sniff for water vapor and other volatiles that may seep up from the ocean? Motion sensors to measure the movements of floating ice? Sensitive microphones to listen for any sounds penetrating the ice from below? NASA has issued just the right challenge to get imaginations churning….\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not technically feasible at present to deliver a probe directly to the waters under Europa’s ice crust—let alone to the ocean floor tens of miles below that—so a lander will need to do its job without direct visual inspection. Pictures of Europan jellyfish swimming around would be nice—but we can’t get a camera down there yet. It’s difficult enough exploring the depths of Earth’s oceans….\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Else Does the Lander Need?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final design of the lander ultimately will comprise more than the scientific instruments it carries. There will be plenty of engineering challenges and considerations further along in the design process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Simply landing the probe will require some serious thought. Unlike landings on Venus, Mars, and Saturn’s moon Titan, parachutes are not an option since Europa has no atmosphere to help slow a lander down. Some form of rocket-powered descent and soft touchdown might work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deciding \u003cem>where\u003c/em> to land requires planning as well. A landing site where the ice is thin and the waters relatively near the surface could make it easier for the lander to measure properties of the ocean, but we know very little about the nature of Europa’s surface terrain. Other than a few pictures taken by passing spacecraft, Europa is mostly unexplored. Planners should get some guidance from surveys by upcoming missions–NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-mission-named-europa-clipper\">Europa Clipper\u003c/a> and ESA’s “\u003ca href=\"http://sci.esa.int/juice/\">JUICE\u003c/a>“—but right now the icy moon is terra incognita.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another design consideration is a lander’s \u003ca href=\"https://planetaryprotection.nasa.gov/about-requirements/\">end-of-mission disposition\u003c/a>. The Galileo spacecraft was deliberately incinerated in Jupiter’s atmosphere at the close of its mission, to prevent it from crashing into a moon like Europa and contaminating a potentially life-bearing environment with any biological material that may have hitched a ride with the spacecraft. Even if the lander were completely sterilized, an outer space version of environmental “green” responsibility seems like a good idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists preparing concept proposals don’t need to concern themselves with the robot’s landing or safe-self-destruct modes right now–just its scientific capabilities. Now is the time for dreaming up how the lander might tell us what, if anything, is swimming in the waters of Europa.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Juno Spacecraft Reveals Spectacular Cyclones At Jupiter's Poles",
"headTitle": "Juno Spacecraft Reveals Spectacular Cyclones At Jupiter’s Poles | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>NASA’s Juno spacecraft has spotted giant cyclones swirling at Jupiter’s north and south poles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s just one of the unexpected and puzzling findings being reported by the Juno \u003ca href=\"https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/the-team/\">science team\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juno \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/04/484677248/by-jove-nasa-set-to-put-juno-craft-into-jupiters-orbit-monday-night\">arrived\u003c/a> at Jupiter last summer. It’s the first spacecraft to get a close-up look at the planet’s poles. It’s in an orbit that takes it skimming close to the cloud tops of the gas giant once every 53 days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After each close pass, the spacecraft sends a trove of data back to Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘We’re all jumping up and down with huge excitement.’\u003ccite>Fran Bagenal,\u003cbr>\nUniversity of Colorado, Boulder\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Scientists weren’t expecting to see cyclones at the poles. “You point a camera at terra incognita on Jupiter, and ‘surprise!’ you get a surprise,” says Cornell University’s \u003ca href=\"http://astro.cornell.edu/members/jonathan-lunine.html\">Jonathan Lunine\u003c/a>, director of the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and a member of the Juno science team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, scientists will want to understand how these cyclones change over time and whether they form differently in the north and south poles. “But for now, just to sit back and stare at these images is just a delight to the eye,” Lunine says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Juno team met earlier this week at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, where scientists discussed the latest data to come back from the spacecraft. (The results from Juno’s earliest passes is in the \u003ca href=\"http://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6340/821\">journal\u003c/a> \u003cem>Science \u003c/em>and in a \u003ca href=\"http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/specialSection/JUNO1\">special collection\u003c/a> in \u003cem>Geophysical Research Letters\u003c/em>.) “We’re all jumping up and down with huge excitement,” says team member \u003ca href=\"http://lasp.colorado.edu/~bagenal/\">Fran Bagenal\u003c/a>, professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The results are really quite fabulous,” she says. “And they’re fabulous because they’re not what we expected. If we just saw what we expected, it would be ‘ho hum, ho hum, that’s good but, you know,’ … Seeing puzzles and mysteries and getting us all excited wondering what we are seeing is more exciting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1667462\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1667462\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-375x249.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This artist’s concept shows the pole-to-pole orbits of the NASA’s Juno spacecraft at Jupiter. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI SCOTT BOLTON - 2)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some of those puzzles and mysteries are pretty obscure. For example, there’s some startling new data about the spectacular auroras at the poles of Jupiter — which are like the Northern Lights on Earth but much more dazzling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These auroras are caused by energetic particles streaming along Jupiter’s magnetic field lines, and Bagenal says there should be strong electrical currents associated with all those streaming particles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But we haven’t detected the magnetic field perturbation associated with them,” she says, a detail perhaps important only to people who’ve spent their entire lives studying Jupiter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another puzzle that Juno is supposed to help solve is whether Jupiter, a gas giant, has a solid core.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The early data are suggesting the presence of a core,” Lunine says. “But not a discreet core. It seems that it’s fuzzy.” He says more data should help provide a more precise understanding than fuzzy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another surprise from Juno is the concentration of ammonia in Jupiter’s atmosphere. Scientists thought ammonia was most likely distributed evenly throughout the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s not what Juno is showing us,” Lunine says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data show there’s more ammonia near the equator than there is at other latitudes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juno is expected to make about two dozen more close passes over Jupiter’s poles, so there’ll likely be more puzzles to come.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>NASA’s Juno spacecraft has spotted giant cyclones swirling at Jupiter’s north and south poles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s just one of the unexpected and puzzling findings being reported by the Juno \u003ca href=\"https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/the-team/\">science team\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juno \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/04/484677248/by-jove-nasa-set-to-put-juno-craft-into-jupiters-orbit-monday-night\">arrived\u003c/a> at Jupiter last summer. It’s the first spacecraft to get a close-up look at the planet’s poles. It’s in an orbit that takes it skimming close to the cloud tops of the gas giant once every 53 days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After each close pass, the spacecraft sends a trove of data back to Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘We’re all jumping up and down with huge excitement.’\u003ccite>Fran Bagenal,\u003cbr>\nUniversity of Colorado, Boulder\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Scientists weren’t expecting to see cyclones at the poles. “You point a camera at terra incognita on Jupiter, and ‘surprise!’ you get a surprise,” says Cornell University’s \u003ca href=\"http://astro.cornell.edu/members/jonathan-lunine.html\">Jonathan Lunine\u003c/a>, director of the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and a member of the Juno science team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, scientists will want to understand how these cyclones change over time and whether they form differently in the north and south poles. “But for now, just to sit back and stare at these images is just a delight to the eye,” Lunine says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Juno team met earlier this week at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, where scientists discussed the latest data to come back from the spacecraft. (The results from Juno’s earliest passes is in the \u003ca href=\"http://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6340/821\">journal\u003c/a> \u003cem>Science \u003c/em>and in a \u003ca href=\"http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/specialSection/JUNO1\">special collection\u003c/a> in \u003cem>Geophysical Research Letters\u003c/em>.) “We’re all jumping up and down with huge excitement,” says team member \u003ca href=\"http://lasp.colorado.edu/~bagenal/\">Fran Bagenal\u003c/a>, professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The results are really quite fabulous,” she says. “And they’re fabulous because they’re not what we expected. If we just saw what we expected, it would be ‘ho hum, ho hum, that’s good but, you know,’ … Seeing puzzles and mysteries and getting us all excited wondering what we are seeing is more exciting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1667462\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1667462\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-375x249.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/01_scott_1_flyby_noon_may_24_use_custom-ae91efcb56ec0598c34695cbcb4ef7880fd39f1e-s800-c85-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This artist’s concept shows the pole-to-pole orbits of the NASA’s Juno spacecraft at Jupiter. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI SCOTT BOLTON - 2)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some of those puzzles and mysteries are pretty obscure. For example, there’s some startling new data about the spectacular auroras at the poles of Jupiter — which are like the Northern Lights on Earth but much more dazzling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These auroras are caused by energetic particles streaming along Jupiter’s magnetic field lines, and Bagenal says there should be strong electrical currents associated with all those streaming particles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But we haven’t detected the magnetic field perturbation associated with them,” she says, a detail perhaps important only to people who’ve spent their entire lives studying Jupiter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another puzzle that Juno is supposed to help solve is whether Jupiter, a gas giant, has a solid core.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The early data are suggesting the presence of a core,” Lunine says. “But not a discreet core. It seems that it’s fuzzy.” He says more data should help provide a more precise understanding than fuzzy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another surprise from Juno is the concentration of ammonia in Jupiter’s atmosphere. Scientists thought ammonia was most likely distributed evenly throughout the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s not what Juno is showing us,” Lunine says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data show there’s more ammonia near the equator than there is at other latitudes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juno is expected to make about two dozen more close passes over Jupiter’s poles, so there’ll likely be more puzzles to come.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "NASA's Curiosity Delivers a Great Puzzle For Scientists",
"headTitle": "NASA’s Curiosity Delivers a Great Puzzle For Scientists | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/overview/\">Mars Science Laboratory\u003c/a>, the rover Curiosity, has dug up a surprise from the rocks of Mars, one that poses a vexing puzzle to scientists. A conspicuous \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasas-curiosity-rover-sharpens-paradox-of-ancient-mars\">lack of carbonate\u003c/a> minerals in the sedimentary rocks of Gale Crater is challenging modern theories for how Mars’ early environment could have been warm enough to support liquid water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1621304\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1621304\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Curiosity "selfie" taken at the site "John Klein" in Mars' Gale Crater.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-520x347.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Curiosity “selfie” taken at the site “John Klein” in Mars’ Gale Crater. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Today, Mars’ atmosphere is too thin for water to exist in a liquid state for long. Atmospheric pressure at Mars’ surface is only a hundredth that of Earth, making Mars a cold, dry desert. Wind-swept landscapes streaked by dust-devils and punctuated by a seasonal global dust storm constitute most of the action to be found on Mars today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quest for Water\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is in this desolate setting that Curiosity landed in August 2012, lowered to the floor of \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/timeline/prelaunch/landingsiteselection/aboutgalecrater/\">Gale Crater\u003c/a> by a rocket-propelled winch system. Its mission goal was simple: to investigate whether Mars’ environment ever supported liquid surface water, a vital ingredient for the formation of life as we understand it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gale Crater was chosen as a good site for the rover to search for evidence of that warmer, wetter past. Not only was the 96-mile wide impact basin a possible ancient lake bed, but a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/pia19839/strata-at-base-of-mount-sharp\">mountain of sediment\u003c/a> at its center—Mount Sharp–presented an accessible index of Mars’ past, its sedimentary layers like the pages of a book spanning billions of years of Mars’ geologic history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1621301\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1621301\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-800x460.jpg\" alt=\"A profile of the mineralogical analysis results of Curiosity's CheMin instrument at different locations along its route from the floor of Gale Crater up the slopes of Mount Sharp. \" width=\"800\" height=\"460\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-800x460.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-768x442.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1020x586.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1180x678.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-960x552.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-240x138.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-375x216.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-520x299.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech.jpg 1708w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A profile of the mineralogical analysis results of Curiosity’s CheMin instrument at different locations along its route from the floor of Gale Crater up the slopes of Mount Sharp. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the nearly 5 years since landing in the bottom-lands of the dry lake bed, \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/2017/curiositys-traverse-map-through-sol-1686\">Curiosity has driven over 10.1 miles\u003c/a> and climbed a vertical distance of about 600 feet. Along the way, it has found ample signs of the existence of the ancient lake, including water-formed minerals, stream beds, dry deltas, and layer upon layer of sediments from the lake’s muddy floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Explaining a Wetter Past\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/new-evidence-wet-mars\">abundance of evidence\u003c/a> from numerous missions to Mars tell us that in its youth Mars possessed a thicker atmosphere and a robust water cycle, perhaps not unlike Earth’s, with precipitation, vast river networks, lakes, and seas. But coming up with an explanation for how Mars was warm enough to support liquid water has been a challenge for scientists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1621302\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1621302\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-800x500.jpg\" alt=\"Artist illustration of the ancient lake in Gale Crater, billions of years in Mars' past. \" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1920x1200.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1180x738.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-960x600.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-240x150.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-375x234.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-520x325.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist illustration of the ancient lake in Gale Crater, billions of years in Mars’ past. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Adding to the challenge, billions of years ago when the planet’s waters were flowing, the young sun did not burn so brightly, shedding only two-thirds the solar energy that it does today. So, it may not be enough merely that Mars’ atmosphere was once thicker. Some other factor had to be involved to keep the waters from freezing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A leading theory has been that the early Martian atmosphere contained a lot of carbon dioxide, the “greenhouse gas” responsible for heating Venus’ atmosphere to oven-like temperatures and\u003ca href=\"https://phys.org/news/2015-08-ice-age-greenhouse-gas-factor.html\"> saving Earth from total glaciation\u003c/a>. A greenhouse gas traps solar energy in the form of heat, acting like an insulating blanket for a planet that would otherwise be colder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So, Problem Solved?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not quite, according to measurements made by the Curiosity rover’s “\u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/spectrometers/chemin/\">CheMin\u003c/a>” instrument.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An abundance of carbon dioxide in Mars’ early atmosphere, interacting with other chemicals in the Martian waters, would have produced carbonate minerals, which should have been deposited in the sediments of bodies of water like the lake bed of Gale Crater. Curiosity has been looking for those carbonates, but turned up nil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lack of detection of carbonates implies that there was at best a trace of carbon dioxide in Mars’ early atmosphere. To thaw Mars’ water ice, there would need to have been at least a hundred times that amount, which would have produced ample quantities of carbonates for Curiosity’s CheMin to detect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other theories exist, such as that the waters of the lake in Gale Crater were once topped with a layer of ice. But so far evidence of an ice cover has not been found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mars has always posed great mysteries to human curiosity and science, and continues to deliver them even today. Certainly, the apparent mismatch of evidence between a wet Mars with a robust water cycle and a Mars too cold to support it is compelling scientists to seek other explanations. Further exploration may help solve this puzzle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Curiosity is showing signs of wear and tear from its mountain climbing endeavor, such as holes in the thin tread of its aluminum wheels, the mission continues to roll onward and upward. As Curiosity reaches ever higher and younger sediments, a clearer picture of Mars’ watery past should develop.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A conspicuous lack of carbonate minerals in the sedimentary rocks of Gale Crater is challenging modern theories for how Mars' early environment could have been warm enough to support liquid water.",
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"description": "A conspicuous lack of carbonate minerals in the sedimentary rocks of Gale Crater is challenging modern theories for how Mars' early environment could have been warm enough to support liquid water.",
"title": "NASA's Curiosity Delivers a Great Puzzle For Scientists | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/overview/\">Mars Science Laboratory\u003c/a>, the rover Curiosity, has dug up a surprise from the rocks of Mars, one that poses a vexing puzzle to scientists. A conspicuous \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasas-curiosity-rover-sharpens-paradox-of-ancient-mars\">lack of carbonate\u003c/a> minerals in the sedimentary rocks of Gale Crater is challenging modern theories for how Mars’ early environment could have been warm enough to support liquid water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1621304\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1621304\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Curiosity "selfie" taken at the site "John Klein" in Mars' Gale Crater.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS-520x347.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/Curiosity-PIA16937_rsz-1600x1067-c_NASA_JPL-Caltech_MSSS.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Curiosity “selfie” taken at the site “John Klein” in Mars’ Gale Crater. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Today, Mars’ atmosphere is too thin for water to exist in a liquid state for long. Atmospheric pressure at Mars’ surface is only a hundredth that of Earth, making Mars a cold, dry desert. Wind-swept landscapes streaked by dust-devils and punctuated by a seasonal global dust storm constitute most of the action to be found on Mars today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quest for Water\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is in this desolate setting that Curiosity landed in August 2012, lowered to the floor of \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/timeline/prelaunch/landingsiteselection/aboutgalecrater/\">Gale Crater\u003c/a> by a rocket-propelled winch system. Its mission goal was simple: to investigate whether Mars’ environment ever supported liquid surface water, a vital ingredient for the formation of life as we understand it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gale Crater was chosen as a good site for the rover to search for evidence of that warmer, wetter past. Not only was the 96-mile wide impact basin a possible ancient lake bed, but a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/pia19839/strata-at-base-of-mount-sharp\">mountain of sediment\u003c/a> at its center—Mount Sharp–presented an accessible index of Mars’ past, its sedimentary layers like the pages of a book spanning billions of years of Mars’ geologic history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1621301\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1621301\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-800x460.jpg\" alt=\"A profile of the mineralogical analysis results of Curiosity's CheMin instrument at different locations along its route from the floor of Gale Crater up the slopes of Mount Sharp. \" width=\"800\" height=\"460\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-800x460.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-768x442.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1020x586.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1180x678.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-960x552.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-240x138.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-375x216.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech-520x299.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/CheMin-mudstone-mineralogy-PIA21146-NASA_JPL-Caltech.jpg 1708w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A profile of the mineralogical analysis results of Curiosity’s CheMin instrument at different locations along its route from the floor of Gale Crater up the slopes of Mount Sharp. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the nearly 5 years since landing in the bottom-lands of the dry lake bed, \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/2017/curiositys-traverse-map-through-sol-1686\">Curiosity has driven over 10.1 miles\u003c/a> and climbed a vertical distance of about 600 feet. Along the way, it has found ample signs of the existence of the ancient lake, including water-formed minerals, stream beds, dry deltas, and layer upon layer of sediments from the lake’s muddy floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Explaining a Wetter Past\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/new-evidence-wet-mars\">abundance of evidence\u003c/a> from numerous missions to Mars tell us that in its youth Mars possessed a thicker atmosphere and a robust water cycle, perhaps not unlike Earth’s, with precipitation, vast river networks, lakes, and seas. But coming up with an explanation for how Mars was warm enough to support liquid water has been a challenge for scientists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1621302\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1621302\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-800x500.jpg\" alt=\"Artist illustration of the ancient lake in Gale Crater, billions of years in Mars' past. \" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1920x1200.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-1180x738.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-960x600.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-240x150.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-375x234.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/05/PIA19080-NASA_JPL-Caltech-520x325.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist illustration of the ancient lake in Gale Crater, billions of years in Mars’ past. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Adding to the challenge, billions of years ago when the planet’s waters were flowing, the young sun did not burn so brightly, shedding only two-thirds the solar energy that it does today. So, it may not be enough merely that Mars’ atmosphere was once thicker. Some other factor had to be involved to keep the waters from freezing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A leading theory has been that the early Martian atmosphere contained a lot of carbon dioxide, the “greenhouse gas” responsible for heating Venus’ atmosphere to oven-like temperatures and\u003ca href=\"https://phys.org/news/2015-08-ice-age-greenhouse-gas-factor.html\"> saving Earth from total glaciation\u003c/a>. A greenhouse gas traps solar energy in the form of heat, acting like an insulating blanket for a planet that would otherwise be colder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So, Problem Solved?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not quite, according to measurements made by the Curiosity rover’s “\u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/spectrometers/chemin/\">CheMin\u003c/a>” instrument.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An abundance of carbon dioxide in Mars’ early atmosphere, interacting with other chemicals in the Martian waters, would have produced carbonate minerals, which should have been deposited in the sediments of bodies of water like the lake bed of Gale Crater. Curiosity has been looking for those carbonates, but turned up nil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lack of detection of carbonates implies that there was at best a trace of carbon dioxide in Mars’ early atmosphere. To thaw Mars’ water ice, there would need to have been at least a hundred times that amount, which would have produced ample quantities of carbonates for Curiosity’s CheMin to detect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other theories exist, such as that the waters of the lake in Gale Crater were once topped with a layer of ice. But so far evidence of an ice cover has not been found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mars has always posed great mysteries to human curiosity and science, and continues to deliver them even today. Certainly, the apparent mismatch of evidence between a wet Mars with a robust water cycle and a Mars too cold to support it is compelling scientists to seek other explanations. Further exploration may help solve this puzzle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Curiosity is showing signs of wear and tear from its mountain climbing endeavor, such as holes in the thin tread of its aluminum wheels, the mission continues to roll onward and upward. As Curiosity reaches ever higher and younger sediments, a clearer picture of Mars’ watery past should develop.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "On the Eve of Retirement, Cassini to Deliver Final Images of Saturn",
"headTitle": "On the Eve of Retirement, Cassini to Deliver Final Images of Saturn | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Between \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/grand-finale/overview/\">now and September\u003c/a>, NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cassini spacecraft\u003c/a> will engage in its most daring and breathtaking flybys of Saturn and its rings yet, passing between the rings’ inner edge and the cloud tops of Saturn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, Cassini made blockbuster news when NASA scientists announced the detection of life-nourishing chemicals in plumes of water vapor erupting from within the tiny moon \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/enceladus/\">Enceladus\u003c/a>. It comes 13 years after the robot started an epic career exploring the Saturn system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since early in Cassini’s tour, a billion miles from the sun, evidence of liquid water on Enceladus has tantalized our curiosity. In 2005, Cassini discovered plumes of water vapor erupting from crevasses in the icy crust of the tiny moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Later, Cassini passed through one of the geyser plumes and detected traces of ammonia, which provided more hints of what’s going on below the outer icy crust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1586254\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 487px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1586254 \" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-800x1035.jpg\" alt=\"Chemical analysis by Cassini of Enceladus' water vapor plumes indicates strongly that there may be hydrothermal vents on the moon's ocean floor. \" width=\"487\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-800x1035.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-1020x1320.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-1180x1527.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-960x1243.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-240x311.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-375x485.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-520x673.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 487px) 100vw, 487px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cassini’s chemical analysis of Enceladus’ water vapor plumes strongly suggests there may be hydrothermal vents on the moon’s ocean floor. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/SRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Further measurements suggest that the source of Enceladus’ chemical-tainted “geysers” is probably a hidden ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now, the detection of molecular hydrogen in the plumes points to the likelihood that there are hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, spewing out heat and chemicals from the moon’s deeper interior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enceladus is too small to have retained molecular hydrogen from its formation in its outermost layers of ice and water, so the source likely comes from supplies trapped deeper within.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hydrothermal vents on the cold, dark floor of Earth’s ocean supply the heat and chemical fuel for thriving communities of lifeforms, so Cassini’s discovery increases the chances that Enceladus might support life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cassini’s Swan Song?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The news of life-nourishing chemicals on Enceladus comes after Cassini’s final close flyby of the moon, as Cassini steers into a trajectory that brings it daringly close to Saturn and its rings, and toward a planned burn-up in the gas giant’s atmosphere in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why is NASA deliberately driving its flagship planet-exploring robot toward a fiery end-of-mission incineration? The answer, in short, is that Cassini’s rocket fuel is almost depleted. Once its fuel tanks run dry, NASA will no longer be able to control the spacecraft’s trajectory, and it would become a derelict, bearing radioactive Plutonium-238 in its electrical generator system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1586255\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1586255\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Long, deep crevasses at Enceladus' southern polar region--dubbed "Tiger Stripes"--are the site where water vapor plumes erupt through the moon's icy crust.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-520x347.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Long, deep crevasses at Enceladus’ southern polar region–dubbed “Tiger Stripes”–are the site where water vapor plumes erupt through the moon’s icy crust. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/SSI/LPI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With the possibility that some form of life exists on at least one of Saturn’s moons, NASA is opting to safely destroy Cassini rather than risk it crashing onto a life-bearing world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, Cassini’s initial launch from Earth about 20 years ago raised protests from some, who felt that the risk of a launch explosion that would spread Plutonium through Earth’s atmosphere was unacceptable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortunately the launch was a success. Now, two decades later, a burn-up on Saturn will close this chapter of space exploration that includes a plethora of breathtaking discoveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Highlights of Cassini-Huygens’ Discoveries\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finding water and signs of a life-friendly environment on Enceladus are not the only things \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/grand-finale/why-cassini-matters/\">Cassini revealed in the Saturn system\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1586257\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 421px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1586257\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-800x763.jpg\" alt=\"Ligiea Mare, one of Titan's liquid methane seas. \" width=\"421\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-800x763.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-160x153.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-768x732.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-1020x972.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-1180x1125.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-960x915.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-240x229.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-375x357.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-520x496.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare.jpg 1581w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 421px) 100vw, 421px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ligiea Mare, one of Titan’s liquid methane seas. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/ASI/Cornell)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Early in its mission, in 2005, Cassini deposited the European probe Huygens onto Saturn’s largest moon, \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/titan/\">Titan\u003c/a>, the first—and so far only—landing on a moon other than Earth’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the atmospheric data collected by Huygens, and optical and infrared pictures taken by Cassini during flybys, Titan has been revealed as a fascinating world. Though its surface and atmosphere are cold in the extreme, Titan possesses an atmosphere of mostly nitrogen that is thicker than our own, with a dense shroud of methane and ethane “smog.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even more incredible—Titan’s atmosphere supports a cryogenic liquid cycle analogous to Earth’s water cycle, but with rain, rivers and lakes composed of liquid methane. And, deep under Titan’s solid crust there may be an ocean of liquid water. Cassini made its \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6825&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NASAJPL&utm_content=daily20170424-1\">last close flyby of Titan\u003c/a> on April 22.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cassini’s other accomplishments include investigating Saturn’s varied and unique moons, the complex patterns and icy dust composition of its ring system, and exploring the gas giant Saturn itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saturn’s atmosphere is a dazzling and complex environment of swirling storm systems, cloud belts, aurora activity, and an enigmatic hexagonal cloud cell centered on its pole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1586256\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 700px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1586256\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi.jpg\" alt=\"Saturn's pole is encircled by an enigmatic hexagonal cloud system, punctuated at the center by a circular "eye".\" width=\"700\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi.jpg 700w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-160x137.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-240x206.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-375x321.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-520x446.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Saturn’s pole is encircled by an enigmatic hexagonal cloud system, punctuated at the center by a circular “eye”. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/SSI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rich Rewards for the Daring\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Cassini enters its final orbits that will carry it within the ring system, through Saturn’s upper atmosphere, and then finally to its terminal plunge through Saturn’s skies, the spacecraft will collect and transmit data to Earth about the rings and atmosphere that could never be achieved from wider, less risky trajectories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists hope to learn more about Saturn’s magnetic and gravitational fields, which can give insights into Saturn’s interior structure and dynamics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Closer inspection of the rings will give us a better assessment of how much material they contain, and stronger clues to how they originally formed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, we’ll get to see the clouds and storm systems of Saturn’s atmosphere closer than ever before. Who knows what we may see…\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Between \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/grand-finale/overview/\">now and September\u003c/a>, NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cassini spacecraft\u003c/a> will engage in its most daring and breathtaking flybys of Saturn and its rings yet, passing between the rings’ inner edge and the cloud tops of Saturn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, Cassini made blockbuster news when NASA scientists announced the detection of life-nourishing chemicals in plumes of water vapor erupting from within the tiny moon \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/enceladus/\">Enceladus\u003c/a>. It comes 13 years after the robot started an epic career exploring the Saturn system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since early in Cassini’s tour, a billion miles from the sun, evidence of liquid water on Enceladus has tantalized our curiosity. In 2005, Cassini discovered plumes of water vapor erupting from crevasses in the icy crust of the tiny moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Later, Cassini passed through one of the geyser plumes and detected traces of ammonia, which provided more hints of what’s going on below the outer icy crust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1586254\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 487px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1586254 \" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-800x1035.jpg\" alt=\"Chemical analysis by Cassini of Enceladus' water vapor plumes indicates strongly that there may be hydrothermal vents on the moon's ocean floor. \" width=\"487\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-800x1035.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-1020x1320.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-1180x1527.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-960x1243.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-240x311.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-375x485.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri-520x673.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-ocean-nasa-jpl-caltech-sri.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 487px) 100vw, 487px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cassini’s chemical analysis of Enceladus’ water vapor plumes strongly suggests there may be hydrothermal vents on the moon’s ocean floor. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/SRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Further measurements suggest that the source of Enceladus’ chemical-tainted “geysers” is probably a hidden ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now, the detection of molecular hydrogen in the plumes points to the likelihood that there are hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, spewing out heat and chemicals from the moon’s deeper interior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enceladus is too small to have retained molecular hydrogen from its formation in its outermost layers of ice and water, so the source likely comes from supplies trapped deeper within.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hydrothermal vents on the cold, dark floor of Earth’s ocean supply the heat and chemical fuel for thriving communities of lifeforms, so Cassini’s discovery increases the chances that Enceladus might support life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cassini’s Swan Song?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The news of life-nourishing chemicals on Enceladus comes after Cassini’s final close flyby of the moon, as Cassini steers into a trajectory that brings it daringly close to Saturn and its rings, and toward a planned burn-up in the gas giant’s atmosphere in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why is NASA deliberately driving its flagship planet-exploring robot toward a fiery end-of-mission incineration? The answer, in short, is that Cassini’s rocket fuel is almost depleted. Once its fuel tanks run dry, NASA will no longer be able to control the spacecraft’s trajectory, and it would become a derelict, bearing radioactive Plutonium-238 in its electrical generator system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1586255\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1586255\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Long, deep crevasses at Enceladus' southern polar region--dubbed "Tiger Stripes"--are the site where water vapor plumes erupt through the moon's icy crust.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi-520x347.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/enceladus-tigerstripes-nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-lpi.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Long, deep crevasses at Enceladus’ southern polar region–dubbed “Tiger Stripes”–are the site where water vapor plumes erupt through the moon’s icy crust. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/SSI/LPI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With the possibility that some form of life exists on at least one of Saturn’s moons, NASA is opting to safely destroy Cassini rather than risk it crashing onto a life-bearing world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, Cassini’s initial launch from Earth about 20 years ago raised protests from some, who felt that the risk of a launch explosion that would spread Plutonium through Earth’s atmosphere was unacceptable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortunately the launch was a success. Now, two decades later, a burn-up on Saturn will close this chapter of space exploration that includes a plethora of breathtaking discoveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Highlights of Cassini-Huygens’ Discoveries\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finding water and signs of a life-friendly environment on Enceladus are not the only things \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/grand-finale/why-cassini-matters/\">Cassini revealed in the Saturn system\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1586257\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 421px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1586257\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-800x763.jpg\" alt=\"Ligiea Mare, one of Titan's liquid methane seas. \" width=\"421\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-800x763.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-160x153.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-768x732.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-1020x972.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-1180x1125.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-960x915.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-240x229.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-375x357.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-520x496.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/ligiea-mare.jpg 1581w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 421px) 100vw, 421px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ligiea Mare, one of Titan’s liquid methane seas. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/ASI/Cornell)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Early in its mission, in 2005, Cassini deposited the European probe Huygens onto Saturn’s largest moon, \u003ca href=\"https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/titan/\">Titan\u003c/a>, the first—and so far only—landing on a moon other than Earth’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the atmospheric data collected by Huygens, and optical and infrared pictures taken by Cassini during flybys, Titan has been revealed as a fascinating world. Though its surface and atmosphere are cold in the extreme, Titan possesses an atmosphere of mostly nitrogen that is thicker than our own, with a dense shroud of methane and ethane “smog.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even more incredible—Titan’s atmosphere supports a cryogenic liquid cycle analogous to Earth’s water cycle, but with rain, rivers and lakes composed of liquid methane. And, deep under Titan’s solid crust there may be an ocean of liquid water. Cassini made its \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6825&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NASAJPL&utm_content=daily20170424-1\">last close flyby of Titan\u003c/a> on April 22.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cassini’s other accomplishments include investigating Saturn’s varied and unique moons, the complex patterns and icy dust composition of its ring system, and exploring the gas giant Saturn itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saturn’s atmosphere is a dazzling and complex environment of swirling storm systems, cloud belts, aurora activity, and an enigmatic hexagonal cloud cell centered on its pole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1586256\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 700px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1586256\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi.jpg\" alt=\"Saturn's pole is encircled by an enigmatic hexagonal cloud system, punctuated at the center by a circular "eye".\" width=\"700\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi.jpg 700w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-160x137.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-240x206.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-375x321.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/saturn_pole_nasa-jpl-caltech-ssi-520x446.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Saturn’s pole is encircled by an enigmatic hexagonal cloud system, punctuated at the center by a circular “eye”. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/SSI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rich Rewards for the Daring\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Cassini enters its final orbits that will carry it within the ring system, through Saturn’s upper atmosphere, and then finally to its terminal plunge through Saturn’s skies, the spacecraft will collect and transmit data to Earth about the rings and atmosphere that could never be achieved from wider, less risky trajectories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists hope to learn more about Saturn’s magnetic and gravitational fields, which can give insights into Saturn’s interior structure and dynamics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Closer inspection of the rings will give us a better assessment of how much material they contain, and stronger clues to how they originally formed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, we’ll get to see the clouds and storm systems of Saturn’s atmosphere closer than ever before. Who knows what we may see…\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Giant Asteroid Will Fly By Earth Next Week",
"headTitle": "Giant Asteroid Will Fly By Earth Next Week | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>On April 19, a 2,000-foot-wide asteroid named \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6807\">2014 JO25 will pass\u003c/a> within 1.1 million miles of Earth. That’s about four and a half times the distance between the Earth and the moon. It’s a comfortable distance for a big space rock to fly by our planet—but like a black cat crossing our path, it may make many of us uneasy. Large objects have collided with the Earth in the past, and will again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The passage of 2014 JO25 isn’t just a reminder that we should keep our eyes open when it comes to “Near Earth Objects.” It is an opportunity for observers—institutional and amateur alike—to study it up close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NASA will be pinging it with radar and scanning it with telescopes to learn as much as possible, and even enthusiasts with small telescopes will have an opportunity to spot a faint dot moving swiftly through the constellation Coma Berenices, high in the southern sky. The asteroid will become visible to small telescopes on April 19, and should remain so for a day or two afterward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1550346\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1550346\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"On April 19, Near Earth Asteroid 2014 JO25 will pass safely by Earth at a closest distance of about 1.1 million miles. \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-520x292.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16.jpg 1007w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">On April 19, Near Earth Asteroid 2014 JO25 will pass safely by Earth at a closest distance of about 1.1 million miles. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The asteroid was discovered in May 2014 by researchers from the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, part of \u003ca href=\"https://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/\">NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observations Program\u003c/a>, which seeks to find and track big rocks that come close to Earth’s orbital path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Measurements made by \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/neowise/main/index.html\">NASA’s WISE spacecraft\u003c/a> have gleaned more details about the rock, such as its size and the fact that its surface is twice as reflective as the moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asteroid 2014 JO25 is not only a Near-Earth Object, but is classified as a \u003ca href=\"http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/Dangerous.html\">potentially hazardous asteroid\u003c/a> because it can cross Earth’s orbit, making a collision possible. Because it’s over a third of a mile across, the rock spells disaster for any region it hits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But no need to panic. Though the April 19 flyby will bring asteroid 2014 JO25 closer to Earth than it’s been in 400 years, it won’t be this close again for 500 years or more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1550238\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 324px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1550238\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Toutatis_from_Change_2.jpg\" alt=\"The Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 4179 Toutatis, which passed within 4 lunar distances of Earth in 2004. This picture was captured by the Chinese lunar probe Chang'e 2 in 2012. \" width=\"324\" height=\"308\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Toutatis_from_Change_2.jpg 324w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Toutatis_from_Change_2-160x152.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Toutatis_from_Change_2-240x228.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 4179 Toutatis, which passed within four lunar distances of Earth in 2004. This picture was captured by the Chinese lunar probe Chang’e 2 in 2012. \u003ccite>(CNSA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But close encounters with space rocks happen more often than you think.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earth orbits the sun amidst a host of Near Earth Objects, many of which cross our orbit and are potential hazards. Since the beginning of this year, 13 asteroids are known to have passed inside of our moon’s orbit, less than 240,000 miles from Earth—though none of these have been larger than 100 feet across.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next predicted passage of a large asteroid will be in 2027, when the half-mile-sized asteroid 1999 AN10 will make its closest flyby at 236,000 miles—roughly the distance from Earth to the moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Happens If an Asteroid Hits Earth?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We don’t need to speculate about what a major asteroid collision would do. \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4380\">Asteroids and comets have struck the Earth\u003c/a>, in the distant past and \u003ca href=\"http://www.geert.io/the-frequency-of-large-meteoroids.html\">in recent times\u003c/a>. If you’ve visited the 50,000-year-old “Meteor Crater” near Winslow, Arizona, you’ve seen with your own eyes the impact scar a 160-foot asteroid can inflict: a crater three-quarters of a mile across and 600 feet deep!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1550349\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1550349\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-800x533.jpg\" alt='\"Meteor Crater\" (also called Barringer Crater) near Winslow, Arizona. This three-quarter-mile-wide, 600-foot deep crater was formed by the impact of a 160-foot sized asteroid 50,000 years ago. ' width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“Meteor Crater” (also called Barringer Crater) near Winslow, Arizona. This three-quarter-mile-wide, 600-foot deep crater was formed by the impact of a 160-foot sized asteroid 50,000 years ago. \u003ccite>(Kevin Walsh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On average, an asteroid larger than 300 feet across strikes the Earth every 10,000 years. An impact of this size will devastate a local region, and can produce tsunamis that would wipe out coastal areas farther away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1908, a comet or asteroid estimated between 200 and 620 feet across \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/30jun_tunguska\">exploded in the atmosphere over Siberia\u003c/a>, near the Stony Tunguska River. The aerial explosion flattened 770 square miles of forest (an area the size of Alameda County) and produced shock waves that were detected by seismographs in England. It was fortunate that the Tunguska event occurred in a sparsely populated area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1550350\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1550350\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-800x503.jpg\" alt=\"Trees toppled by the 1908 aerial explosion over Siberia that flattened 770 square miles of forest. \" width=\"800\" height=\"503\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-800x503.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-768x483.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-1020x642.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-1920x1208.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-1180x742.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-960x604.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-240x151.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-375x236.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-520x327.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trees toppled by the 1908 aerial explosion over Siberia that flattened 770 square miles of forest. \u003ccite>(Evgeny Leonidovich Krinov)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>More recently, in 2013 a 60-foot object \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svzB0QYNIWI\">exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia\u003c/a>, producing a burst of light as bright as the sun and an atmospheric shock wave that leveled some buildings and broke windows over a wide area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every several hundred thousand years a bigger object, half a mile across or larger, collides with the Earth, causing devastation of global proportions. Material is blasted into the atmosphere around the planet, choking off sunlight, producing acid rains, and even sparking firestorms by the intense heat of material reentering the atmosphere. Several ancient impact craters—also called “astroblemes”, or “star wounds”—attest to these past collisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The asteroid implicated in the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was six miles across. The “astrobleme” it left behind is a hundred miles wide, though barely discernible today under forest and sea-floor sediments spanning the northern Yucatan Peninsula coastline. Impacts of this size happen on average every hundred million years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1555916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1555916\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-800x688.png\" alt=\"The perimeter of Chicxulub Crater (red circle), the impact basin caused by the 6-mile-wide asteroid believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, is about 100 miles across--the distance between Houston and Austin, Texas. \" width=\"800\" height=\"688\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-800x688.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-160x138.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-768x660.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-240x206.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-375x322.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-520x447.png 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater.png 857w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The perimeter of Chicxulub Crater (red circle), the impact basin caused by the 6-mile-wide asteroid believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, is about 100 miles across–the distance between Houston and Austin, Texas. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Today, for the first time in the history of our planet, our ability to detect asteroids and predict future impact probabilities makes it possible for us to do something to prevent a disaster. Through efforts like NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observations Program, scientists have identified and plotted the orbital trajectories of all NEOs of “planet-killer” size—and the good news is that none of these are projected to hit us into the foreseeable future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the smaller asteroids, which are far more numerous and much more difficult to detect, observers acquire more information every time one appears and whizzes by our planet—sometimes with only hours of warning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But we’re learning more about them all the time.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "On April 19, an asteroid as big as six football fields, named 2014 JO25 will pass 'near' Earth.\r\n",
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"description": "On April 19, an asteroid as big as six football fields, named 2014 JO25 will pass 'near' Earth.\r\n",
"title": "Giant Asteroid Will Fly By Earth Next Week | KQED",
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"headline": "Giant Asteroid Will Fly By Earth Next Week",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On April 19, a 2,000-foot-wide asteroid named \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6807\">2014 JO25 will pass\u003c/a> within 1.1 million miles of Earth. That’s about four and a half times the distance between the Earth and the moon. It’s a comfortable distance for a big space rock to fly by our planet—but like a black cat crossing our path, it may make many of us uneasy. Large objects have collided with the Earth in the past, and will again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The passage of 2014 JO25 isn’t just a reminder that we should keep our eyes open when it comes to “Near Earth Objects.” It is an opportunity for observers—institutional and amateur alike—to study it up close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NASA will be pinging it with radar and scanning it with telescopes to learn as much as possible, and even enthusiasts with small telescopes will have an opportunity to spot a faint dot moving swiftly through the constellation Coma Berenices, high in the southern sky. The asteroid will become visible to small telescopes on April 19, and should remain so for a day or two afterward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1550346\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1550346\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"On April 19, Near Earth Asteroid 2014 JO25 will pass safely by Earth at a closest distance of about 1.1 million miles. \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16-520x292.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid20170406-16.jpg 1007w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">On April 19, Near Earth Asteroid 2014 JO25 will pass safely by Earth at a closest distance of about 1.1 million miles. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The asteroid was discovered in May 2014 by researchers from the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, part of \u003ca href=\"https://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/\">NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observations Program\u003c/a>, which seeks to find and track big rocks that come close to Earth’s orbital path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Measurements made by \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/neowise/main/index.html\">NASA’s WISE spacecraft\u003c/a> have gleaned more details about the rock, such as its size and the fact that its surface is twice as reflective as the moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asteroid 2014 JO25 is not only a Near-Earth Object, but is classified as a \u003ca href=\"http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/Dangerous.html\">potentially hazardous asteroid\u003c/a> because it can cross Earth’s orbit, making a collision possible. Because it’s over a third of a mile across, the rock spells disaster for any region it hits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But no need to panic. Though the April 19 flyby will bring asteroid 2014 JO25 closer to Earth than it’s been in 400 years, it won’t be this close again for 500 years or more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1550238\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 324px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1550238\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Toutatis_from_Change_2.jpg\" alt=\"The Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 4179 Toutatis, which passed within 4 lunar distances of Earth in 2004. This picture was captured by the Chinese lunar probe Chang'e 2 in 2012. \" width=\"324\" height=\"308\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Toutatis_from_Change_2.jpg 324w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Toutatis_from_Change_2-160x152.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Toutatis_from_Change_2-240x228.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 4179 Toutatis, which passed within four lunar distances of Earth in 2004. This picture was captured by the Chinese lunar probe Chang’e 2 in 2012. \u003ccite>(CNSA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But close encounters with space rocks happen more often than you think.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earth orbits the sun amidst a host of Near Earth Objects, many of which cross our orbit and are potential hazards. Since the beginning of this year, 13 asteroids are known to have passed inside of our moon’s orbit, less than 240,000 miles from Earth—though none of these have been larger than 100 feet across.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next predicted passage of a large asteroid will be in 2027, when the half-mile-sized asteroid 1999 AN10 will make its closest flyby at 236,000 miles—roughly the distance from Earth to the moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Happens If an Asteroid Hits Earth?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We don’t need to speculate about what a major asteroid collision would do. \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4380\">Asteroids and comets have struck the Earth\u003c/a>, in the distant past and \u003ca href=\"http://www.geert.io/the-frequency-of-large-meteoroids.html\">in recent times\u003c/a>. If you’ve visited the 50,000-year-old “Meteor Crater” near Winslow, Arizona, you’ve seen with your own eyes the impact scar a 160-foot asteroid can inflict: a crater three-quarters of a mile across and 600 feet deep!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1550349\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1550349\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-800x533.jpg\" alt='\"Meteor Crater\" (also called Barringer Crater) near Winslow, Arizona. This three-quarter-mile-wide, 600-foot deep crater was formed by the impact of a 160-foot sized asteroid 50,000 years ago. ' width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/800px-Meteor_Crater_Arizona-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“Meteor Crater” (also called Barringer Crater) near Winslow, Arizona. This three-quarter-mile-wide, 600-foot deep crater was formed by the impact of a 160-foot sized asteroid 50,000 years ago. \u003ccite>(Kevin Walsh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On average, an asteroid larger than 300 feet across strikes the Earth every 10,000 years. An impact of this size will devastate a local region, and can produce tsunamis that would wipe out coastal areas farther away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1908, a comet or asteroid estimated between 200 and 620 feet across \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/30jun_tunguska\">exploded in the atmosphere over Siberia\u003c/a>, near the Stony Tunguska River. The aerial explosion flattened 770 square miles of forest (an area the size of Alameda County) and produced shock waves that were detected by seismographs in England. It was fortunate that the Tunguska event occurred in a sparsely populated area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1550350\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1550350\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-800x503.jpg\" alt=\"Trees toppled by the 1908 aerial explosion over Siberia that flattened 770 square miles of forest. \" width=\"800\" height=\"503\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-800x503.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-768x483.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-1020x642.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-1920x1208.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-1180x742.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-960x604.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-240x151.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-375x236.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/Tunguska_event_fallen_trees-520x327.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trees toppled by the 1908 aerial explosion over Siberia that flattened 770 square miles of forest. \u003ccite>(Evgeny Leonidovich Krinov)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>More recently, in 2013 a 60-foot object \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svzB0QYNIWI\">exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia\u003c/a>, producing a burst of light as bright as the sun and an atmospheric shock wave that leveled some buildings and broke windows over a wide area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every several hundred thousand years a bigger object, half a mile across or larger, collides with the Earth, causing devastation of global proportions. Material is blasted into the atmosphere around the planet, choking off sunlight, producing acid rains, and even sparking firestorms by the intense heat of material reentering the atmosphere. Several ancient impact craters—also called “astroblemes”, or “star wounds”—attest to these past collisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The asteroid implicated in the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was six miles across. The “astrobleme” it left behind is a hundred miles wide, though barely discernible today under forest and sea-floor sediments spanning the northern Yucatan Peninsula coastline. Impacts of this size happen on average every hundred million years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1555916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1555916\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-800x688.png\" alt=\"The perimeter of Chicxulub Crater (red circle), the impact basin caused by the 6-mile-wide asteroid believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, is about 100 miles across--the distance between Houston and Austin, Texas. \" width=\"800\" height=\"688\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-800x688.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-160x138.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-768x660.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-240x206.png 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-375x322.png 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater-520x447.png 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/04/asteroid-chicxulub-crater.png 857w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The perimeter of Chicxulub Crater (red circle), the impact basin caused by the 6-mile-wide asteroid believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, is about 100 miles across–the distance between Houston and Austin, Texas. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Today, for the first time in the history of our planet, our ability to detect asteroids and predict future impact probabilities makes it possible for us to do something to prevent a disaster. Through efforts like NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observations Program, scientists have identified and plotted the orbital trajectories of all NEOs of “planet-killer” size—and the good news is that none of these are projected to hit us into the foreseeable future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the smaller asteroids, which are far more numerous and much more difficult to detect, observers acquire more information every time one appears and whizzes by our planet—sometimes with only hours of warning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But we’re learning more about them all the time.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "hubble-successor-the-largest-space-telescope-is-closer-to-launch",
"title": "Hubble Successor, The Largest Space Telescope, Is Closer to Launch",
"publishDate": 1490912410,
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"headTitle": "Hubble Successor, The Largest Space Telescope, Is Closer to Launch | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The long-anticipated \u003ca href=\"https://jwst.nasa.gov/\">James Webb Space Telescope\u003c/a> is a few steps closer to launch, after being subjected to a series of rigorous \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2017/nasas-webb-telescope-ghostly-lights-out-inspection\">space-readiness tests\u003c/a> in the world’s largest “clean room” at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today NASA offered members of the public a peak into that giant chamber, and the preparations being made on what–if all goes well–will become the largest telescope ever sent into space. The Webb is scheduled for launch from French Guiana in October 2018.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, the James Webb Space Telescope is the successor to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And anyone aware of \u003ca href=\"http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/04/photogalleries/hubble/index.html\">Hubble’s scientific achievements\u003c/a> can imagine what Webb might open our eyes to. In its 27-year career, Hubble has probed invisible “\u003ca href=\"http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2015-10/31-dark-matter\">dark matter\u003c/a>” in space, found \u003ca href=\"http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1706/\">supermassive blackholes\u003c/a> in the cores of galaxies, defined the \u003ca href=\"http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/breakthroughs/cosmology\">age of the cosmos\u003c/a>, glimpsed some of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.astronomy.com/news/2016/03/most-distant-galaxy-hubble-breaks-cosmic-distance-record\">most distant objects in space\u003c/a> and time…and the list goes on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hubble is a tough act to follow. So what’s different about Webb? The size!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1510518\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1510518\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom.jpg\" alt=\"The James Webb Space Telescope with its 18-segment primary mirror fully assembled, in NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center's giant clean room in Greenbelt, Maryland.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The James Webb Space Telescope with its 18-segment primary mirror fully assembled, in NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center’s giant clean room in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hubble’s primary light-collecting mirror has a diameter of 8 feet. Webb’s primary mirror, an array of 18 hexagonal sections of light-weight, gold-coated beryllium, measures over 21 feet across!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of the reason for Hubble’s relatively small primary mirror is that the entire telescope had to fit inside the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle that carried it into orbit. If Webb’s much larger mirror were a single piece of material, getting it into space would be an almost insurmountable engineering challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Webb’s multi-mirror design allows the array to be “folded up” into a compact space. Once Webb arrives at its destination, the mirror sections will open up and fit together into a single functional mirror.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seeing the Universe in a Different Light\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hubble is a “visible light” telescope, observing light with wavelengths visible to the human eye. The source of visible light in the universe is primarily hot things, like stars—and by extension galaxies, which are composed of stars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1510523\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1510523\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-800x440.jpg\" alt=\"The Andromeda Galaxy revealed in visible light (lower left) and infrared light (top, lower right). Infrared reveals features produced by cooler objects and structures, such as dust and cooler gas clouds. \" width=\"800\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-800x440.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-160x88.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-768x422.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-1020x561.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-1920x1056.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-1180x649.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-960x528.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-240x132.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-375x206.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-520x286.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Andromeda Galaxy revealed in visible light (lower left) and infrared light (top, lower right). Infrared reveals features produced by cooler objects and structures, such as dust and cooler gas clouds. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/K. Gordon (U. of Arizona)/NOAO/Spitzer Space Telescope)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Webb is an \u003cem>infrared\u003c/em> telescope. Its suite of light detectors—cameras for capturing images, spectrometers for analyzing chemical composition—are sensitive to \u003ca href=\"http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/\">lower-energy infrared light\u003c/a>. So, Webb will observe emissions from cooler objects, like molecular clouds containing organic molecules, disks of material forming new planetary systems, and the atmospheres of distant extrasolar planets, to name only a few.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Location, Location, Location\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The venerable Hubble orbits the Earth, only 300 miles above our planet’s surface—so at any given moment, half of Hubble’s view of space is blocked by a huge, glaring planet. And since Hubble makes an orbit every 95 minutes, it can only observe a celestial object for less than an hour before its line of sight is blocked by the Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Webb will orbit the sun at a special location called \u003ca href=\"https://jwst.nasa.gov/orbit.html\">Earth’s “L2” Lagrange point\u003c/a>, a million miles farther out. At the L2 point, the Earth and the sun work together to form a sort of gravitational “pocket” in which a spacecraft can remain almost stationary with very little assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Webb will move along with the Earth as they both orbit the sun, like a balloon tethered to a running child, and not wander off to some distant place in the solar system. Since it’s not orbiting the Earth as Hubble does, Webb’s line of sight to celestial objects of interest won’t be routinely cut off—and at a million miles away, Earth doesn’t block much of the view.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Webb is also equipped with a tennis-court-sized sun-shade, which will shield it not only from the Sun’s intense radiation, but also from the infrared emissions of the Earth and moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1510521\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1510521\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield.jpg\" alt=\"The Webb's giant, multi-layered sunshield, which will block almost all of the radiation from the sun, moon, and Earth. \" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Webb’s giant, multi-layered sunshield, which will block almost all of the radiation from the sun, moon, and Earth. \u003ccite>(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Keeping Webb cool is critical to its ability to sense the faint infrared emanations from distant objects. If warmed by the sun, Webb’s own optics and sensors would glow with infrared light, thus seeing those faint objects would be difficult—like looking out a window on a nighttime scene from inside a brightly lit house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Will Webb Show Us?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hubble has observed some of the most \u003ca href=\"http://www.astronomy.com/news/2016/03/most-distant-galaxy-hubble-breaks-cosmic-distance-record\">distant galaxies in space\u003c/a>—and since it takes time for their light to travel to us, the farther away they are, the further back in time we see them. When we look at a galaxy that is a billion light years away, it is sort of like watching a video that was recorded a billion years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Webb will see further back in time by observing infrared emissions of the gases that eventually formed the earliest galaxies, before their stars were born and began emitting visible light.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Closer to home, Webb will analyze confirmed \u003ca href=\"http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/\">extrasolar planets\u003c/a>—especially exoplanets similar to Earth in size and distance from their star. Recently, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-telescope-reveals-largest-batch-of-earth-size-habitable-zone-planets-around\">seven approximately Earth-sized planets\u003c/a> were confirmed orbiting the same star, only 40 light years from us. Three of these planets are at the right distance from their star, TRAPPIST-1, that liquid water could exist on their surfaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1510520\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1510520\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/trappist-1-art-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of an exoplanet with possible surface water in the TRAPPIST-1 system, 40 light years from our solar system.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of an exoplanet with possible surface water in the TRAPPIST-1 system, 40 light years from our solar system. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Webb will look for infrared emissions from exoplanet atmospheres—if present—and analyze their chemical compositions. If a planet has a liquid water cycle, then there should be water vapor present in its atmosphere. And, if it possesses life, there should be chemical telltales of its activity, such as molecular oxygen or methane.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The James Webb Space Telescope still has a few tests to get through before it is certified space-worthy—just like an astronaut being examined by the doctor who will give them a thumbs-up to launch—but the cosmic revelations it may ultimately bring should be well worth the wait.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "Hubble Successor, The Largest Space Telescope, Is Closer to Launch | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The long-anticipated \u003ca href=\"https://jwst.nasa.gov/\">James Webb Space Telescope\u003c/a> is a few steps closer to launch, after being subjected to a series of rigorous \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2017/nasas-webb-telescope-ghostly-lights-out-inspection\">space-readiness tests\u003c/a> in the world’s largest “clean room” at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today NASA offered members of the public a peak into that giant chamber, and the preparations being made on what–if all goes well–will become the largest telescope ever sent into space. The Webb is scheduled for launch from French Guiana in October 2018.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, the James Webb Space Telescope is the successor to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And anyone aware of \u003ca href=\"http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/04/photogalleries/hubble/index.html\">Hubble’s scientific achievements\u003c/a> can imagine what Webb might open our eyes to. In its 27-year career, Hubble has probed invisible “\u003ca href=\"http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2015-10/31-dark-matter\">dark matter\u003c/a>” in space, found \u003ca href=\"http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1706/\">supermassive blackholes\u003c/a> in the cores of galaxies, defined the \u003ca href=\"http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/breakthroughs/cosmology\">age of the cosmos\u003c/a>, glimpsed some of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.astronomy.com/news/2016/03/most-distant-galaxy-hubble-breaks-cosmic-distance-record\">most distant objects in space\u003c/a> and time…and the list goes on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hubble is a tough act to follow. So what’s different about Webb? The size!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1510518\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1510518\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom.jpg\" alt=\"The James Webb Space Telescope with its 18-segment primary mirror fully assembled, in NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center's giant clean room in Greenbelt, Maryland.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/jwst-in-cleanroom-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The James Webb Space Telescope with its 18-segment primary mirror fully assembled, in NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center’s giant clean room in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hubble’s primary light-collecting mirror has a diameter of 8 feet. Webb’s primary mirror, an array of 18 hexagonal sections of light-weight, gold-coated beryllium, measures over 21 feet across!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of the reason for Hubble’s relatively small primary mirror is that the entire telescope had to fit inside the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle that carried it into orbit. If Webb’s much larger mirror were a single piece of material, getting it into space would be an almost insurmountable engineering challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Webb’s multi-mirror design allows the array to be “folded up” into a compact space. Once Webb arrives at its destination, the mirror sections will open up and fit together into a single functional mirror.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seeing the Universe in a Different Light\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hubble is a “visible light” telescope, observing light with wavelengths visible to the human eye. The source of visible light in the universe is primarily hot things, like stars—and by extension galaxies, which are composed of stars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1510523\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1510523\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-800x440.jpg\" alt=\"The Andromeda Galaxy revealed in visible light (lower left) and infrared light (top, lower right). Infrared reveals features produced by cooler objects and structures, such as dust and cooler gas clouds. \" width=\"800\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-800x440.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-160x88.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-768x422.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-1020x561.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-1920x1056.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-1180x649.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-960x528.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-240x132.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-375x206.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/m31red_spitzer_big-520x286.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Andromeda Galaxy revealed in visible light (lower left) and infrared light (top, lower right). Infrared reveals features produced by cooler objects and structures, such as dust and cooler gas clouds. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech/K. Gordon (U. of Arizona)/NOAO/Spitzer Space Telescope)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Webb is an \u003cem>infrared\u003c/em> telescope. Its suite of light detectors—cameras for capturing images, spectrometers for analyzing chemical composition—are sensitive to \u003ca href=\"http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/\">lower-energy infrared light\u003c/a>. So, Webb will observe emissions from cooler objects, like molecular clouds containing organic molecules, disks of material forming new planetary systems, and the atmospheres of distant extrasolar planets, to name only a few.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Location, Location, Location\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The venerable Hubble orbits the Earth, only 300 miles above our planet’s surface—so at any given moment, half of Hubble’s view of space is blocked by a huge, glaring planet. And since Hubble makes an orbit every 95 minutes, it can only observe a celestial object for less than an hour before its line of sight is blocked by the Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Webb will orbit the sun at a special location called \u003ca href=\"https://jwst.nasa.gov/orbit.html\">Earth’s “L2” Lagrange point\u003c/a>, a million miles farther out. At the L2 point, the Earth and the sun work together to form a sort of gravitational “pocket” in which a spacecraft can remain almost stationary with very little assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Webb will move along with the Earth as they both orbit the sun, like a balloon tethered to a running child, and not wander off to some distant place in the solar system. Since it’s not orbiting the Earth as Hubble does, Webb’s line of sight to celestial objects of interest won’t be routinely cut off—and at a million miles away, Earth doesn’t block much of the view.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Webb is also equipped with a tennis-court-sized sun-shade, which will shield it not only from the Sun’s intense radiation, but also from the infrared emissions of the Earth and moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1510521\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1510521\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield.jpg\" alt=\"The Webb's giant, multi-layered sunshield, which will block almost all of the radiation from the sun, moon, and Earth. \" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/sunshield-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Webb’s giant, multi-layered sunshield, which will block almost all of the radiation from the sun, moon, and Earth. \u003ccite>(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Keeping Webb cool is critical to its ability to sense the faint infrared emanations from distant objects. If warmed by the sun, Webb’s own optics and sensors would glow with infrared light, thus seeing those faint objects would be difficult—like looking out a window on a nighttime scene from inside a brightly lit house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Will Webb Show Us?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hubble has observed some of the most \u003ca href=\"http://www.astronomy.com/news/2016/03/most-distant-galaxy-hubble-breaks-cosmic-distance-record\">distant galaxies in space\u003c/a>—and since it takes time for their light to travel to us, the farther away they are, the further back in time we see them. When we look at a galaxy that is a billion light years away, it is sort of like watching a video that was recorded a billion years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Webb will see further back in time by observing infrared emissions of the gases that eventually formed the earliest galaxies, before their stars were born and began emitting visible light.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Closer to home, Webb will analyze confirmed \u003ca href=\"http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/\">extrasolar planets\u003c/a>—especially exoplanets similar to Earth in size and distance from their star. Recently, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-telescope-reveals-largest-batch-of-earth-size-habitable-zone-planets-around\">seven approximately Earth-sized planets\u003c/a> were confirmed orbiting the same star, only 40 light years from us. Three of these planets are at the right distance from their star, TRAPPIST-1, that liquid water could exist on their surfaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1510520\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1510520\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/trappist-1-art-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Artist concept of an exoplanet with possible surface water in the TRAPPIST-1 system, 40 light years from our solar system.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of an exoplanet with possible surface water in the TRAPPIST-1 system, 40 light years from our solar system. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-CalTech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Webb will look for infrared emissions from exoplanet atmospheres—if present—and analyze their chemical compositions. If a planet has a liquid water cycle, then there should be water vapor present in its atmosphere. And, if it possesses life, there should be chemical telltales of its activity, such as molecular oxygen or methane.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The James Webb Space Telescope still has a few tests to get through before it is certified space-worthy—just like an astronaut being examined by the doctor who will give them a thumbs-up to launch—but the cosmic revelations it may ultimately bring should be well worth the wait.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Russian and U. S. Scientists Team Up to Explore Earth's Sister Planet, Venus",
"headTitle": "Russian and U. S. Scientists Team Up to Explore Earth’s Sister Planet, Venus | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Despite ongoing political tensions between the United States and Russia, the stage is set for a new collaboration between the two countries’ space agencies on a groundbreaking mission to explore the planet Venus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late January, a team of Russian and U. S. scientists delivered a \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/docs/Venera-D_Final_Report_170213.pdf\">report\u003c/a> to both NASA and \u003ca href=\"http://www.iki.rssi.ru/eng/\">the Russian space agency \u003c/a>that outlines how our two countries can work together on a Russian mission, Venera-D, already in development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both space agencies share a similar scientific curiosity about Venus and possess valuable expertise in robotic spacecraft and planetary exploration that can be of great benefit to the mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Venera-D\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.russianspaceweb.com/venera_d.html\">Venera-D\u003c/a> spacecraft is planned for launch sometime around 2025. The mission is set to include an orbital robotic spacecraft that will map Venus’ surface using more powerful radar imaging techniques than in the past two missions. Both countries sent spacecraft to map the surface in the 1980s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1478140\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1478140\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big.jpg\" alt=\"A global radar map of Venus from NASA's Magellan spacecraft. Radar penetrates Venus' thick atmosphere and cloud layers to reveal the volcanic topography of Venus' surface. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A global radar map of Venus from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft. Radar penetrates Venus’ thick atmosphere and cloud layers to reveal the volcanic topography of Venus’ surface. \u003ccite>(NASA/Magellan)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The mission will also include a robotic lander able to withstand the searing, high-pressure environment on Venus’ surface for a longer duration than past landing missions. The 1982 Venera 13 lander is the current record-holder: it survived for 127 minutes before succumbing to the extreme surface conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1478119\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1080px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1478119\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13.jpg\" alt=\"Photographs of Venus' surface captured by the Soviet Union's Venera 13 lander in 1982.\" width=\"1080\" height=\"504\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13.jpg 1080w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-160x75.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-800x373.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-768x358.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-1020x476.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-960x448.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-240x112.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-375x175.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-520x243.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photographs of Venus’ surface captured by the Soviet Union’s Venera 13 lander in 1982. \u003ccite>(Russian Space Agency)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another idea being explored by the joint Russian-U.S. team is a solar-powered, dirigible-borne robot\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>that would float around in Venus’ upper atmosphere for up to three months, analyzing the atmospheric composition and weather and the planet’s surface below.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Venus’ Dark Attraction\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/venus\">Venus \u003c/a>has long been a subject of scientific intrigue and mystery, as well as exploration, even though other planetary destinations, such as Mars, grab a lot more public attention. Exploration of Mars has revealed a world that was once much more Earth-like, possessing surface water and environmental conditions possibly suitable to support life—and what could capture someone’s curiosity more than that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in many ways, Venus is at least as interesting as Mars. Venus is often referred to as “Earth’s twin,” being Earth’s nearest planetary neighbor, of almost equal size and very similar chemical and mineral composition, though their similarities seem to end there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmosphere of Venus is made almost entirely of carbon dioxide, a “greenhouse gas” that captures solar energy to heat the planet’s surface to 462 degrees Celsius, day and night. Atmospheric pressure on Venus’ surface is about 90 times that of Earth—equal to the water pressure half a mile deep in Earth’s oceans. A stove-top pressure cooker comes nowhere near the temperature and pressure of Venus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Venus also rotates backward, and so slowly that a single Venusian day lasts a grueling 243 Earth days. And Venus’ famous global shroud of cloud is composed of sulfuric acid, which may produce corrosive rain that evaporates before reaching the ground. There is also a lot of evidence of widespread\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>volcanic activity\u003cstrong>,\u003c/strong> both past and present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Was Venus More Like Earth’s Twin in the Past?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As inhospitable to human life and robotic machinery as Venus’ surface is today, there is speculation that long ago Venus may have possessed \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-climate-modeling-suggests-venus-may-have-been-habitable\">oceans of liquid water\u003c/a>. If true, this would raise the possibility that Venus could have been home to some form of life in the past—something we have speculated about the planet \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/indepth\">Mars \u003c/a>as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1478130\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 760px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1478130\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres.jpg\" alt=\"Earth and its two possibly once Earth-like neighbors, Venus and Mars. \" width=\"760\" height=\"507\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres.jpg 760w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mars, Earth, and Venus. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If Venus—and Mars, for that matter—were once more Earth-like, with oceans of water and environments suitable to sustain life, then both planets today would be valuable troves of information for scientists in understanding how planets like the Earth change over time. What factors caused Earth, Venus, and Mars to evolve in such different directions? We may explore the possible future of our own planet by studying the examples of Venus and Mars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientific curiosity about our world and universe often transcends political rivalries. Present-day tensions between the U. S. and Russia may be a source of anxiety, but there may be some reason for optimism in the willingness of their scientists to work together for to better understand the workings of the world we all live in.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A report submitted both to NASA and the Space Sciences Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences at the end of January has set the stage for a collaboration between the two agencies on a new mission of exploration to the planet Venus. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Despite ongoing political tensions between the United States and Russia, the stage is set for a new collaboration between the two countries’ space agencies on a groundbreaking mission to explore the planet Venus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late January, a team of Russian and U. S. scientists delivered a \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/docs/Venera-D_Final_Report_170213.pdf\">report\u003c/a> to both NASA and \u003ca href=\"http://www.iki.rssi.ru/eng/\">the Russian space agency \u003c/a>that outlines how our two countries can work together on a Russian mission, Venera-D, already in development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both space agencies share a similar scientific curiosity about Venus and possess valuable expertise in robotic spacecraft and planetary exploration that can be of great benefit to the mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Venera-D\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.russianspaceweb.com/venera_d.html\">Venera-D\u003c/a> spacecraft is planned for launch sometime around 2025. The mission is set to include an orbital robotic spacecraft that will map Venus’ surface using more powerful radar imaging techniques than in the past two missions. Both countries sent spacecraft to map the surface in the 1980s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1478140\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1478140\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big.jpg\" alt=\"A global radar map of Venus from NASA's Magellan spacecraft. Radar penetrates Venus' thick atmosphere and cloud layers to reveal the volcanic topography of Venus' surface. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venus180hem_magellan_big-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A global radar map of Venus from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft. Radar penetrates Venus’ thick atmosphere and cloud layers to reveal the volcanic topography of Venus’ surface. \u003ccite>(NASA/Magellan)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The mission will also include a robotic lander able to withstand the searing, high-pressure environment on Venus’ surface for a longer duration than past landing missions. The 1982 Venera 13 lander is the current record-holder: it survived for 127 minutes before succumbing to the extreme surface conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1478119\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1080px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1478119\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13.jpg\" alt=\"Photographs of Venus' surface captured by the Soviet Union's Venera 13 lander in 1982.\" width=\"1080\" height=\"504\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13.jpg 1080w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-160x75.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-800x373.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-768x358.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-1020x476.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-960x448.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-240x112.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-375x175.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/venera13-520x243.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photographs of Venus’ surface captured by the Soviet Union’s Venera 13 lander in 1982. \u003ccite>(Russian Space Agency)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another idea being explored by the joint Russian-U.S. team is a solar-powered, dirigible-borne robot\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>that would float around in Venus’ upper atmosphere for up to three months, analyzing the atmospheric composition and weather and the planet’s surface below.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Venus’ Dark Attraction\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/venus\">Venus \u003c/a>has long been a subject of scientific intrigue and mystery, as well as exploration, even though other planetary destinations, such as Mars, grab a lot more public attention. Exploration of Mars has revealed a world that was once much more Earth-like, possessing surface water and environmental conditions possibly suitable to support life—and what could capture someone’s curiosity more than that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in many ways, Venus is at least as interesting as Mars. Venus is often referred to as “Earth’s twin,” being Earth’s nearest planetary neighbor, of almost equal size and very similar chemical and mineral composition, though their similarities seem to end there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmosphere of Venus is made almost entirely of carbon dioxide, a “greenhouse gas” that captures solar energy to heat the planet’s surface to 462 degrees Celsius, day and night. Atmospheric pressure on Venus’ surface is about 90 times that of Earth—equal to the water pressure half a mile deep in Earth’s oceans. A stove-top pressure cooker comes nowhere near the temperature and pressure of Venus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Venus also rotates backward, and so slowly that a single Venusian day lasts a grueling 243 Earth days. And Venus’ famous global shroud of cloud is composed of sulfuric acid, which may produce corrosive rain that evaporates before reaching the ground. There is also a lot of evidence of widespread\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>volcanic activity\u003cstrong>,\u003c/strong> both past and present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Was Venus More Like Earth’s Twin in the Past?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As inhospitable to human life and robotic machinery as Venus’ surface is today, there is speculation that long ago Venus may have possessed \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-climate-modeling-suggests-venus-may-have-been-habitable\">oceans of liquid water\u003c/a>. If true, this would raise the possibility that Venus could have been home to some form of life in the past—something we have speculated about the planet \u003ca href=\"http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/indepth\">Mars \u003c/a>as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1478130\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 760px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1478130\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres.jpg\" alt=\"Earth and its two possibly once Earth-like neighbors, Venus and Mars. \" width=\"760\" height=\"507\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres.jpg 760w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/earth-mars-venus-atmospheres-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mars, Earth, and Venus. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If Venus—and Mars, for that matter—were once more Earth-like, with oceans of water and environments suitable to sustain life, then both planets today would be valuable troves of information for scientists in understanding how planets like the Earth change over time. What factors caused Earth, Venus, and Mars to evolve in such different directions? We may explore the possible future of our own planet by studying the examples of Venus and Mars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientific curiosity about our world and universe often transcends political rivalries. Present-day tensions between the U. S. and Russia may be a source of anxiety, but there may be some reason for optimism in the willingness of their scientists to work together for to better understand the workings of the world we all live in.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, surprised pretty much everyone recently when he \u003ca href=\"http://www.spacex.com/news/2017/02/27/spacex-send-privately-crewed-dragon-spacecraft-beyond-moon-next-year\">revealed \u003c/a>that sometime late next year, the company will use one of its unmanned spacecraft to fly two lucky, unnamed wealthy space tourists all the way around the moon, into deep space and back again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s historic in many ways — not least because it would be the first time in more than 40 years that any human has gone that far into space. And the logo on the rocket will be SpaceX, not NASA — a fact that is \u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/35861-spacex-could-beat-nasa-to-the-moon.html?utm_source=sp-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20170301-sdc\">lost on no one\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement raises interesting questions about the state of space tourism and private space exploration. For answers, we turned to \u003ca href=\"http://www.seti.org/users/sshostak\">Seth Shostak\u003c/a>, Senior Astronomer with the SETI Institute in Mountain View. He sat down with KQED Morning News anchor Brian Watt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt\u003c/strong>: \u003cstrong>So if this mission goes as planned, it would be the first time in 45 years any human has gone this far into space. This would be a remotely piloted spacecraft. When was the last time we went to the moon, and why haven’t we been back?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: That was\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_598.html\"> the Apollo mission in 1972\u003c/a>, and it was the last time anyone went any distance farther than the distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles, into space. So this is a big thing. It’s 1,000 times farther.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the Apollo program ended, the assumption was, we’d done what we wanted to do, which was largely geopolitical — we wanted to beat the Russians to the moon, and we did that. And after that, the financial incentive to do more than that kind of faded away. There was a plan to send at least three more manned missions to the moon — they didn’t happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘It seems easy to build rockets in the movies, it always works. But in real life, it’s not what you would call a mature technology.’\u003ccite>Seth Shostak, SETI Institute\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Everyone assumed what was coming down the pike was to send people to our little ruddy buddy, Mars. And so there were plans drawn up, and the president said to NASA, “Okay, figure out how much that’s going to cost.” And they came up with a price tag of something like $500 billion, and he said, “Think again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So that hasn’t happened. We haven’t sent people any farther into orbit. And I think that on some level, the public is aware that we haven’t done anything spectacular in space for a very long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: Has Mars essentially usurped the moon as our destination of choice? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: I think so. The moon is only 240,000 miles away, which is more or less what I have on my Honda. Mars, on the other hand, is like 30 million miles away. That’s a much bigger trip. You can get to the moon in a couple of days. To get to Mars would take you half a year. And Mars has attractions that the moon doesn’t have. Mars was once a kinder, gentler world with waters on the surface — rivers, lakes, maybe even oceans. It may even still have life under the surface. None of that can be said for the moon. Mars is a more interesting, if a more difficult, target.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: So what does it say about the state of space exploration that a private company is getting astronauts back to the moon before NASA can? Are we going to see more of this kind of private space travel, do you think?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: I kind of hope that we will, actually. The idea that NASA may over-engineer some things or that they’re too conservative – these may be legitimate complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=”MFGF5Gx16tH0wKns0uccb6HcGZXniikX”]NASA is sensitive to the fact that when it kills a couple of people, there’s a big reaction. And private industry doesn’t have that problem yet, because it hasn’t killed anybody. But space is dangerous. I think you liken it to aviation – after the Wright brothers, for many years it was basically a U.S. Army project to develop aircraft. But if the government had stayed the sole developer of airplanes, it would cost you a lot of money to go anywhere in an aircraft today. The private sector got involved, they were able to drive down costs and commercialize it. Today, you can buy an airline ticket for what some people would consider a reasonable price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think the same thing may happen in space. If you’re really going to open up space to more people than just a few astronauts every year, then privatization’s a good thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: You touched on something very important. SpaceX has never flown people before, and it actually has had \u003ca href=\"http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/28/technology/spacex-rocket/\">two rockets\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/2016/10/cause-spacexs-explosion-gets-little-clearer/\">blow up\u003c/a> in the last two years. Are there some unique risks to a mission like this because it involves a private company? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: Well, there is the question of, do you trust their engineering, have they done enough testing? That sort of thing. It seems easy to build rockets in the movies, it always works. But in real life, it’s\u003ca href=\"http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a25065/spacex-uphill-battle-crew-approval/\"> not what you would call a mature technology\u003c/a>. So there is that danger. And there’s also the case that if you’re going to send somebody up a couple of hundred thousand miles into space – if they get into trouble up there, it’s very, very hard to get them back. It’s really tricky, because they’re so far away. If you send them up into orbit — and there’s been plenty of talk about sending tourists into orbit around the Earth — they’re only a couple of hundred miles away. So if they get into trouble, you might be able to bring them back right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re on the back side of the moon, sailing through space out there, it’s hard to do anything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: We still don’t know who’s going to be on this flight. The Falcon Heavy rocket system that would launch these tourists into space costs\u003ca href=\"http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities\"> $90 million dollars\u003c/a> by itself, without factoring in the riders. How much could we expect something like this to cost? And what kind of space tourist can afford something like this?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: The estimates I’ve seen are in the millions of dollars. That’s a lot of money to spend on an interesting weekend. If you’re a billionaire — and there are plenty of billionaires these days — then you’re talking about one-thousandth of your annual income to make this ride. If it cost $3 million to go and see the moon, I think you’d have people every weekend who’d want to go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: So, drawing on your expertise here: How long would a trip around the moon and back take, and is there a trajectory through space you need to take to get there?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: Generally you choose the trajectory that involves the least amount of energy, meaning fuel. Keep in mind that the moon is moving around in space, so whatever way you’re going to go to the moon, you have to loop around a moving target. But we have plenty of experience doing that. The moon is, as I mentioned, 240,000 miles away. This rocket will sail past the moon, and eventually the gravity of the Earth will bring it around, and bring it back to Earth, where it will land. It may go 300,000 or 400,000 miles from Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: So if I’m a space tourist and my check doesn’t bounce, I can tell my family, “I’ll see you in a few days”?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: Well, there’s no guarantee you’ll see them in a few days, but probably you will. I have to point out that the Russians, have been taking people to the International Space Station for years, and the tab for that is $20 million. So this is a lot farther. It sounds like a deal to me.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, surprised pretty much everyone recently when he \u003ca href=\"http://www.spacex.com/news/2017/02/27/spacex-send-privately-crewed-dragon-spacecraft-beyond-moon-next-year\">revealed \u003c/a>that sometime late next year, the company will use one of its unmanned spacecraft to fly two lucky, unnamed wealthy space tourists all the way around the moon, into deep space and back again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s historic in many ways — not least because it would be the first time in more than 40 years that any human has gone that far into space. And the logo on the rocket will be SpaceX, not NASA — a fact that is \u003ca href=\"http://www.space.com/35861-spacex-could-beat-nasa-to-the-moon.html?utm_source=sp-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20170301-sdc\">lost on no one\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement raises interesting questions about the state of space tourism and private space exploration. For answers, we turned to \u003ca href=\"http://www.seti.org/users/sshostak\">Seth Shostak\u003c/a>, Senior Astronomer with the SETI Institute in Mountain View. He sat down with KQED Morning News anchor Brian Watt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt\u003c/strong>: \u003cstrong>So if this mission goes as planned, it would be the first time in 45 years any human has gone this far into space. This would be a remotely piloted spacecraft. When was the last time we went to the moon, and why haven’t we been back?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: That was\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_598.html\"> the Apollo mission in 1972\u003c/a>, and it was the last time anyone went any distance farther than the distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles, into space. So this is a big thing. It’s 1,000 times farther.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the Apollo program ended, the assumption was, we’d done what we wanted to do, which was largely geopolitical — we wanted to beat the Russians to the moon, and we did that. And after that, the financial incentive to do more than that kind of faded away. There was a plan to send at least three more manned missions to the moon — they didn’t happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">‘It seems easy to build rockets in the movies, it always works. But in real life, it’s not what you would call a mature technology.’\u003ccite>Seth Shostak, SETI Institute\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Everyone assumed what was coming down the pike was to send people to our little ruddy buddy, Mars. And so there were plans drawn up, and the president said to NASA, “Okay, figure out how much that’s going to cost.” And they came up with a price tag of something like $500 billion, and he said, “Think again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So that hasn’t happened. We haven’t sent people any farther into orbit. And I think that on some level, the public is aware that we haven’t done anything spectacular in space for a very long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: Has Mars essentially usurped the moon as our destination of choice? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: I think so. The moon is only 240,000 miles away, which is more or less what I have on my Honda. Mars, on the other hand, is like 30 million miles away. That’s a much bigger trip. You can get to the moon in a couple of days. To get to Mars would take you half a year. And Mars has attractions that the moon doesn’t have. Mars was once a kinder, gentler world with waters on the surface — rivers, lakes, maybe even oceans. It may even still have life under the surface. None of that can be said for the moon. Mars is a more interesting, if a more difficult, target.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: So what does it say about the state of space exploration that a private company is getting astronauts back to the moon before NASA can? Are we going to see more of this kind of private space travel, do you think?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: I kind of hope that we will, actually. The idea that NASA may over-engineer some things or that they’re too conservative – these may be legitimate complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>NASA is sensitive to the fact that when it kills a couple of people, there’s a big reaction. And private industry doesn’t have that problem yet, because it hasn’t killed anybody. But space is dangerous. I think you liken it to aviation – after the Wright brothers, for many years it was basically a U.S. Army project to develop aircraft. But if the government had stayed the sole developer of airplanes, it would cost you a lot of money to go anywhere in an aircraft today. The private sector got involved, they were able to drive down costs and commercialize it. Today, you can buy an airline ticket for what some people would consider a reasonable price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think the same thing may happen in space. If you’re really going to open up space to more people than just a few astronauts every year, then privatization’s a good thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: You touched on something very important. SpaceX has never flown people before, and it actually has had \u003ca href=\"http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/28/technology/spacex-rocket/\">two rockets\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/2016/10/cause-spacexs-explosion-gets-little-clearer/\">blow up\u003c/a> in the last two years. Are there some unique risks to a mission like this because it involves a private company? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: Well, there is the question of, do you trust their engineering, have they done enough testing? That sort of thing. It seems easy to build rockets in the movies, it always works. But in real life, it’s\u003ca href=\"http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a25065/spacex-uphill-battle-crew-approval/\"> not what you would call a mature technology\u003c/a>. So there is that danger. And there’s also the case that if you’re going to send somebody up a couple of hundred thousand miles into space – if they get into trouble up there, it’s very, very hard to get them back. It’s really tricky, because they’re so far away. If you send them up into orbit — and there’s been plenty of talk about sending tourists into orbit around the Earth — they’re only a couple of hundred miles away. So if they get into trouble, you might be able to bring them back right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re on the back side of the moon, sailing through space out there, it’s hard to do anything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: We still don’t know who’s going to be on this flight. The Falcon Heavy rocket system that would launch these tourists into space costs\u003ca href=\"http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities\"> $90 million dollars\u003c/a> by itself, without factoring in the riders. How much could we expect something like this to cost? And what kind of space tourist can afford something like this?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: The estimates I’ve seen are in the millions of dollars. That’s a lot of money to spend on an interesting weekend. If you’re a billionaire — and there are plenty of billionaires these days — then you’re talking about one-thousandth of your annual income to make this ride. If it cost $3 million to go and see the moon, I think you’d have people every weekend who’d want to go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Watt: So, drawing on your expertise here: How long would a trip around the moon and back take, and is there a trajectory through space you need to take to get there?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: Generally you choose the trajectory that involves the least amount of energy, meaning fuel. Keep in mind that the moon is moving around in space, so whatever way you’re going to go to the moon, you have to loop around a moving target. But we have plenty of experience doing that. The moon is, as I mentioned, 240,000 miles away. This rocket will sail past the moon, and eventually the gravity of the Earth will bring it around, and bring it back to Earth, where it will land. 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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shostak: Well, there’s no guarantee you’ll see them in a few days, but probably you will. I have to point out that the Russians, have been taking people to the International Space Station for years, and the tab for that is $20 million. So this is a lot farther. It sounds like a deal to me.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
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},
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"id": "baycurious",
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"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
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},
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},
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"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"order": 8
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"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"order": 1
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
},
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"meta": {
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"source": "WNYC"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
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"source": "NPR"
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
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