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"title": "How Often Do Space Objects Hit Earth? A Primer",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The year 2020 is clearly out to make its mark in a big way: a global pandemic, massive wildfires across the Western United States, huge demonstrations for social justice around the globe.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here’s another one: a record observed near-miss of Earth by a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/basics.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">rock from space\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969152\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969152 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory, home of the Zwicky Transient Facility sky-scanning camera that captured the post-flyby image of asteroid 2020 QG on Aug. 15, 2020. \u003ccite>(Palomar Observatory/Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Aug. 15, at 9:08 p.m. PDT, the robotic sky-scanning survey telescope at the NSF/NASA-funded \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ztf.caltech.edu/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Zwicky Transient Facility\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at Palomar Observatory in California captured an image of a previously unknown asteroid, 10-20 feet in diameter, whizzing by Earth at a speed of 8 miles per second. The image was taken only six hours after the rock’s closest approach, 1,830 miles from Earth’s surface over the southern Indian Ocean, closer than any previously known near-Earth asteroid, or NEA.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/ztf-finds-closest-known-asteroid-fly-earth\">student in India, examining images\u003c/a> captured by the ZTF telescope in California, first spotted and reported the object.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Too Close for Comfort, Too Small to Notice?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The asteroid, named \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2020 QG, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7728\">set a record\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for the nearest miss of the Earth ever observed — just 1,830 miles or about a quarter of Earth’s diameter — yet it wasn’t spotted until after it passed!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969147\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969147 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-1020x730.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"458\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-1020x730.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-800x573.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-768x550.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories.jpg 1041w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An image of asteroid 2020 QG captured six hours after its 1,830-mile close approach to Earth on Aug. 15, 2020. The image was captured by the Zwicky Transient Facility camera on the 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory. \u003ccite>(Zwicky Transient Facility/Palomar Observatory/Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is normal for encounters with near-Earth asteroids of this size. Too small to be discovered until getting breathtakingly close to the Earth, these car-sized chunks of rock, often fragments from collisions between larger asteroids much farther away that took place long ago, lurk invisibly throughout the solar system. Estimates place their population in the hundreds of millions, though most of them pass no closer to Earth than the distance to the moon.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Asteroid 2020 QG may be small enough to sneak up on us unnoticed, but it would also do little damage, if any, if it did hit Earth. It would mostly burn up and disintegrate during its high-speed dash through our atmosphere, with possibly some small fragments reaching the ground. Since three-quarters of Earth’s surface is covered by ocean, such remnants often fall into water.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/space/meteor-asteroid-chelyabinsk-russia-feb-15-2013\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chelyabinsk meteor\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that exploded and mostly disintegrated in the sky over Russia in 2013 was at least three times the size of 2020 QG. It caused a powerful shock wave that broke windows, tumbled brick walls, and injured almost 1,500 people. Luckily, there were no fatalities. Despite these effects, only a few small fragments survived to reach the ground.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969149 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic.jpg 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The smoke trail left behind by the Chelyabinsk meteor, which lit up the skies and produced a powerful shock wave when it exploded high in the atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013. The Chelyabinsk meteor was an approximately 66-foot wide object that struck Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of about 40,000 miles per hour, producing a 400-500 kiloton aerial blast that injured almost 1,500 people and caused structural damage to a number of buildings. \u003ccite>(Alex Alishevskikh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Chelyabinsk meteor, by the way, was not detected until it entered our atmosphere and announced itself in an aerial blast with an estimated explosive power between 400-500 kilotons. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Space Stuff Hitting Earth: How Concerned Should We Be?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It might surprise you to learn that space rocks and other debris fly close to and even \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/fireballs/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">impact the Earth all the time\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every day about a 100 tons of space rock filters down to Earth’s surface, most of it in the form of dust grains that vaporize in the atmosphere and rain down as microscopic specks. You can see the larger particles flash through the night sky as meteors if you’re patient enough, but most of this space debris showers down on us unseen and unfelt.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Larger chunks of rock and metal that reach the ground before burning up completely are called meteorites, and are prized finds by collectors who can distinguish them from Earth rocks. Some meteorites can fetch \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://geology.com/meteorites/value-of-meteorites.shtml\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a good price\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> from the right buyer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/\">Jet Propulsion Laboratory\u003c/a> say\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that about every 10,000 years, on average, an asteroid in the 100-meter (328 foot) class strikes the Earth, causing big problems in the region it hits: a huge impact blast and shock wave, or a tsunami, if the object hits the ocean. The famous “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://meteorcrater.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meteor Crater\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">” in northern Arizona, east of Flagstaff, is a near mile-wide, 600-foot-deep impact hole. It was formed 50,000 years ago when an asteroid measuring about 160 feet across hit the ground. Though this asteroid would have wreaked havoc across the local Pleistocene landscape, there were likely no global effects from the blast.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969148\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969148 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Dur%C3%A1n-Ortiz-CC4.0int-800x216.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-800x216.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-1020x275.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-160x43.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-768x207.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-1536x415.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-2048x553.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-1920x518.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The nearly mile-wide, 600-foot deep Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona. This impact crater was formed 50,000 years ago when a 160-foot nickel-iron meteorite collided with Earth. Originally called the “Canyon Diablo,” the feature is also referred to as Barringer Crater, after mining engineer Daniel Barringer who, in 1903, suggested it may have been formed by an iron meteorite. \u003ccite>(Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every few hundred thousand years a larger object, half a mile or more across, collides with the Earth. Objects of this size produce global complications, throwing dust and other debris into the atmosphere around the planet, which can block off sunlight, cause acid rain, and ignite firestorms with the heat of reentering debris. These larger collisions also cause devastating shock waves and tsunamis. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The global effects of these major impacts have caused mass extinctions of plant and animal species. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/dinosaur-extinction/\">Take it from the \u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">dinosaurs, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the poster-children of global collision catastrophe, who \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/kring/Chicxulub/regional-effects/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">were wiped out by the impact\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and aftermath of a six-mile-or-more wide object that struck the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula about 65 million years ago, forming the Chicxulub impact crater, now mostly buried under sediment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s to Be Done?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With all that space rock flying around out there, are we doing anything to protect us from it?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In short, yes. Since at least 1994, NASA has worked to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/nasas-search-for-asteroids-to-help-protect-earth-and-understand-our-history/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">discover and characterize asteroids and comets\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that have the potential to collide with Earth and inflict significant damage.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2005 the U.S. Congress handed NASA the goal of finding 90% of all potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids, ones larger than 460 feet across, by the end of 2020. NASA’s NEO (Near-Earth Object) Observations Program is still working toward this target, using evolving technologies. Fortunately, asteroids of this size are much easier to detect than small ones like 2020 QG, and they can be discovered and tracked years before coming close to Earth.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This gives us time to predict future collisions, and possibly do something to prevent them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the ground, advance warning of the location and magnitude of a projected impact by an incoming asteroid could help us prepare, by evacuating the threatened region, for instance. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scientists are also thinking how we might \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://b612foundation.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">alter the course of a threatening asteroid\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, turning a predicted collision into a near-miss scenario. With enough advance notice of a likely major impact — and we’re talking years — even a relatively small “nudge” to an asteroid’s trajectory could ultimately make the difference between hit and miss here on Earth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969226\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969226 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation-800x514.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"514\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation-800x514.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation-768x493.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation.jpg 950w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The conceptual “Gravity Tractor” is a massage robotic spacecraft that would fly near an Earth-endangering asteroid to gradually “tug” it onto a safe course using low-powered engine thrust and mutual gravitational attraction. \u003ccite>(Dan Durda/FIAAA/B612 Foundation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This may sound like something out of science fiction, but one concept being explored is the “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/asteroid-grand-challenge/mitigate/gravity-tractor\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">gravity tractor\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">,” a massive robotic spacecraft placed near an asteroid, which gives it a small but constant pull via its gravitational attraction. Flying \u003c/span>alongside \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">an asteroid, the spacecraft would use low-powered engine thrust to gradually “tug” the rock with mutual gravitational attraction, slowly steering the asteroid away from its Earth-bound path — kind of like a tiny tugboat guiding a huge ship onto a safe course. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sleep Well Tonight\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Small asteroids like 2020 QG will continue to buzz and even hit the Earth multiple times each year. They will also often fly by or disintegrate in our atmosphere unnoticed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But, NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ongoing observation of near-Earth objects\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a powerful tool for predicting when an asteroid or comet might impact the Earth. The good news is that no major impacts are foreseen anytime soon. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coming up in November: \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/22/us/asteroid-earth-november-2020-scn-trnd/index.html\">Election Day Near-Earth Asteroid\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Asteroid 2020 QG became the closest observed near-miss of Earth by a space rock on August 15: 1,830 miles!",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The year 2020 is clearly out to make its mark in a big way: a global pandemic, massive wildfires across the Western United States, huge demonstrations for social justice around the globe.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here’s another one: a record observed near-miss of Earth by a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/basics.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">rock from space\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969152\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969152 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/SamuelOschinTelescope-48inch-PalomarObservatory-Caltech.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory, home of the Zwicky Transient Facility sky-scanning camera that captured the post-flyby image of asteroid 2020 QG on Aug. 15, 2020. \u003ccite>(Palomar Observatory/Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Aug. 15, at 9:08 p.m. PDT, the robotic sky-scanning survey telescope at the NSF/NASA-funded \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ztf.caltech.edu/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Zwicky Transient Facility\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at Palomar Observatory in California captured an image of a previously unknown asteroid, 10-20 feet in diameter, whizzing by Earth at a speed of 8 miles per second. The image was taken only six hours after the rock’s closest approach, 1,830 miles from Earth’s surface over the southern Indian Ocean, closer than any previously known near-Earth asteroid, or NEA.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/ztf-finds-closest-known-asteroid-fly-earth\">student in India, examining images\u003c/a> captured by the ZTF telescope in California, first spotted and reported the object.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Too Close for Comfort, Too Small to Notice?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The asteroid, named \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2020 QG, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7728\">set a record\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for the nearest miss of the Earth ever observed — just 1,830 miles or about a quarter of Earth’s diameter — yet it wasn’t spotted until after it passed!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969147\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969147 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-1020x730.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"458\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-1020x730.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-800x573.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories-768x550.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/800px-PIA24038-Asteroid2020QG-20200816-ZTF-Caltech-Optical-Observatories.jpg 1041w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An image of asteroid 2020 QG captured six hours after its 1,830-mile close approach to Earth on Aug. 15, 2020. The image was captured by the Zwicky Transient Facility camera on the 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory. \u003ccite>(Zwicky Transient Facility/Palomar Observatory/Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is normal for encounters with near-Earth asteroids of this size. Too small to be discovered until getting breathtakingly close to the Earth, these car-sized chunks of rock, often fragments from collisions between larger asteroids much farther away that took place long ago, lurk invisibly throughout the solar system. Estimates place their population in the hundreds of millions, though most of them pass no closer to Earth than the distance to the moon.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Asteroid 2020 QG may be small enough to sneak up on us unnoticed, but it would also do little damage, if any, if it did hit Earth. It would mostly burn up and disintegrate during its high-speed dash through our atmosphere, with possibly some small fragments reaching the ground. Since three-quarters of Earth’s surface is covered by ocean, such remnants often fall into water.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/space/meteor-asteroid-chelyabinsk-russia-feb-15-2013\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chelyabinsk meteor\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that exploded and mostly disintegrated in the sky over Russia in 2013 was at least three times the size of 2020 QG. It caused a powerful shock wave that broke windows, tumbled brick walls, and injured almost 1,500 people. Luckily, there were no fatalities. Despite these effects, only a few small fragments survived to reach the ground.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969149 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Chelyabinsk-meteor-trail-from-120miles-Alex-Alishevskikh-CC2.0generic.jpg 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The smoke trail left behind by the Chelyabinsk meteor, which lit up the skies and produced a powerful shock wave when it exploded high in the atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013. The Chelyabinsk meteor was an approximately 66-foot wide object that struck Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of about 40,000 miles per hour, producing a 400-500 kiloton aerial blast that injured almost 1,500 people and caused structural damage to a number of buildings. \u003ccite>(Alex Alishevskikh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Chelyabinsk meteor, by the way, was not detected until it entered our atmosphere and announced itself in an aerial blast with an estimated explosive power between 400-500 kilotons. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Space Stuff Hitting Earth: How Concerned Should We Be?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It might surprise you to learn that space rocks and other debris fly close to and even \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/fireballs/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">impact the Earth all the time\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every day about a 100 tons of space rock filters down to Earth’s surface, most of it in the form of dust grains that vaporize in the atmosphere and rain down as microscopic specks. You can see the larger particles flash through the night sky as meteors if you’re patient enough, but most of this space debris showers down on us unseen and unfelt.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Larger chunks of rock and metal that reach the ground before burning up completely are called meteorites, and are prized finds by collectors who can distinguish them from Earth rocks. Some meteorites can fetch \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://geology.com/meteorites/value-of-meteorites.shtml\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a good price\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> from the right buyer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/\">Jet Propulsion Laboratory\u003c/a> say\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that about every 10,000 years, on average, an asteroid in the 100-meter (328 foot) class strikes the Earth, causing big problems in the region it hits: a huge impact blast and shock wave, or a tsunami, if the object hits the ocean. The famous “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://meteorcrater.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meteor Crater\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">” in northern Arizona, east of Flagstaff, is a near mile-wide, 600-foot-deep impact hole. It was formed 50,000 years ago when an asteroid measuring about 160 feet across hit the ground. Though this asteroid would have wreaked havoc across the local Pleistocene landscape, there were likely no global effects from the blast.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969148\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969148 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Dur%C3%A1n-Ortiz-CC4.0int-800x216.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-800x216.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-1020x275.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-160x43.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-768x207.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-1536x415.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-2048x553.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/Arizona_Meteor_Crater_09_2017_5859-Mario-Roberto-Durán-Ortiz-CC4.0int-1920x518.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The nearly mile-wide, 600-foot deep Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona. This impact crater was formed 50,000 years ago when a 160-foot nickel-iron meteorite collided with Earth. Originally called the “Canyon Diablo,” the feature is also referred to as Barringer Crater, after mining engineer Daniel Barringer who, in 1903, suggested it may have been formed by an iron meteorite. \u003ccite>(Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every few hundred thousand years a larger object, half a mile or more across, collides with the Earth. Objects of this size produce global complications, throwing dust and other debris into the atmosphere around the planet, which can block off sunlight, cause acid rain, and ignite firestorms with the heat of reentering debris. These larger collisions also cause devastating shock waves and tsunamis. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The global effects of these major impacts have caused mass extinctions of plant and animal species. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/dinosaur-extinction/\">Take it from the \u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">dinosaurs, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the poster-children of global collision catastrophe, who \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/kring/Chicxulub/regional-effects/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">were wiped out by the impact\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and aftermath of a six-mile-or-more wide object that struck the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula about 65 million years ago, forming the Chicxulub impact crater, now mostly buried under sediment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s to Be Done?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With all that space rock flying around out there, are we doing anything to protect us from it?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In short, yes. Since at least 1994, NASA has worked to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/nasas-search-for-asteroids-to-help-protect-earth-and-understand-our-history/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">discover and characterize asteroids and comets\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that have the potential to collide with Earth and inflict significant damage.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2005 the U.S. Congress handed NASA the goal of finding 90% of all potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids, ones larger than 460 feet across, by the end of 2020. NASA’s NEO (Near-Earth Object) Observations Program is still working toward this target, using evolving technologies. Fortunately, asteroids of this size are much easier to detect than small ones like 2020 QG, and they can be discovered and tracked years before coming close to Earth.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This gives us time to predict future collisions, and possibly do something to prevent them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the ground, advance warning of the location and magnitude of a projected impact by an incoming asteroid could help us prepare, by evacuating the threatened region, for instance. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scientists are also thinking how we might \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://b612foundation.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">alter the course of a threatening asteroid\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, turning a predicted collision into a near-miss scenario. With enough advance notice of a likely major impact — and we’re talking years — even a relatively small “nudge” to an asteroid’s trajectory could ultimately make the difference between hit and miss here on Earth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1969226\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1969226 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation-800x514.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"514\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation-800x514.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation-768x493.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/09/gravtug_durdaDan-Durda-FIAAA-B612-Foundation.jpg 950w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The conceptual “Gravity Tractor” is a massage robotic spacecraft that would fly near an Earth-endangering asteroid to gradually “tug” it onto a safe course using low-powered engine thrust and mutual gravitational attraction. \u003ccite>(Dan Durda/FIAAA/B612 Foundation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This may sound like something out of science fiction, but one concept being explored is the “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/asteroid-grand-challenge/mitigate/gravity-tractor\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">gravity tractor\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">,” a massive robotic spacecraft placed near an asteroid, which gives it a small but constant pull via its gravitational attraction. Flying \u003c/span>alongside \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">an asteroid, the spacecraft would use low-powered engine thrust to gradually “tug” the rock with mutual gravitational attraction, slowly steering the asteroid away from its Earth-bound path — kind of like a tiny tugboat guiding a huge ship onto a safe course. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sleep Well Tonight\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Small asteroids like 2020 QG will continue to buzz and even hit the Earth multiple times each year. They will also often fly by or disintegrate in our atmosphere unnoticed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But, NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ongoing observation of near-Earth objects\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a powerful tool for predicting when an asteroid or comet might impact the Earth. The good news is that no major impacts are foreseen anytime soon. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coming up in November: \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/22/us/asteroid-earth-november-2020-scn-trnd/index.html\">Election Day Near-Earth Asteroid\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Weather Report from Jupiter: Mushballs, With a Chance of Shallow Lightning",
"headTitle": "Weather Report from Jupiter: Mushballs, With a Chance of Shallow Lightning | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Four years after arriving at the planet \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/jupiter/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jupiter\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/juno/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s Juno spacecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is still making fresh discoveries and sending us breathtaking pictures of the gas giant and its entourage of at least 79 \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7711&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=daily-20200722-2\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">moons\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most recent finding is a bizarre meteorological phenomenon, something not seen on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/tq_6DClZ0Ns\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: “shallow” lightning, accompanied by slushy hailstones made of an antifreeze-like mixture of water and ammonia, dubbed “mushballs” by NASA’s Juno science team. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968536\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968536 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-800x1035.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-800x1035.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-1020x1320.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-1187x1536.jpg 1187w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-1583x2048.jpg 1583w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-1920x2485.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-scaled.jpg 1978w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An illustration of NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which orbits Jupiter in an elongated, looping path that carries it as close as 2,600 miles of the gas giant’s cloud tops. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These mysterious weather phenomena have helped us better understand the distribution of ammonia in the Jovian atmosphere\u003c/span>.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And, they can help improve our overall understanding of distant planets orbiting stars in other solar systems, too far away for us to study in detail.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What Makes Lightning ‘Shallow’?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 1979, observations made by spacecraft before Juno — Voyagers 1 and 2, and Galileo — detected \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/juno-solves-39-year-old-mystery-of-jupiter-lightning\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">powerful flashes of lightning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the cloud layers of Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere. Unlike Earth, the gas giant planet has no solid surface, and is made up of ever deeper and thicker layers of gas, mostly hydrogen and helium. The potent electrical discharges — detected by earlier missions — are believed to occur as far as 40 miles below the visible cloud tops, where temperatures and atmospheric pressure are right for the formation of lightning as we understand it on Earth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968696\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968696 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000-800x1036.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1036\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000-800x1036.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000.jpg 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist illustration of the distribution of powerful, “deep” lightning in Jupiter’s polar regions, detected decades ago by the Voyager and Galileo spacecraft. On Earth, solar heating drives most lightning activity in the warm equatorial region, but on Jupiter, where the sun’s light is 25 times weaker, the tropical areas are more stable, and lightning driven by Jupiter’s own internal heat appears to reside in the more turbulent polar regions. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/JunoCam)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Earth, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/#:~:text=Lightning%20is%20a%20giant%20spark,the%20cloud%20and%20the%20ground.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lightning is generated\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> where water is found in all its states — gas, liquid droplets and solid particles of ice. Water vapor feeds the growth of liquid droplets in a cloud, and strong updrafts carry the droplets to altitudes where freezing temperatures turn them to ice particles. The ice particles fall downward, colliding with the upwelling liquid droplets, and the friction of their interaction knocks electrons from water molecules. Static electric charge builds up until it’s too strong to remain static, then discharges into the air, another cloud, or the ground. The same thing happens on a much smaller scale when you \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://scijinks.gov/lightning/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drag your shoes across a carpet\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and build up static electricity from the friction, until you touch another electrical conductor (metal, or another person) and discharge the electrons in a tiny, sometimes painful zap of mini-lightning. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To scientists’ surprise, Juno, passing within a few thousand miles of Jupiter’s cloud tops on the night side, detected flashes of lightning much smaller than the powerful strikes earlier missions had seen coming from beneath the clouds. Estimates place the number of these lightning strokes at about 3.75 billion per year, across Jupiter’s entire surface — that’s about 119 per second on average! These fainter flashes appear to come from much higher in the atmosphere, where it is too cold — below negative 126 degrees Fahrenheit — for droplets of liquid water to exist. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968540\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1968540\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Color-enhanced image showing one of Jupiter’s turbulent storm systems. The bumpy white texture highlighting the strokes of the storm’s swirls are where power updrafts of storm cloud cells rise high above Jupiter’s general cloud tops. It is in these thunderhead towers that NASA’s Juno discovery of “shallow lighting” is thought to occur. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstaedt/Sean Doran)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was baffling at first, until one Juno scientist had an idea that could not only explain the high-altitude lightning in Jupiter’s atmosphere, but also another mystery that has puzzled scientists for years: much \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://thenextweb.com/space/2020/08/15/jupiters-atmosphere-is-regulated-by-ammonia-storms-research-reveals/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lower than predicted amounts of ammonia\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The Mushball Connection\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7721&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=daily-20200805-1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">explanation\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the shallow lightning and Jupiter’s “missing” ammonia in the upper atmosphere goes like this: Jupiter’s powerful thunderstorms and the strong updrafts of air and liquid water droplets eject plumes of water as high as 16 miles above the tops of the thunderheads, which freeze into ice crystals in the extreme cold above. There, the ice particles encounter a layer of ammonia gas, which melts the ice and blends with the water to form a liquid water-ammonia antifreeze mixture. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968539\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968539 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS-800x681.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS-800x681.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS-160x136.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS-768x653.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS.jpg 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram shows how Juno’s newly discovered “shallow lightning” may be generated by the growth of semi-slushy “mushballs” of water-ammonia that fall like hail onto updrafts of frozen water-ice particles. On Earth, it is falling solid-ice hail interacting with rising liquid water droplets that generate static electricity that drives lightning. On Jupiter, due to the involvement of ammonia, the process is turned somewhat upside down. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/CNRS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the droplets of water-ammonia rise and fall, they collide with the water-ice crystals flung upward by the thunderhead far below. As with Earthly lightning, the friction of collision between the liquid “antifreeze” and solid ice particles generates static electricity, and high-altitude lightning is born. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why there is less ammonia in some parts of Jupiter’s upper atmosphere than previously thought may be explained by what happens next.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the cold, high-altitude layers where the lightning is generated, a crust of water ice forms around the liquid water-ammonia core of a droplet, growing thicker and enlarging the so-called “mushball” until the atmosphere can no longer support it. It falls like a hailstone, deep into Jupiter’s atmosphere, below the visible surface of its cloud tops where it cannot be detected by spacecraft like Juno. Only then, far below the clouds, does the mushball’s icy crust melt and its water-ammonia core evaporate, potentially forming a layer of ammonia beneath the clouds. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Why Are Shallow Lightning and Mushy Ammonia Hailstones Important?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a great diversity in planets and moons within our own solar system, each with very different compositions and environments. As we explore Jupiter’s stormy weather, or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/weather/storm-watch-2018/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mars’ global dust storms\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-discovers-flowing-ices-on-pluto\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pluto’s nitrogen-methane glacial flows\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we are learning how different planets work.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we begin to study more closely the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190927135157.htm\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">thousands of extrasolar planets\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> discovered in the last 30 years, we can use what we’ve learned in our solar system as a framework to understand what lies beyond. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Four years after arriving at Jupiter, NASA's Juno spacecraft has discovered \"shallow\" lightning and \"mushballs.\" ",
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"description": "Four years after arriving at Jupiter, NASA's Juno spacecraft has discovered "shallow" lightning and "mushballs." ",
"title": "Weather Report from Jupiter: Mushballs, With a Chance of Shallow Lightning | KQED",
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"headline": "Weather Report from Jupiter: Mushballs, With a Chance of Shallow Lightning",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Four years after arriving at the planet \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/jupiter/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jupiter\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/juno/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s Juno spacecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is still making fresh discoveries and sending us breathtaking pictures of the gas giant and its entourage of at least 79 \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7711&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=daily-20200722-2\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">moons\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most recent finding is a bizarre meteorological phenomenon, something not seen on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/tq_6DClZ0Ns\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: “shallow” lightning, accompanied by slushy hailstones made of an antifreeze-like mixture of water and ammonia, dubbed “mushballs” by NASA’s Juno science team. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968536\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968536 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-800x1035.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-800x1035.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-1020x1320.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-1187x1536.jpg 1187w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-1583x2048.jpg 1583w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-1920x2485.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia21771-juno-nasa-jplcaltech-scaled.jpg 1978w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An illustration of NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which orbits Jupiter in an elongated, looping path that carries it as close as 2,600 miles of the gas giant’s cloud tops. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These mysterious weather phenomena have helped us better understand the distribution of ammonia in the Jovian atmosphere\u003c/span>.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And, they can help improve our overall understanding of distant planets orbiting stars in other solar systems, too far away for us to study in detail.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What Makes Lightning ‘Shallow’?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 1979, observations made by spacecraft before Juno — Voyagers 1 and 2, and Galileo — detected \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/juno-solves-39-year-old-mystery-of-jupiter-lightning\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">powerful flashes of lightning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the cloud layers of Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere. Unlike Earth, the gas giant planet has no solid surface, and is made up of ever deeper and thicker layers of gas, mostly hydrogen and helium. The potent electrical discharges — detected by earlier missions — are believed to occur as far as 40 miles below the visible cloud tops, where temperatures and atmospheric pressure are right for the formation of lightning as we understand it on Earth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968696\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968696 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000-800x1036.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1036\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000-800x1036.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia22474-2000.jpg 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist illustration of the distribution of powerful, “deep” lightning in Jupiter’s polar regions, detected decades ago by the Voyager and Galileo spacecraft. On Earth, solar heating drives most lightning activity in the warm equatorial region, but on Jupiter, where the sun’s light is 25 times weaker, the tropical areas are more stable, and lightning driven by Jupiter’s own internal heat appears to reside in the more turbulent polar regions. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/JunoCam)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Earth, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/#:~:text=Lightning%20is%20a%20giant%20spark,the%20cloud%20and%20the%20ground.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lightning is generated\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> where water is found in all its states — gas, liquid droplets and solid particles of ice. Water vapor feeds the growth of liquid droplets in a cloud, and strong updrafts carry the droplets to altitudes where freezing temperatures turn them to ice particles. The ice particles fall downward, colliding with the upwelling liquid droplets, and the friction of their interaction knocks electrons from water molecules. Static electric charge builds up until it’s too strong to remain static, then discharges into the air, another cloud, or the ground. The same thing happens on a much smaller scale when you \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://scijinks.gov/lightning/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drag your shoes across a carpet\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and build up static electricity from the friction, until you touch another electrical conductor (metal, or another person) and discharge the electrons in a tiny, sometimes painful zap of mini-lightning. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To scientists’ surprise, Juno, passing within a few thousand miles of Jupiter’s cloud tops on the night side, detected flashes of lightning much smaller than the powerful strikes earlier missions had seen coming from beneath the clouds. Estimates place the number of these lightning strokes at about 3.75 billion per year, across Jupiter’s entire surface — that’s about 119 per second on average! These fainter flashes appear to come from much higher in the atmosphere, where it is too cold — below negative 126 degrees Fahrenheit — for droplets of liquid water to exist. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968540\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1968540\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/image_5418_4e-Juno-NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Gerald-Eichstaedt-Sean-Doran.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Color-enhanced image showing one of Jupiter’s turbulent storm systems. The bumpy white texture highlighting the strokes of the storm’s swirls are where power updrafts of storm cloud cells rise high above Jupiter’s general cloud tops. It is in these thunderhead towers that NASA’s Juno discovery of “shallow lighting” is thought to occur. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstaedt/Sean Doran)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was baffling at first, until one Juno scientist had an idea that could not only explain the high-altitude lightning in Jupiter’s atmosphere, but also another mystery that has puzzled scientists for years: much \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://thenextweb.com/space/2020/08/15/jupiters-atmosphere-is-regulated-by-ammonia-storms-research-reveals/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lower than predicted amounts of ammonia\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The Mushball Connection\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7721&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=daily-20200805-1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">explanation\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the shallow lightning and Jupiter’s “missing” ammonia in the upper atmosphere goes like this: Jupiter’s powerful thunderstorms and the strong updrafts of air and liquid water droplets eject plumes of water as high as 16 miles above the tops of the thunderheads, which freeze into ice crystals in the extreme cold above. There, the ice particles encounter a layer of ammonia gas, which melts the ice and blends with the water to form a liquid water-ammonia antifreeze mixture. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968539\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968539 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS-800x681.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS-800x681.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS-160x136.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS-768x653.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/pia24042-image-3b-1041-NASAJPL-CaltechSwRICNRS.jpg 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram shows how Juno’s newly discovered “shallow lightning” may be generated by the growth of semi-slushy “mushballs” of water-ammonia that fall like hail onto updrafts of frozen water-ice particles. On Earth, it is falling solid-ice hail interacting with rising liquid water droplets that generate static electricity that drives lightning. On Jupiter, due to the involvement of ammonia, the process is turned somewhat upside down. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/CNRS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the droplets of water-ammonia rise and fall, they collide with the water-ice crystals flung upward by the thunderhead far below. As with Earthly lightning, the friction of collision between the liquid “antifreeze” and solid ice particles generates static electricity, and high-altitude lightning is born. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why there is less ammonia in some parts of Jupiter’s upper atmosphere than previously thought may be explained by what happens next.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the cold, high-altitude layers where the lightning is generated, a crust of water ice forms around the liquid water-ammonia core of a droplet, growing thicker and enlarging the so-called “mushball” until the atmosphere can no longer support it. It falls like a hailstone, deep into Jupiter’s atmosphere, below the visible surface of its cloud tops where it cannot be detected by spacecraft like Juno. Only then, far below the clouds, does the mushball’s icy crust melt and its water-ammonia core evaporate, potentially forming a layer of ammonia beneath the clouds. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Why Are Shallow Lightning and Mushy Ammonia Hailstones Important?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a great diversity in planets and moons within our own solar system, each with very different compositions and environments. As we explore Jupiter’s stormy weather, or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/weather/storm-watch-2018/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mars’ global dust storms\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-horizons-discovers-flowing-ices-on-pluto\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pluto’s nitrogen-methane glacial flows\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we are learning how different planets work.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we begin to study more closely the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190927135157.htm\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">thousands of extrasolar planets\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> discovered in the last 30 years, we can use what we’ve learned in our solar system as a framework to understand what lies beyond. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "After Months of Isolation, Maybe You Can Use a Shower -- The Perseids are Back!",
"headTitle": "After Months of Isolation, Maybe You Can Use a Shower — The Perseids are Back! | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you’re stir-crazy from months of social distancing and sheltering at home, we have some good news: the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/perseids/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perseid meteor shower\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is back! It’s a chance to break from your routine, get outside, and see something beautiful in the night sky.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among the most reliable annual showers, the Perseids offer an abundance of bright \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/overview/?page=0&per_page=40&order=id+asc&search=&condition_1=meteor_shower%3Abody_type\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meteors\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — visible despite urban light pollution or moonlight.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Perseid shower typically lasts from July 23 to Aug. 22, though the peak activity takes place between Aug. 11 and 13. The best time to see them is during the early morning hours of Wednesday, Aug. 12. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>After Midnight \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meteor watching is best done from a place with dark skies, away from city lights. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Urban light pollution\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will outshine the fainter streaks and reduce the number of meteors you can spot. But at the Perseids’ peak rate of 50-60 per hour, you shouldn’t have to wait long to glimpse one of the brighter meteors.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After midnight, find a safe viewing location with an unobstructed view of the northeastern horizon, to the left of where the sun normally rises, and get comfortable. (To get it dialed in, there are free \u003ca href=\"https://www.soutdoors.com/best-compass-app/\">compass apps\u003c/a> you can download for your phone.)\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The meteors will radiate from the direction of their namesake constellation, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/perseus-constellation/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perseus,\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> above the northeast horizon. Center your view on Perseus, located below the more familiar “W” of the constellation Cassiopeia, but pay attention to as much of the sky as you can, since a meteor may appear at any time, anywhere in the sky. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968112\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1968112\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/PerseidRadiant-stellarium-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/PerseidRadiant-stellarium-1.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/PerseidRadiant-stellarium-1-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/PerseidRadiant-stellarium-1-768x383.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After midnight on August 12, look to the northeast to view the area of the sky where Perseid meteors will appear to come from. The “radiant point” of this shower, the spot where they appear to radiate from, is just above the bright stars of the constellation Perseus, and below the familiar “W” shape of the constellation Cassiopeia. \u003ccite>(Ben Burress (created using Stellarium software))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This year the Third Quarter moon will be in the sky for most of the morning hours, rising around 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 12. Though not as bright as during its Full phase, the moon’s light will compete somewhat with your meteor watching, but it certainly won’t spoil the show.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since the moon doesn’t rise until 12:30 a.m., there’s a half-hour window just after midnight when the sky should be quite dark, so that may be the best time for meteor watching. But, you’ll be able to see the Perseids until dawn. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you miss the first night, you can still catch the show on the following morning of Aug. 13. The waning moon will be less bright, and will rise later, around 1 a.m., offering an even bigger window to see some Perseids flash across the sky.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dark Secrets\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even if you live in the city, you may know a good place, not too far away, where you can escape from the urban lights and find darker skies. Wherever you go, consider taking a buddy and a flashlight, and remember to stay safe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968035\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968035 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA.jpg 946w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Perseid meteor captured on camera from the International Space Station — perhaps the ultimate place to observe a meteor shower. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/quest/155/dark-secrets\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">few locations around the Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> include Mount Diablo, the Sunol area, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=561\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Henry Coe State Park\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the South Bay, and along Skyline Boulevard on the Peninsula. There are great spots in the less populated Sonoma and Napa areas as well. Of course, be sure to check if there are any COVID-19 closures or restrictions in any location you choose. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And though there are some good coastal areas away from city lights, they are often foggy this time of year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You Snooze, You Lose\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meteors, or “shooting stars,” are caused by tiny specks of rock and metal from space burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. Most meteors are incinerated at altitudes of 40 or 50 miles above Earth’s surface and never come close to the ground.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/meteor-shower/en/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meteor shower\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> occurs when the Earth moves through a stream of dust particles left behind by a comet that cruised near Earth at some time in the past.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1968033\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-800x618.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-1020x788.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL.jpg 1223w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The orbital paths of planets of the inner solar system, and the orbital path of comet Swift-Tuttle, along which is the stream of dust the comet left in its wake, and the source of the Perseid meteor shower. We see the Perseids at the same time each year when Earth returns to the point in its orbit that crosses the comet’s dust stream. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is after midnight that we are on the side of the Earth that’s moving into the dust stream, allowing us to see the meteors. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Think of riding in a car traveling down a freeway, when suddenly the car plows through a swarm of flying bugs. You only see the bug streaks on the side of the car facing its direction of motion — the windshield — and not the rear window.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Comet Dust\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Each of the annual meteor showers — the Perseids, the Leonids, the Geminids, and others — come from a dust stream left behind by a different comet. We see a given meteor shower at the same time each year, when the revolving Earth returns to the point in its orbit where the dust stream is located. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The comets that leave these dust streams originate far out in space, in the cold regions of the solar system around Neptune and beyond, and only pass by Earth every few decades or centuries.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968034\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 650px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968034 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/swift-tuttle-nasa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/swift-tuttle-nasa.jpg 650w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/swift-tuttle-nasa-160x102.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An image of comet Swift-Tuttle taken in 1992, the last time the comet passed through the inner solar system. This comet will not return until the year 2126. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The parent comet of the Perseids is called \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/109p-swift-tuttle/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Swift-Tuttle\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, named after Lewis Swift and Horace Parnell Tuttle, who discovered it in 1862. Swift-Tuttle orbits the sun once every 133 years, and last passed close to us in 1992. At its greatest distance from the sun, the comet travels farther out than dwarf planet Pluto, located in the Kuiper Belt at the edge of our solar system.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Think about this as you wait to see your next shooting star: every meteor you are privileged to see is an ancient grain of dust that a comet carried to us from billions of miles out in space. After traveling through space for billions of years, since the solar system was formed, you see it for an instant, and then it’s gone in a flash! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you’re stir-crazy from months of social distancing and sheltering at home, we have some good news: the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/perseids/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perseid meteor shower\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is back! It’s a chance to break from your routine, get outside, and see something beautiful in the night sky.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among the most reliable annual showers, the Perseids offer an abundance of bright \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/overview/?page=0&per_page=40&order=id+asc&search=&condition_1=meteor_shower%3Abody_type\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meteors\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — visible despite urban light pollution or moonlight.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Perseid shower typically lasts from July 23 to Aug. 22, though the peak activity takes place between Aug. 11 and 13. The best time to see them is during the early morning hours of Wednesday, Aug. 12. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>After Midnight \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meteor watching is best done from a place with dark skies, away from city lights. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Urban light pollution\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will outshine the fainter streaks and reduce the number of meteors you can spot. But at the Perseids’ peak rate of 50-60 per hour, you shouldn’t have to wait long to glimpse one of the brighter meteors.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After midnight, find a safe viewing location with an unobstructed view of the northeastern horizon, to the left of where the sun normally rises, and get comfortable. (To get it dialed in, there are free \u003ca href=\"https://www.soutdoors.com/best-compass-app/\">compass apps\u003c/a> you can download for your phone.)\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The meteors will radiate from the direction of their namesake constellation, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/perseus-constellation/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perseus,\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> above the northeast horizon. Center your view on Perseus, located below the more familiar “W” of the constellation Cassiopeia, but pay attention to as much of the sky as you can, since a meteor may appear at any time, anywhere in the sky. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968112\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1968112\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/PerseidRadiant-stellarium-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/PerseidRadiant-stellarium-1.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/PerseidRadiant-stellarium-1-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/PerseidRadiant-stellarium-1-768x383.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After midnight on August 12, look to the northeast to view the area of the sky where Perseid meteors will appear to come from. The “radiant point” of this shower, the spot where they appear to radiate from, is just above the bright stars of the constellation Perseus, and below the familiar “W” shape of the constellation Cassiopeia. \u003ccite>(Ben Burress (created using Stellarium software))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This year the Third Quarter moon will be in the sky for most of the morning hours, rising around 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 12. Though not as bright as during its Full phase, the moon’s light will compete somewhat with your meteor watching, but it certainly won’t spoil the show.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since the moon doesn’t rise until 12:30 a.m., there’s a half-hour window just after midnight when the sky should be quite dark, so that may be the best time for meteor watching. But, you’ll be able to see the Perseids until dawn. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you miss the first night, you can still catch the show on the following morning of Aug. 13. The waning moon will be less bright, and will rise later, around 1 a.m., offering an even bigger window to see some Perseids flash across the sky.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dark Secrets\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even if you live in the city, you may know a good place, not too far away, where you can escape from the urban lights and find darker skies. Wherever you go, consider taking a buddy and a flashlight, and remember to stay safe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968035\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968035 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/579887main_iss028e024847_1600_946-710-PerseidMeteor-NASA.jpg 946w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Perseid meteor captured on camera from the International Space Station — perhaps the ultimate place to observe a meteor shower. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/quest/155/dark-secrets\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">few locations around the Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> include Mount Diablo, the Sunol area, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=561\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Henry Coe State Park\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the South Bay, and along Skyline Boulevard on the Peninsula. There are great spots in the less populated Sonoma and Napa areas as well. Of course, be sure to check if there are any COVID-19 closures or restrictions in any location you choose. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And though there are some good coastal areas away from city lights, they are often foggy this time of year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You Snooze, You Lose\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meteors, or “shooting stars,” are caused by tiny specks of rock and metal from space burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. Most meteors are incinerated at altitudes of 40 or 50 miles above Earth’s surface and never come close to the ground.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/meteor-shower/en/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meteor shower\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> occurs when the Earth moves through a stream of dust particles left behind by a comet that cruised near Earth at some time in the past.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1968033\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-800x618.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-1020x788.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/orbit-viewer-snapshot-NASAJPL.jpg 1223w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The orbital paths of planets of the inner solar system, and the orbital path of comet Swift-Tuttle, along which is the stream of dust the comet left in its wake, and the source of the Perseid meteor shower. We see the Perseids at the same time each year when Earth returns to the point in its orbit that crosses the comet’s dust stream. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is after midnight that we are on the side of the Earth that’s moving into the dust stream, allowing us to see the meteors. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Think of riding in a car traveling down a freeway, when suddenly the car plows through a swarm of flying bugs. You only see the bug streaks on the side of the car facing its direction of motion — the windshield — and not the rear window.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Comet Dust\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Each of the annual meteor showers — the Perseids, the Leonids, the Geminids, and others — come from a dust stream left behind by a different comet. We see a given meteor shower at the same time each year, when the revolving Earth returns to the point in its orbit where the dust stream is located. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The comets that leave these dust streams originate far out in space, in the cold regions of the solar system around Neptune and beyond, and only pass by Earth every few decades or centuries.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1968034\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 650px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1968034 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/swift-tuttle-nasa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/swift-tuttle-nasa.jpg 650w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/08/swift-tuttle-nasa-160x102.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An image of comet Swift-Tuttle taken in 1992, the last time the comet passed through the inner solar system. This comet will not return until the year 2126. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The parent comet of the Perseids is called \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/109p-swift-tuttle/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Swift-Tuttle\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, named after Lewis Swift and Horace Parnell Tuttle, who discovered it in 1862. Swift-Tuttle orbits the sun once every 133 years, and last passed close to us in 1992. At its greatest distance from the sun, the comet travels farther out than dwarf planet Pluto, located in the Kuiper Belt at the edge of our solar system.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Think about this as you wait to see your next shooting star: every meteor you are privileged to see is an ancient grain of dust that a comet carried to us from billions of miles out in space. After traveling through space for billions of years, since the solar system was formed, you see it for an instant, and then it’s gone in a flash! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Hey Bay Area, Don’t Miss NEOWISE, the Brightest Naked-Eye Comet Since Hale-Bopp!",
"headTitle": "Hey Bay Area, Don’t Miss NEOWISE, the Brightest Naked-Eye Comet Since Hale-Bopp! | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you heard? There’s a comet appearing in the evening and morning skies, bright enough to give even city dwellers a chance to see it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The comet is named “NEOWISE” after the spacecraft that first spotted it. Discovered on March 27 — not long after the coronavirus lockdowns and stay-at-home orders went into effect — the comet has since grown closer and brighter.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After swinging close to the sun in early July, the comet is now getting closer to Earth, and has grown its familiar tail, a silver lining to grace the twilight and give us something special to look up to as we continue our pandemic hunkering in place.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Where To Look\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comet NEOWISE is visible now in the early evening sky. Though it’s changing position nightly, as comets do, this weekend it may be found just above the northwestern horizon during the last of the evening twilight, close to where the sun set. If you can spot the familiar pattern of stars of the Big Dipper, which hangs vertically with its “cup” on the bottom, comet NEOWISE will be almost directly below, just above the horizon.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967209\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1967209\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium-800x431.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"431\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium-800x431.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium-160x86.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium-768x414.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium.jpg 1013w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sky map showing the position of comet NEOWISE during the weekend of July 18. The comet will be low near the horizon shortly after sunset, located under the Big Dipper. This photo was taken using the Stellarium at the Chabot Space & Science Center, which filters in a wide range of colors of light. (Ben Burress/Chabot Space & Science Center) \u003ccite>(Ben Burress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the next week, comet NEOWISE will climb higher and more westerly night by night. Earlier, the comet put on its best appearance in the morning sky, but now is better to view after sunset.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To see comet \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/space/how-to-see-comet-c2020-f3-neowise\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NEOWISE\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you need an unobstructed view of the northwest horizon, with no tall trees, buildings or hills blocking the view. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interference from city light pollution will also limit your viewing experience, so if you can find a place to observe away from light-congested areas, you’ll have a better shot at seeing the comet. The darker your sky, the more of the comet and its tail you will be able to see. (And if you choose to travel to a better viewing spot, be sure to maintain proper physical distance from other comet watchers!)\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If urban light pollution \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a problem where you live, you may have a difficult time spotting the comet with your eyes, but if you have a pair of binoculars you should be able to see it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Virtual Comet Viewing From Chabot Space & Science Center\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://chabotspace.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chabot Space & Science Center\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will hold a virtual presentation and Q&A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://baynature.org/2020/07/14/how-to-see-the-comet-neowise-from-the-bay-area/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">featuring comet NEOWISE\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 17, during the regular “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://chabotspace.org/calendar/12558/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sky This Month\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” livestream. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, during Chabot’s regular \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://chabotspace.org/calendar/free-telescope-viewings/2020-07-18/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virtual Telescope Viewing\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> events on Saturday, July 18, and a week later on July 25, astronomers will attempt to livestream the comet through the observatory’s 36-inch telescope, Nellie. The events begin at 9:30 p.m., weather permitting. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967210\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1967210\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson-800x595.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson-800x595.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson-768x572.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson.jpg 970w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image of comet NEOWISE captured by NASA’s STEREO solar observatory spacecraft on June 24, 2020. (William Thompson/NASA/STEREO) \u003ccite>(William Thompson/NASA/STEREO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Comet NEOWISE, Also Known As C/2020 F3\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NEOWISE is a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/L/Long-period+Comets\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“long period” comet\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that originates in the cold, distant reaches of our solar system called the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/oort-cloud/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oort Cloud\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This is a vast, sparsely populated “bubble” of icy objects — comets and primordial “planetesimals” — that surrounds the solar system, extending trillions of miles into space.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comet NEOWISE’s extremely elongated orbit carried it to within 27 million miles of the sun on July 3, closer than the planet Mercury. The comet will pass closest to Earth on July 23, about 64 million miles away.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On July 5, two days after the comet’s hot encounter with the sun, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/parker-solar-probe\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s Parker Solar Probe\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was in the right position to capture an \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-s-parker-solar-probe-spies-newly-discovered-comet-neowise/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">image showing the comet’s twin tails\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Comets often have multiple tails, one composed of gas from frozen volatile materials (like water) sublimating under solar heating, and one made of dust particles shed by the outgassing. Pressure from sunlight “blows” the gas tail away from the sun more strongly, producing separate tails.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now outbound and heading back to the Oort Cloud, the comet’s “slingshot” fling through the sun’s gravitational field has boosted its speed, and it won’t pass by Earth again for almost 7,000 years. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967212\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1967212\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram showing the perihelion end of comet NEOWISE’s orbit around the sun. At closest approach (perihelion), the comet is only 29 million miles from the sun, closer than the planet Mercury. Though the diagram suggests the comet crosses Earth’s orbital path, the high inclination of the comet’s orbit brings it no closer than 64 million miles from Earth. (NASA) \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it reaches its farthest point from the sun over 3 millennia from now, NEOWISE will be about 77 billion miles away — roughly 20 times farther than Pluto.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>NASA’s NEOWISE Spacecraft\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The comet’s namesake discoverer, NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/neowise/main/index.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NEOWISE spacecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is on a repurposed mission to hunt for \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/basics.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Near Earth Objects\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (NEOs) — asteroids and comets that may pose an impact risk to Earth. And though this comet is no threat to us, and won’t return for almost 7 millennia, NEOWISE is well suited to the job of detecting comets, because it uses an infrared telescope to survey sources of heat in the cosmos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since beginning its new career as NEO-hunter in 2013, NEOWISE has detected around 158,000 asteroids, including about 700 Near Earth Objects. Of these detections, about 34,000 are new discoveries, including 135 NEOs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Don’t Miss It\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comets come and go, and there are usually a handful of them lurking somewhere in the sky, if you have a telescope to see them with. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rarer are those that come close enough to the sun and Earth for us to see with our unaided eyes. Not since the encounter with comet Hale-Bopp in 1996/1997 has there been a naked-eye comet as bright as NEOWISE. There were a few that showed some promise, only to fizzle out. Comet apparitions are notoriously unpredictable. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, if you miss NEOWISE, there will be other comet spectacles in the future — but there’s no telling when.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[ad fullwidth]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you heard? There’s a comet appearing in the evening and morning skies, bright enough to give even city dwellers a chance to see it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The comet is named “NEOWISE” after the spacecraft that first spotted it. Discovered on March 27 — not long after the coronavirus lockdowns and stay-at-home orders went into effect — the comet has since grown closer and brighter.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After swinging close to the sun in early July, the comet is now getting closer to Earth, and has grown its familiar tail, a silver lining to grace the twilight and give us something special to look up to as we continue our pandemic hunkering in place.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Where To Look\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comet NEOWISE is visible now in the early evening sky. Though it’s changing position nightly, as comets do, this weekend it may be found just above the northwestern horizon during the last of the evening twilight, close to where the sun set. If you can spot the familiar pattern of stars of the Big Dipper, which hangs vertically with its “cup” on the bottom, comet NEOWISE will be almost directly below, just above the horizon.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967209\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1967209\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium-800x431.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"431\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium-800x431.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium-160x86.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium-768x414.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/NEOWISE-July18-Stellarium.jpg 1013w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sky map showing the position of comet NEOWISE during the weekend of July 18. The comet will be low near the horizon shortly after sunset, located under the Big Dipper. This photo was taken using the Stellarium at the Chabot Space & Science Center, which filters in a wide range of colors of light. (Ben Burress/Chabot Space & Science Center) \u003ccite>(Ben Burress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the next week, comet NEOWISE will climb higher and more westerly night by night. Earlier, the comet put on its best appearance in the morning sky, but now is better to view after sunset.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To see comet \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/space/how-to-see-comet-c2020-f3-neowise\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NEOWISE\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you need an unobstructed view of the northwest horizon, with no tall trees, buildings or hills blocking the view. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interference from city light pollution will also limit your viewing experience, so if you can find a place to observe away from light-congested areas, you’ll have a better shot at seeing the comet. The darker your sky, the more of the comet and its tail you will be able to see. (And if you choose to travel to a better viewing spot, be sure to maintain proper physical distance from other comet watchers!)\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If urban light pollution \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a problem where you live, you may have a difficult time spotting the comet with your eyes, but if you have a pair of binoculars you should be able to see it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Virtual Comet Viewing From Chabot Space & Science Center\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://chabotspace.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chabot Space & Science Center\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will hold a virtual presentation and Q&A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://baynature.org/2020/07/14/how-to-see-the-comet-neowise-from-the-bay-area/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">featuring comet NEOWISE\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 17, during the regular “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://chabotspace.org/calendar/12558/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sky This Month\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” livestream. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, during Chabot’s regular \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://chabotspace.org/calendar/free-telescope-viewings/2020-07-18/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virtual Telescope Viewing\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> events on Saturday, July 18, and a week later on July 25, astronomers will attempt to livestream the comet through the observatory’s 36-inch telescope, Nellie. The events begin at 9:30 p.m., weather permitting. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967210\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1967210\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson-800x595.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson-800x595.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson-768x572.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/TzREYnU5osffnRFfPjVJnX-970-80-CometNEOWISE-June24-PSP-NASA-STEREO-William-Thompson.jpg 970w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image of comet NEOWISE captured by NASA’s STEREO solar observatory spacecraft on June 24, 2020. (William Thompson/NASA/STEREO) \u003ccite>(William Thompson/NASA/STEREO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Comet NEOWISE, Also Known As C/2020 F3\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NEOWISE is a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/L/Long-period+Comets\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“long period” comet\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that originates in the cold, distant reaches of our solar system called the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/oort-cloud/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oort Cloud\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This is a vast, sparsely populated “bubble” of icy objects — comets and primordial “planetesimals” — that surrounds the solar system, extending trillions of miles into space.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comet NEOWISE’s extremely elongated orbit carried it to within 27 million miles of the sun on July 3, closer than the planet Mercury. The comet will pass closest to Earth on July 23, about 64 million miles away.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On July 5, two days after the comet’s hot encounter with the sun, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/parker-solar-probe\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s Parker Solar Probe\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was in the right position to capture an \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-s-parker-solar-probe-spies-newly-discovered-comet-neowise/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">image showing the comet’s twin tails\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Comets often have multiple tails, one composed of gas from frozen volatile materials (like water) sublimating under solar heating, and one made of dust particles shed by the outgassing. Pressure from sunlight “blows” the gas tail away from the sun more strongly, producing separate tails.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now outbound and heading back to the Oort Cloud, the comet’s “slingshot” fling through the sun’s gravitational field has boosted its speed, and it won’t pass by Earth again for almost 7,000 years. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967212\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1967212\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/800px-C_2020_F3_NEOWISE-NASA-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram showing the perihelion end of comet NEOWISE’s orbit around the sun. At closest approach (perihelion), the comet is only 29 million miles from the sun, closer than the planet Mercury. Though the diagram suggests the comet crosses Earth’s orbital path, the high inclination of the comet’s orbit brings it no closer than 64 million miles from Earth. (NASA) \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it reaches its farthest point from the sun over 3 millennia from now, NEOWISE will be about 77 billion miles away — roughly 20 times farther than Pluto.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>NASA’s NEOWISE Spacecraft\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The comet’s namesake discoverer, NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/neowise/main/index.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NEOWISE spacecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is on a repurposed mission to hunt for \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/basics.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Near Earth Objects\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (NEOs) — asteroids and comets that may pose an impact risk to Earth. And though this comet is no threat to us, and won’t return for almost 7 millennia, NEOWISE is well suited to the job of detecting comets, because it uses an infrared telescope to survey sources of heat in the cosmos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since beginning its new career as NEO-hunter in 2013, NEOWISE has detected around 158,000 asteroids, including about 700 Near Earth Objects. Of these detections, about 34,000 are new discoveries, including 135 NEOs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Don’t Miss It\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comets come and go, and there are usually a handful of them lurking somewhere in the sky, if you have a telescope to see them with. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rarer are those that come close enough to the sun and Earth for us to see with our unaided eyes. Not since the encounter with comet Hale-Bopp in 1996/1997 has there been a naked-eye comet as bright as NEOWISE. There were a few that showed some promise, only to fizzle out. Comet apparitions are notoriously unpredictable. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, if you miss NEOWISE, there will be other comet spectacles in the future — but there’s no telling when.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Kepler Gem: Scientists Find a Tantalizing, and Overlooked Exoplanet",
"headTitle": "Kepler Gem: Scientists Find a Tantalizing, and Overlooked Exoplanet | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scientists have made an exciting discovery in deep space — but not with an existing telescope or space probe.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combing through a backlog of data collected several years ago by NASA’s now defunct \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/main/index.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kepler space telescope\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, they ran across a previously overlooked gem in the cosmos: an extrasolar planet, or “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://nineplanets.org/exoplanets/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">exoplanet\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,” estimated to be almost exactly the size of Earth, in what’s called the “habitable zone,” at the right distance from its star to potentially harbor liquid water and a life-friendly environment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kepler-1649c\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exoplanet, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/kepler-1649c-earth-size-habitable-zone-planet-hides-in-plain-sight\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kepler-1649c\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, orbits a small red dwarf star about 300 light years away in the constellation \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/cygnus-constellation/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cygnus\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> — which means we won’t be visiting it anytime soon. But with an estimated size of only 1.06 times that of Earth, and getting about 75% of the sunlight from its star that Earth receives from the sun, this exoplanet is the closest to Earth in size and solar heating of any discovered to date.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967014\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1967014\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter-800x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter-800x480.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter-768x461.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The extrasolar planet Kepler-1649c is a terrestrial planet almost the same size as the Earth–1.06 times Earth’s diameter. Its size, along with the fact that it is located within its star’s habitable zone, makes it a candidate for being hospitable to some form of life. \u003ccite>(NASA/Ames Research Center/Daniel Rutter)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether Kepler-1649c possesses an atmosphere capable of supporting liquid water on its surface is not yet known, but follow-up investigations may give us a more complete picture of this tantalizing world.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Catching What a Computer Algorithm Overlooked\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s Kepler space telescope, the most productive exoplanet-finding spacecraft yet launched, was \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-retires-kepler-space-telescope-passes-planet-hunting-torch\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">retired in 2018\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, after running out of the fuel needed to continue scientific observations. But over its nine years of service, Kepler amassed a huge amount of data — so much so, that scientists are still making new discoveries.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here’s how scientists look for evidence of exoplanets in the data\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Kepler searches for the minor dimming of a star’s light caused by an orbiting planet crossing in front of it, or “transiting.” This “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.universetoday.com/137480/what-is-the-transit-method/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">transit method\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” is responsible for most exoplanet detections made since the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://slate.com/technology/2015/10/51-pegasi-b-the-first-exoplanet-discovered-orbiting-a-sun-like-star.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first discoveries\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> nearly three decades ago.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967016\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1967016 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">For the majority of its nine-year mission of searching for extrasolar planets, NASA’s Kepler space telescope stared continually at 150,000 stars in a patch of sky in the constellation Cygnus. This image shows the detector fields of Kepler’s giant space camera, with which it discovered over 2,000 exoplanets. \u003ccite>(NASA/Ames Research Center/J. Jenkins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each measured dip in a star’s brightness must be carefully analyzed to determine if it was caused by a transiting exoplanet or some other factor, like a fluctuation in a star’s luminosity, or a random celestial object passing momentarily between us and the star.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With so much data to analyze, a first pass through it is done by computer programs, with algorithms designed to weed out all the non-transit events. Only about 12% of detections turn out to be transiting exoplanets, with the rest classified as “false positives.” However, sometimes the algorithm gets it wrong, which is what happened with Kepler-1649c. Scientists in the Kepler False Positive Working Group discovered the mistake as they \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://aasnova.org/2020/04/22/rescuing-an-overlooked-planet/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">double-checked\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the computer’s results.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Potentially Habitable?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exoplanets that interest astronomers and astrobiologists most are the potentially Earth-like ones: planets close to Earth’s size, and within their star’s “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nvap-sci-goldilocks/the-goldilocks-zone/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">habitable zone\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” — the right distance for liquid surface water to potentially exist. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other exoplanets have been found that are closer to Earth’s size than Kepler-1649c, like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/3454/trappist-1-f/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TRAPPIST-1f \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/7424/teegardens-star-c/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teegarden-c\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Still others are known that receive more sunlight, that are closer to the warmth of the Earth. But none come as close as Kepler-1649c in both factors, making this once-overlooked exoplanet the nearest we’ve come to spotting another planet with Earth-like characteristics\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in the cosmos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, as Earth-like as Kepler-1649c might appear, there are some significant differences between it and planet Earth. The exoplanet orbits close to a small, dim, red dwarf star — so close that it zips around it once in only 19.5 days, instead of 365. It also shares its system with at least one other planet, also close to Earth in size, but about half the distance from its star, and because of that, probably very hot. There is also some evidence for a possible third planet in the system. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Buried in the Data\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discoveries made from Kepler’s hoard of backlogged data are not unique. Other completed space missions have piled up their own mountains of observations that scientists review and revisit to gain new understandings.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967015\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1967015\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle-800x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle-800x640.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of NASA’s Kepler space telescope, the most productive detector of extrasolar planets ever launched into space. Kepler used the “transit method” of detecting exoplanets, looking for the small drop in a star’s brightness caused by one of its planets crossing in front of it. \u003ccite>(NASA/Ames Research Center/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examples include NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/galileo/overview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Galileo \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/overview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cassini \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spacecraft, whose missions were terminated in fiery burnups in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn. But they gathered enough data on the gas giant planets and their systems of rings and moons that scientists are still studying it today. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasas-record-setting-opportunity-rover-mission-on-mars-comes-to-end\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opportunity rover\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which went silent two years ago following a major dust storm, collected enough images and other data along its 28 mile, 14-year trek across Mars that scientists are still analyzing it all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How Many Exoplanets Have We Found?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of June 30, 2020, a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/counts_detail.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">total of 4,183 exoplanets\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have been confirmed to exist in 3,092 planetary systems. The Kepler space telescope found 2,751 exoplanets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of the grand total, 160 are classified as “terrestrial” — rocky planets around Earth’s size, with iron-rich cores, like Venus and Earth.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As more exoplanets are discovered by ground-based observatories and active spacecraft like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/tess-transiting-exoplanet-survey-satellite\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), more examples of Earth-sized planets within their stars’ habitable zones are being found. An understanding is emerging that planets with potentially Earth-like conditions may be more commonplace in our galaxy than we previously thought. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Scientists discover a potentially Earth-like exoplanet previously overlooked in data from the defunct Kepler space telescope. ",
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"title": "Kepler Gem: Scientists Find a Tantalizing, and Overlooked Exoplanet | KQED",
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"headline": "Kepler Gem: Scientists Find a Tantalizing, and Overlooked Exoplanet",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scientists have made an exciting discovery in deep space — but not with an existing telescope or space probe.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combing through a backlog of data collected several years ago by NASA’s now defunct \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/main/index.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kepler space telescope\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, they ran across a previously overlooked gem in the cosmos: an extrasolar planet, or “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://nineplanets.org/exoplanets/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">exoplanet\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,” estimated to be almost exactly the size of Earth, in what’s called the “habitable zone,” at the right distance from its star to potentially harbor liquid water and a life-friendly environment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kepler-1649c\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exoplanet, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/kepler-1649c-earth-size-habitable-zone-planet-hides-in-plain-sight\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kepler-1649c\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, orbits a small red dwarf star about 300 light years away in the constellation \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/cygnus-constellation/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cygnus\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> — which means we won’t be visiting it anytime soon. But with an estimated size of only 1.06 times that of Earth, and getting about 75% of the sunlight from its star that Earth receives from the sun, this exoplanet is the closest to Earth in size and solar heating of any discovered to date.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967014\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1967014\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter-800x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter-800x480.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter-768x461.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/PIA23774-Comparison-Earth-Keper1649c-20200415-NASA-Ames-Research-Center-Daniel-Rutter.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The extrasolar planet Kepler-1649c is a terrestrial planet almost the same size as the Earth–1.06 times Earth’s diameter. Its size, along with the fact that it is located within its star’s habitable zone, makes it a candidate for being hospitable to some form of life. \u003ccite>(NASA/Ames Research Center/Daniel Rutter)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether Kepler-1649c possesses an atmosphere capable of supporting liquid water on its surface is not yet known, but follow-up investigations may give us a more complete picture of this tantalizing world.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Catching What a Computer Algorithm Overlooked\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s Kepler space telescope, the most productive exoplanet-finding spacecraft yet launched, was \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-retires-kepler-space-telescope-passes-planet-hunting-torch\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">retired in 2018\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, after running out of the fuel needed to continue scientific observations. But over its nine years of service, Kepler amassed a huge amount of data — so much so, that scientists are still making new discoveries.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here’s how scientists look for evidence of exoplanets in the data\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Kepler searches for the minor dimming of a star’s light caused by an orbiting planet crossing in front of it, or “transiting.” This “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.universetoday.com/137480/what-is-the-transit-method/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">transit method\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” is responsible for most exoplanet detections made since the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://slate.com/technology/2015/10/51-pegasi-b-the-first-exoplanet-discovered-orbiting-a-sun-like-star.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first discoveries\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> nearly three decades ago.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967016\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1967016 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/KeplerField-NASA-Ames-J.Jenkins.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">For the majority of its nine-year mission of searching for extrasolar planets, NASA’s Kepler space telescope stared continually at 150,000 stars in a patch of sky in the constellation Cygnus. This image shows the detector fields of Kepler’s giant space camera, with which it discovered over 2,000 exoplanets. \u003ccite>(NASA/Ames Research Center/J. Jenkins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each measured dip in a star’s brightness must be carefully analyzed to determine if it was caused by a transiting exoplanet or some other factor, like a fluctuation in a star’s luminosity, or a random celestial object passing momentarily between us and the star.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With so much data to analyze, a first pass through it is done by computer programs, with algorithms designed to weed out all the non-transit events. Only about 12% of detections turn out to be transiting exoplanets, with the rest classified as “false positives.” However, sometimes the algorithm gets it wrong, which is what happened with Kepler-1649c. Scientists in the Kepler False Positive Working Group discovered the mistake as they \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://aasnova.org/2020/04/22/rescuing-an-overlooked-planet/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">double-checked\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the computer’s results.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Potentially Habitable?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exoplanets that interest astronomers and astrobiologists most are the potentially Earth-like ones: planets close to Earth’s size, and within their star’s “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nvap-sci-goldilocks/the-goldilocks-zone/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">habitable zone\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” — the right distance for liquid surface water to potentially exist. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other exoplanets have been found that are closer to Earth’s size than Kepler-1649c, like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/3454/trappist-1-f/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TRAPPIST-1f \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/7424/teegardens-star-c/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teegarden-c\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Still others are known that receive more sunlight, that are closer to the warmth of the Earth. But none come as close as Kepler-1649c in both factors, making this once-overlooked exoplanet the nearest we’ve come to spotting another planet with Earth-like characteristics\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in the cosmos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, as Earth-like as Kepler-1649c might appear, there are some significant differences between it and planet Earth. The exoplanet orbits close to a small, dim, red dwarf star — so close that it zips around it once in only 19.5 days, instead of 365. It also shares its system with at least one other planet, also close to Earth in size, but about half the distance from its star, and because of that, probably very hot. There is also some evidence for a possible third planet in the system. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Buried in the Data\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discoveries made from Kepler’s hoard of backlogged data are not unique. Other completed space missions have piled up their own mountains of observations that scientists review and revisit to gain new understandings.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1967015\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1967015\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle-800x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle-800x640.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/07/kepler-k2_artistconcept-NASA-Ames-JPL-Caltech-T-Pyle.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of NASA’s Kepler space telescope, the most productive detector of extrasolar planets ever launched into space. Kepler used the “transit method” of detecting exoplanets, looking for the small drop in a star’s brightness caused by one of its planets crossing in front of it. \u003ccite>(NASA/Ames Research Center/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examples include NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/galileo/overview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Galileo \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/overview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cassini \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spacecraft, whose missions were terminated in fiery burnups in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn. But they gathered enough data on the gas giant planets and their systems of rings and moons that scientists are still studying it today. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasas-record-setting-opportunity-rover-mission-on-mars-comes-to-end\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opportunity rover\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which went silent two years ago following a major dust storm, collected enough images and other data along its 28 mile, 14-year trek across Mars that scientists are still analyzing it all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How Many Exoplanets Have We Found?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of June 30, 2020, a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/counts_detail.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">total of 4,183 exoplanets\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have been confirmed to exist in 3,092 planetary systems. The Kepler space telescope found 2,751 exoplanets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of the grand total, 160 are classified as “terrestrial” — rocky planets around Earth’s size, with iron-rich cores, like Venus and Earth.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As more exoplanets are discovered by ground-based observatories and active spacecraft like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/tess-transiting-exoplanet-survey-satellite\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), more examples of Earth-sized planets within their stars’ habitable zones are being found. An understanding is emerging that planets with potentially Earth-like conditions may be more commonplace in our galaxy than we previously thought. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "NASA Plans to Use 'Lunar Flashlight' in Search for Moon Water",
"headTitle": "NASA Plans to Use ‘Lunar Flashlight’ in Search for Moon Water | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">NASA’s goal of returning humans, including a female astronaut, to the moon with the 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/\">Artemis\u003c/a> mission is approaching, and engineers are \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hTARS0f2A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">getting ready\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’ll land on the lunar surface from an orbiting spacecraft called the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/exploration/gateway\">Gateway\u003c/a>, which will serve as a lunar outpost, then embark on a search for water ice and other resources. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Artemis is also part of a larger plan to travel to Mars from a lunar way station. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1965826\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1965826\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of the Lunar Gateway spacecraft (front) that will orbit the moon and serve as a way station for excursions to the lunar surface. In the background, an Orion spacecraft, which will shuttle astronauts from Earth to lunar orbit, approaches the Gateway for docking. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Looking for Water With a ‘Lunar Flashlight’\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the tools NASA will use to explore the moon is \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/lunar-flashlight/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lunar Flashlight,\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> a low-cost spacecraft no bigger than an airline carry-on bag. The small satellite will launch in November 2021 as part of an advance, uncrewed mission. \u003c/span>It\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will probe the cold, permanently shaded floors of the moon’s polar craters for signs of ice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finding lunar ice would be extremely exciting, because of its scientific value as a potential source of chemical clues to the history and formation of our solar system. It’s possible the ice could also be tapped as a source of drinking water and breathable oxygen, or mined as raw material to power hydrogen fuel cells or to make rocket fuel in long-term expeditions or moon bases.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Lunar Flashlight will loop around the moon in an elliptical pole-to-pole orbit. The spacecraft \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7647\">will use infrared lasers\u003c/a> and a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sciencing.com/spectrometer-work-5256312.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">spectrometer \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to probe the shadowed floors of craters as it swoops to within 20 kilometers of the south pole, where hints of water ice have been detected by previous missions. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1965828\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1965828\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An “illumination map” of the moon’s south pole, produced from images taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This composite of images taken over the course of a full lunar day (about four weeks) indicates how much sunlight each point on the surface receives over time. Black areas indicate deep places, like the bottoms of crater floors, into which the sun’s grazing light never shines, cold places where water ice has been detected. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From its orbit above, Lunar Flashlight’s laser beams will rake across the cold crater floors, reflecting \u003c/span>off\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> materials on the surface and bouncing back to the spacecraft. A spectrometer will measure the spectral “fingerprints” of substances in the reflected light, mapping the location and composition of concentrations of ice with an accuracy of 1-2 kilometers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though the presence of water was confirmed by an earlier mission in 2009, we know little about what form it might exist in. Sheets or blocks of solid ice? Permafrost mixed in with the lunar soil? Frozen “cocktails” of different volatile compounds?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Shadowy Polar Craters\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Apollo missions of the late 1960s landed in the moon’s equatorial regions and found no traces of water. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But measurements made from orbit by \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/lunar-prospector/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lunar Prospector\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in 1999 indicated the presence of concentrated hydrogen within shadowy polar craters, a hint that frozen water (or other hydrogen-bearing volatiles) might exist in cold recesses untouched by sunlight. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The discovery raised the possibility that lunar “cold traps” have, over time, captured molecules of water originating from comets and asteroids, interactions between lunar soil and solar wind and perhaps lunar volcanic activity.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1965830\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1965830\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-800x270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-800x270.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-768x259.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-1020x344.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shades of blue in this map of the moon’s south pole show areas where NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter “LEND” instrument detected reduced numbers of neutron particles normally emitted from the moon’s surface. This suggests that the missing neutrons, which are produced by interactions of cosmic rays with lunar rock and soil, are being absorbed, possibly by concentrations of hydrogen atoms there. These areas coincide with permanently shadowed crater and valley floors believed to harbor water ice. \u003ccite>(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 2009 Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission \u003ca href=\"https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4057\">confirmed the presence of water\u003c/a>, after flying to the moon on a Centaur rocket. NASA used the rocket stage as a high-speed impact projectile, sending it crashing into the shadows of a\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc_20091117_cabeus.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> crater \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">at the moon’s south pole. The satellite, following only minutes behind the rocket, used its spectrometer to search for the chemical signature of water in the dust cloud of the blast, and it made a successful detection before crashing into the moon.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>All Eyes on the Lunar Flashlight, a CubeSat\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lunar Flashlight will be configured from six standard, 10-centimeter cube modules. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1966109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1966109 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA-800x1015.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1015\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA-800x1015.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA-160x203.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA-768x974.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA.jpg 910w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram of NASA’s Lunar Flashlight spacecraft, a “6U” CubeSat constructed from six, 10-centimeter cube base modules arranged in a 2×3 building-block layout (inside the housing). At 10x20x30 centimeters in size, the Lunar Flashlight is no bigger than a briefcase or airplane carry-on bag. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The low-cost, modular \u003ca href=\"https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/History_of_the_CubeSat_999.html\">CubeSat design was developed\u003c/a> as an alternative to considerably more expensive conventional satellites, so that universities, private companies and other entities could test technology and conduct scientific research from space.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because they are small, CubeSats can piggyback as secondary payloads on other missions. This puts short-term proof of concept tests and narrowly scoped scientific experiments within the financial reach of many organizations and groups.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1965823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1965823\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of NASA astronauts on an Artemis mission landing, which will return humans to the moon by 2024, including the first woman astronaut to go there. A target of future moon landings are permanently shadowed polar craters where water has been detected. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Lunar Flashlight planned for launch in 2021 will be the first CubeSat to travel to the moon, and the first spacecraft of any kind to look for water using a laser. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And if it finds some, the first female astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Artemis mission might just collect a sample and bring it back to Earth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">NASA’s goal of returning humans, including a female astronaut, to the moon with the 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/\">Artemis\u003c/a> mission is approaching, and engineers are \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hTARS0f2A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">getting ready\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’ll land on the lunar surface from an orbiting spacecraft called the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/exploration/gateway\">Gateway\u003c/a>, which will serve as a lunar outpost, then embark on a search for water ice and other resources. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Artemis is also part of a larger plan to travel to Mars from a lunar way station. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1965826\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1965826\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/LunarGateway-and-Orion-NASA-ac.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of the Lunar Gateway spacecraft (front) that will orbit the moon and serve as a way station for excursions to the lunar surface. In the background, an Orion spacecraft, which will shuttle astronauts from Earth to lunar orbit, approaches the Gateway for docking. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Looking for Water With a ‘Lunar Flashlight’\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the tools NASA will use to explore the moon is \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/lunar-flashlight/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lunar Flashlight,\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> a low-cost spacecraft no bigger than an airline carry-on bag. The small satellite will launch in November 2021 as part of an advance, uncrewed mission. \u003c/span>It\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will probe the cold, permanently shaded floors of the moon’s polar craters for signs of ice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finding lunar ice would be extremely exciting, because of its scientific value as a potential source of chemical clues to the history and formation of our solar system. It’s possible the ice could also be tapped as a source of drinking water and breathable oxygen, or mined as raw material to power hydrogen fuel cells or to make rocket fuel in long-term expeditions or moon bases.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Lunar Flashlight will loop around the moon in an elliptical pole-to-pole orbit. The spacecraft \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7647\">will use infrared lasers\u003c/a> and a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sciencing.com/spectrometer-work-5256312.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">spectrometer \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to probe the shadowed floors of craters as it swoops to within 20 kilometers of the south pole, where hints of water ice have been detected by previous missions. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1965828\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1965828\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-illuminationmap-nasalro.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An “illumination map” of the moon’s south pole, produced from images taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This composite of images taken over the course of a full lunar day (about four weeks) indicates how much sunlight each point on the surface receives over time. Black areas indicate deep places, like the bottoms of crater floors, into which the sun’s grazing light never shines, cold places where water ice has been detected. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From its orbit above, Lunar Flashlight’s laser beams will rake across the cold crater floors, reflecting \u003c/span>off\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> materials on the surface and bouncing back to the spacecraft. A spectrometer will measure the spectral “fingerprints” of substances in the reflected light, mapping the location and composition of concentrations of ice with an accuracy of 1-2 kilometers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though the presence of water was confirmed by an earlier mission in 2009, we know little about what form it might exist in. Sheets or blocks of solid ice? Permafrost mixed in with the lunar soil? Frozen “cocktails” of different volatile compounds?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Shadowy Polar Craters\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Apollo missions of the late 1960s landed in the moon’s equatorial regions and found no traces of water. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But measurements made from orbit by \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/lunar-prospector/in-depth/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lunar Prospector\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in 1999 indicated the presence of concentrated hydrogen within shadowy polar craters, a hint that frozen water (or other hydrogen-bearing volatiles) might exist in cold recesses untouched by sunlight. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The discovery raised the possibility that lunar “cold traps” have, over time, captured molecules of water originating from comets and asteroids, interactions between lunar soil and solar wind and perhaps lunar volcanic activity.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1965830\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1965830\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-800x270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-800x270.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-768x259.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc-1020x344.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/southpole-neutroncountrate-LEND-LRO-nasagsfc.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shades of blue in this map of the moon’s south pole show areas where NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter “LEND” instrument detected reduced numbers of neutron particles normally emitted from the moon’s surface. This suggests that the missing neutrons, which are produced by interactions of cosmic rays with lunar rock and soil, are being absorbed, possibly by concentrations of hydrogen atoms there. These areas coincide with permanently shadowed crater and valley floors believed to harbor water ice. \u003ccite>(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 2009 Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission \u003ca href=\"https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4057\">confirmed the presence of water\u003c/a>, after flying to the moon on a Centaur rocket. NASA used the rocket stage as a high-speed impact projectile, sending it crashing into the shadows of a\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc_20091117_cabeus.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> crater \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">at the moon’s south pole. The satellite, following only minutes behind the rocket, used its spectrometer to search for the chemical signature of water in the dust cloud of the blast, and it made a successful detection before crashing into the moon.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>All Eyes on the Lunar Flashlight, a CubeSat\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lunar Flashlight will be configured from six standard, 10-centimeter cube modules. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1966109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1966109 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA-800x1015.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1015\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA-800x1015.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA-160x203.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA-768x974.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/Lunar-Flashlight-diagram-NASA.jpg 910w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram of NASA’s Lunar Flashlight spacecraft, a “6U” CubeSat constructed from six, 10-centimeter cube base modules arranged in a 2×3 building-block layout (inside the housing). At 10x20x30 centimeters in size, the Lunar Flashlight is no bigger than a briefcase or airplane carry-on bag. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The low-cost, modular \u003ca href=\"https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/History_of_the_CubeSat_999.html\">CubeSat design was developed\u003c/a> as an alternative to considerably more expensive conventional satellites, so that universities, private companies and other entities could test technology and conduct scientific research from space.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because they are small, CubeSats can piggyback as secondary payloads on other missions. This puts short-term proof of concept tests and narrowly scoped scientific experiments within the financial reach of many organizations and groups.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1965823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1965823\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/06/artemislanding-nasa-ac.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of NASA astronauts on an Artemis mission landing, which will return humans to the moon by 2024, including the first woman astronaut to go there. A target of future moon landings are permanently shadowed polar craters where water has been detected. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Lunar Flashlight planned for launch in 2021 will be the first CubeSat to travel to the moon, and the first spacecraft of any kind to look for water using a laser. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And if it finds some, the first female astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Artemis mission might just collect a sample and bring it back to Earth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "NASA Mission to Look for Past Life on Mars Still on Track, Despite Coronavirus",
"headTitle": "NASA Mission to Look for Past Life on Mars Still on Track, Despite Coronavirus | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>While most of us have been in shelter-at-home mode, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/perseverance/\">Perseverance\u003c/a>, NASA’s next-generation Mars rover, has been getting ready for a major trip. In February, it packed its bags, so to speak, and moved from its “nest” at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena, California, to a “clean room” at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/\">experimental Mars Helicopter\u003c/a> went, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1964242\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1964242 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wrapped up and awaiting loading into its travel crate, the Mars rover Perseverance (back and left) is prepared to leave its birthplace in the JPL’s Spacecraft Assembly Facility clean room for a flight to its launch point at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. \u003ccite>(Krys Blackwood)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>JPL and NASA team engineers are working on the final steps of assembly and testing for the rover and helicopter, which are scheduled to launch in July. Their mission? To seek out signs of \u003cem>past life\u003c/em> on Mars and pioneer flying there!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mounting a Mars Mission During Quarantine\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Facing a critical launch window that begins on July 17 and ends Aug. 5, NASA and JPL have taken extraordinary pains to \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8654/how-nasas-perseverance-mars-team-adjusted-to-work-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/\">keep the mission on track\u003c/a>, while maintaining social distancing practices to keep employees and the public safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1964241\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1964241\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Following its trip from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in February, the rover Perseverance and the Mars Helicopter Ingenuity are off-loaded from their C-17 cargo transport. \u003ccite>(NASA/Cory Huston)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If the launch is delayed beyond Aug. 5, the next opportunity to send the rover to Mars is almost two years away. That’s because Earth and Mars only pass close enough for us to send spacecraft every 22 months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rover Curiosity, currently exploring Mars, is operated by team members who can conduct most of its mission remotely from home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perseverance, however, requires a lot of hands-on attention as it is prepared for launch. Some of that work can be done remotely, like analyzing data from engineering tests. But much of it must be done in-person. There’s the mission-critical job of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7659&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=daily20200507-1\">stacking\u003c/a>” the spacecraft modules — connecting the rover to its rocket-propelled landing crane, sandwiching the assembly between its aeroshell and back shell enclosure, and sticking all that on top of the interplanetary cruise stage that will carry the rover to Mars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1964243\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1964243\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-800x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-800x640.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-1020x816.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In March and April, the task of assembling — or “stacking” — the components of the Mars 2020 spacecraft proceeded in a clean room at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Shown in this picture is the rover Perseverance and it’s belly-mounted Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, attached under its rocket-powered descent stage (shown by its orange rocket nozzles), all under the umbrella of its back shell. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fortunately, NASA engineers are used to working in “clean rooms,” with protective clothing, masks and rigorous sterilization standards —all designed to keep Mars free from contamination by any of Earth’s microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seeking Signs of Life\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perseverance, and its companion helicopter Ingenuity, are bound for the once water-filled Jezero Crater, a little north of the Martian equator, in search of chemical and geologic evidence of ancient Martian microbial life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1950961\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1950961 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-800x641.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"641\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-800x641.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-768x616.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-1020x818.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-1200x962.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL.jpg 1865w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composite image of the section of Jezero Crater that NASA’s Mars 2020 rover will begin exploring in 2021. In the center of this image is an alluvial fan of material washed in from a river inlet (left) and deposited on the floor of an ancient lake. Mineral measurements of the materials in this delta deposit show the presence of clay and carbonates, possible evidence of past Martian life. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/JHU-APL)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mission planners chose Jezero Crater not only because it was likely once filled with water (“jezero” means “lake” in several Slavic languages), but also because it is on the edge of what was probably a wide sea sometime in the past. Of particular interest is a dry river inlet and alluvial fan of material washed into the lake bottom at the western edge of the crater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dry river deltas are great places to prospect, especially for evidence of past life in lake sediment or materials washed in from land upstream. Scientists think if microbial Martian life ever existed, it most likely thrived in water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/\">Perseverance will use\u003c/a> high-resolution cameras, and X-ray and ultraviolet spectrometers, to analyze chemical compositions, and a ground-penetrating radar to probe geologic structures in the ground beneath it. The rover will collect rock and soil samples with its drill for analysis by onboard instruments. And, it will cache samples in sealed tubes to leave along the trail for future missions to potentially bring back to Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Perseverance and Ingenuity: What’s In a Name?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The naming of Martian rovers follows a student essay tradition that began in 1997 with the very first rover named: Sojourner!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This time, seventh grader \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/participate/name-the-rover/#Essay\">Alexander Mather\u003c/a> from Burke, Virginia, wrote an essay that beat eight other \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8588/nine-finalists-chosen-in-nasas-mars-2020-rover-naming-contest/\">finalists\u003c/a> and over 28,000 submissions from across the country. Alexander said he chose Perseverance because names given to previous Mars rovers reflect human qualities important in the enterprise of space exploration — and his choice, perseverance, acknowledges the unrelenting difficulties encountered by all missions to Mars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1964239\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1964239 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A NASA Mars Helicopter team member works on the flight model of the experimental craft in February 2019. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among the nine finalists, a second name rose to the top: Ingenuity. Submitted by 11th grader \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8659/alabama-high-school-student-names-nasas-mars-helicopter/\">Vaneeza Rupani\u003c/a> of Northport, Alabama, Ingenuity became the name of Perseverance’s flying companion, the Mars Helicopter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ingenuity is going to Mars as a proof of concept. The tiny, double-propellored craft will make one or more 90-second test flights that mission planners hope will open the door to a variety of uses in future missions. Ingenuity carries two small cameras, one of them color, to take pictures with during flight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked why she thought Ingenuity was a good name for the helicopter, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7651\">Vaneeza cited the creativity\u003c/a> that engineers needed to design a craft that can fly in the extremely thin and cold Martian atmosphere, something that has never been done before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Unprecedented Mission\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If all goes well, sometime in the second half of July, or early August, Perseverance and Ingenuity will launch from Florida and begin a nine-month voyage to Mars. Once they touch down safely, Perseverance will do the job of looking for past life, and Ingenuity will become the first craft to take flight on another planet.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "NASA's next Mars rover, Perseverance, and its experimental helicopter Ingenuity, have taken a step closer to launch. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>While most of us have been in shelter-at-home mode, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/perseverance/\">Perseverance\u003c/a>, NASA’s next-generation Mars rover, has been getting ready for a major trip. In February, it packed its bags, so to speak, and moved from its “nest” at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena, California, to a “clean room” at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/\">experimental Mars Helicopter\u003c/a> went, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1964242\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1964242 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PerseverancePacksUp-KrysBlackwood.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wrapped up and awaiting loading into its travel crate, the Mars rover Perseverance (back and left) is prepared to leave its birthplace in the JPL’s Spacecraft Assembly Facility clean room for a flight to its launch point at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. \u003ccite>(Krys Blackwood)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>JPL and NASA team engineers are working on the final steps of assembly and testing for the rover and helicopter, which are scheduled to launch in July. Their mission? To seek out signs of \u003cem>past life\u003c/em> on Mars and pioneer flying there!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mounting a Mars Mission During Quarantine\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Facing a critical launch window that begins on July 17 and ends Aug. 5, NASA and JPL have taken extraordinary pains to \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8654/how-nasas-perseverance-mars-team-adjusted-to-work-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/\">keep the mission on track\u003c/a>, while maintaining social distancing practices to keep employees and the public safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1964241\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1964241\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/Perseverance-offload-at-Kennedy-Feb12-C17Armstrong-NASA-CoryHuston.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Following its trip from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in February, the rover Perseverance and the Mars Helicopter Ingenuity are off-loaded from their C-17 cargo transport. \u003ccite>(NASA/Cory Huston)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If the launch is delayed beyond Aug. 5, the next opportunity to send the rover to Mars is almost two years away. That’s because Earth and Mars only pass close enough for us to send spacecraft every 22 months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rover Curiosity, currently exploring Mars, is operated by team members who can conduct most of its mission remotely from home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perseverance, however, requires a lot of hands-on attention as it is prepared for launch. Some of that work can be done remotely, like analyzing data from engineering tests. But much of it must be done in-person. There’s the mission-critical job of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7659&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=daily20200507-1\">stacking\u003c/a>” the spacecraft modules — connecting the rover to its rocket-propelled landing crane, sandwiching the assembly between its aeroshell and back shell enclosure, and sticking all that on top of the interplanetary cruise stage that will carry the rover to Mars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1964243\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1964243\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-800x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-800x640.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech-1020x816.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/PIA23884_hires-Perseverance-Ingenuity-inShell-NASAJPLCaltech.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In March and April, the task of assembling — or “stacking” — the components of the Mars 2020 spacecraft proceeded in a clean room at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Shown in this picture is the rover Perseverance and it’s belly-mounted Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, attached under its rocket-powered descent stage (shown by its orange rocket nozzles), all under the umbrella of its back shell. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fortunately, NASA engineers are used to working in “clean rooms,” with protective clothing, masks and rigorous sterilization standards —all designed to keep Mars free from contamination by any of Earth’s microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seeking Signs of Life\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perseverance, and its companion helicopter Ingenuity, are bound for the once water-filled Jezero Crater, a little north of the Martian equator, in search of chemical and geologic evidence of ancient Martian microbial life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1950961\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1950961 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-800x641.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"641\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-800x641.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-768x616.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-1020x818.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL-1200x962.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/11/22475_PIA23239-NASAJPL-CaltechMSSSJHU-APL.jpg 1865w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composite image of the section of Jezero Crater that NASA’s Mars 2020 rover will begin exploring in 2021. In the center of this image is an alluvial fan of material washed in from a river inlet (left) and deposited on the floor of an ancient lake. Mineral measurements of the materials in this delta deposit show the presence of clay and carbonates, possible evidence of past Martian life. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/JHU-APL)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mission planners chose Jezero Crater not only because it was likely once filled with water (“jezero” means “lake” in several Slavic languages), but also because it is on the edge of what was probably a wide sea sometime in the past. Of particular interest is a dry river inlet and alluvial fan of material washed into the lake bottom at the western edge of the crater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dry river deltas are great places to prospect, especially for evidence of past life in lake sediment or materials washed in from land upstream. Scientists think if microbial Martian life ever existed, it most likely thrived in water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/\">Perseverance will use\u003c/a> high-resolution cameras, and X-ray and ultraviolet spectrometers, to analyze chemical compositions, and a ground-penetrating radar to probe geologic structures in the ground beneath it. The rover will collect rock and soil samples with its drill for analysis by onboard instruments. And, it will cache samples in sealed tubes to leave along the trail for future missions to potentially bring back to Earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Perseverance and Ingenuity: What’s In a Name?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The naming of Martian rovers follows a student essay tradition that began in 1997 with the very first rover named: Sojourner!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This time, seventh grader \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/participate/name-the-rover/#Essay\">Alexander Mather\u003c/a> from Burke, Virginia, wrote an essay that beat eight other \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8588/nine-finalists-chosen-in-nasas-mars-2020-rover-naming-contest/\">finalists\u003c/a> and over 28,000 submissions from across the country. Alexander said he chose Perseverance because names given to previous Mars rovers reflect human qualities important in the enterprise of space exploration — and his choice, perseverance, acknowledges the unrelenting difficulties encountered by all missions to Mars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1964239\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1964239 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/05/22367_PIA23153-16-Helicopter-NASAJPLCaltech.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A NASA Mars Helicopter team member works on the flight model of the experimental craft in February 2019. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among the nine finalists, a second name rose to the top: Ingenuity. Submitted by 11th grader \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8659/alabama-high-school-student-names-nasas-mars-helicopter/\">Vaneeza Rupani\u003c/a> of Northport, Alabama, Ingenuity became the name of Perseverance’s flying companion, the Mars Helicopter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ingenuity is going to Mars as a proof of concept. The tiny, double-propellored craft will make one or more 90-second test flights that mission planners hope will open the door to a variety of uses in future missions. Ingenuity carries two small cameras, one of them color, to take pictures with during flight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked why she thought Ingenuity was a good name for the helicopter, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7651\">Vaneeza cited the creativity\u003c/a> that engineers needed to design a craft that can fly in the extremely thin and cold Martian atmosphere, something that has never been done before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Unprecedented Mission\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If all goes well, sometime in the second half of July, or early August, Perseverance and Ingenuity will launch from Florida and begin a nine-month voyage to Mars. Once they touch down safely, Perseverance will do the job of looking for past life, and Ingenuity will become the first craft to take flight on another planet.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "NASA Scientists Now Have to Explore Mars From Their Own Homes",
"headTitle": "NASA Scientists Now Have to Explore Mars From Their Own Homes | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>On Mars, nothing has changed for the rover Curiosity because of the coronavirus pandemic. It continues its \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7400\">exploration up the slopes of Mount Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiosity drives where it’s told, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7617\">stopping to take a picture\u003c/a> or extend its robotic arm to drill into a rock. Under no shelter-at-home order, it’s business as usual for the rover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, back on Earth, the room where Curiosity’s route is normally planned — by a team of scientists and engineers — stands empty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Skeleton Crew, Ghost Staff\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Due to the shelter-in-place and social distancing directives, the normally bustling 117-acre campus of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/about/\">Jet Propulsion Laboratory\u003c/a> near Pasadena, California, where Curiosity is operated from, has become something of a ghost town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The usual population of over 5,000 employees has been reduced to a skeleton crew of only a couple hundred performing essential functions that cannot be done remotely. Those who must come to the lab are all practicing social distancing, proper sanitization and wear personal protective equipment, or PPE.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of JPL’s mission operators and other personnel, including the Curiosity rover team, are adapting to doing their jobs remotely from home. So, how does interplanetary exploration work from home —where cats walk across keyboards, kids attend school by Zoom and the dog needs to be walked?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Exploring Another World— From Home\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1962943\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 744px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1962943\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/3dglasses-curiosity-nasa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"744\" height=\"712\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/3dglasses-curiosity-nasa.jpg 744w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/3dglasses-curiosity-nasa-160x153.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 744px) 100vw, 744px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Curiosity rover driver Keri Bean studies the terrain around the rover using red-blue 3D glasses, an adaptation to operating Curiosity from home without access to higher-tech equipment. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the novel coronavirus began to hit countries around the globe, the Curiosity team predicted the need to carry on with \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7638&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=daily20200414-1\">rover operations remotely\u003c/a>, and outfitted home offices for video conferencing. The team had to make sure it could stay in close contact to analyze data and imagery from the rover to map its surroundings in detail and plot its movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They had to adapt, and got creative. Without the high graphics computing and special equipment at JPL, at-home rover operators are using old theater-style 3D glasses to study the terrain and plan Curiosity’s work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One such maneuver took place on March 20, when operators commanded Curiosity’s drill to bore into a block of sandstone at a site dubbed “Edinburgh” to extract a rock sample for analysis. Not only was the \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission-updates/8633/sols-2713-2714-check-your-work/\">operation a success\u003c/a>, it was also the first time the drill had been used to dig into rock since 2018, when a technical problem forced engineers to devise a new method of drilling. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiosity is \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission-updates/8655/sols-2742-2743-driving-again/\">on the move again\u003c/a>, after a \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission-updates/8653/sols-2740-2741-making-the-most-of-this-stop/\">pit stop to diagnose\u003c/a> an issue with its \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/spacecraft/instruments/mahli/\">Mars Hand Lens Imager\u003c/a> instrument. No time was wasted: The team directed Curiosity to collect images of the surrounding terrain and atmospheric data while it waited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Impacts on Other Missions\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Curiosity on Mars, JPL currently manages 20 different missions. All of them are impacted by the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1962942\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1962942 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-800x704.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-800x704.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-160x141.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-768x676.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-1020x898.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of the Europa Clipper spacecraft making a flyby of Jupiter’s icy, ocean-harboring moon, Europa. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of these is \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/europa-clipper/\">Europa Clipper\u003c/a>, a mission to send a spacecraft to Jupiter to investigate the ocean beneath the icy crust of the moon Europa. The Clipper team now works almost completely from home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Europa Clipper team was already partly remote, since Clipper is a partnership between \u003ca href=\"https://www.jhuapl.edu/PressRelease/190702\">APL\u003c/a> and JPL,” said Krys Blackwood, senior lead human centered designer at JPL. “So, we adapted to working from home fairly rapidly. Luckily, the leadership of the mission is incredibly supportive, working to accommodate people’s unique home and family situations. I find myself looking forward to all those moments when someone’s kids or pets pop into a video conference. Rather than letting it disrupt us, we roll with it and support each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another critical program at JPL is running NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/about/functions/\">Deep Space Network\u003c/a>, or DSN. That’s the global array of large radio dishes that keeps mission operators in contact with robotic missions across the solar system — including the veteran \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7587\">Voyager\u003c/a> probes that are now traveling through interstellar space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1962939\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1962939\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mission Control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, nexus of NASA’s Deep Space Network for communicating with robotic missions across the solar system. \u003ccite>(Ben Burress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our research for Deep Space Network operations is definitely impacted,” said Blackwood of her \u003ca href=\"https://hi.jpl.nasa.gov/\">Human Centered Design Group\u003c/a> team, “as we mostly need to be face-to-face in order to measure and evaluate operational practices. So, we’re having to get creative about tools and methods, while trying not to impact operations at all — because no matter what, the DSN needs to keep receiving data.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Human Centered Design Group is also responsible for developing and programming the 3D terrain mapping system used by the Curiosity rover team. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>To Boldly Zoom\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imagine the starship Enterprise traveling through interstellar space, exploring strange new worlds — and the Bridge is largely empty. All the crew, from captain to science officer to navigator, is cloistered away working from their personal quarters. The communications officer, also isolated, keeps everyone in touch via Zoom. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For JPL, it’s something like that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The coronavirus pandemic has turned the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena into a space-age ghost town, but the show must go on. ",
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"title": "NASA Scientists Now Have to Explore Mars From Their Own Homes | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On Mars, nothing has changed for the rover Curiosity because of the coronavirus pandemic. It continues its \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7400\">exploration up the slopes of Mount Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiosity drives where it’s told, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7617\">stopping to take a picture\u003c/a> or extend its robotic arm to drill into a rock. Under no shelter-at-home order, it’s business as usual for the rover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, back on Earth, the room where Curiosity’s route is normally planned — by a team of scientists and engineers — stands empty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Skeleton Crew, Ghost Staff\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Due to the shelter-in-place and social distancing directives, the normally bustling 117-acre campus of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/about/\">Jet Propulsion Laboratory\u003c/a> near Pasadena, California, where Curiosity is operated from, has become something of a ghost town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The usual population of over 5,000 employees has been reduced to a skeleton crew of only a couple hundred performing essential functions that cannot be done remotely. Those who must come to the lab are all practicing social distancing, proper sanitization and wear personal protective equipment, or PPE.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of JPL’s mission operators and other personnel, including the Curiosity rover team, are adapting to doing their jobs remotely from home. So, how does interplanetary exploration work from home —where cats walk across keyboards, kids attend school by Zoom and the dog needs to be walked?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Exploring Another World— From Home\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1962943\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 744px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1962943\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/3dglasses-curiosity-nasa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"744\" height=\"712\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/3dglasses-curiosity-nasa.jpg 744w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/3dglasses-curiosity-nasa-160x153.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 744px) 100vw, 744px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Curiosity rover driver Keri Bean studies the terrain around the rover using red-blue 3D glasses, an adaptation to operating Curiosity from home without access to higher-tech equipment. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the novel coronavirus began to hit countries around the globe, the Curiosity team predicted the need to carry on with \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7638&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=daily20200414-1\">rover operations remotely\u003c/a>, and outfitted home offices for video conferencing. The team had to make sure it could stay in close contact to analyze data and imagery from the rover to map its surroundings in detail and plot its movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They had to adapt, and got creative. Without the high graphics computing and special equipment at JPL, at-home rover operators are using old theater-style 3D glasses to study the terrain and plan Curiosity’s work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One such maneuver took place on March 20, when operators commanded Curiosity’s drill to bore into a block of sandstone at a site dubbed “Edinburgh” to extract a rock sample for analysis. Not only was the \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission-updates/8633/sols-2713-2714-check-your-work/\">operation a success\u003c/a>, it was also the first time the drill had been used to dig into rock since 2018, when a technical problem forced engineers to devise a new method of drilling. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiosity is \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission-updates/8655/sols-2742-2743-driving-again/\">on the move again\u003c/a>, after a \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission-updates/8653/sols-2740-2741-making-the-most-of-this-stop/\">pit stop to diagnose\u003c/a> an issue with its \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/spacecraft/instruments/mahli/\">Mars Hand Lens Imager\u003c/a> instrument. No time was wasted: The team directed Curiosity to collect images of the surrounding terrain and atmospheric data while it waited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Impacts on Other Missions\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Curiosity on Mars, JPL currently manages 20 different missions. All of them are impacted by the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1962942\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1962942 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-800x704.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-800x704.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-160x141.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-768x676.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH-1020x898.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/EuropaClipper-AC-NASAJPLCALTECH.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of the Europa Clipper spacecraft making a flyby of Jupiter’s icy, ocean-harboring moon, Europa. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of these is \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/europa-clipper/\">Europa Clipper\u003c/a>, a mission to send a spacecraft to Jupiter to investigate the ocean beneath the icy crust of the moon Europa. The Clipper team now works almost completely from home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Europa Clipper team was already partly remote, since Clipper is a partnership between \u003ca href=\"https://www.jhuapl.edu/PressRelease/190702\">APL\u003c/a> and JPL,” said Krys Blackwood, senior lead human centered designer at JPL. “So, we adapted to working from home fairly rapidly. Luckily, the leadership of the mission is incredibly supportive, working to accommodate people’s unique home and family situations. I find myself looking forward to all those moments when someone’s kids or pets pop into a video conference. Rather than letting it disrupt us, we roll with it and support each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another critical program at JPL is running NASA’s \u003ca href=\"https://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/about/functions/\">Deep Space Network\u003c/a>, or DSN. That’s the global array of large radio dishes that keeps mission operators in contact with robotic missions across the solar system — including the veteran \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7587\">Voyager\u003c/a> probes that are now traveling through interstellar space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1962939\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1962939\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/JPLFlightControl-BBurress.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mission Control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, nexus of NASA’s Deep Space Network for communicating with robotic missions across the solar system. \u003ccite>(Ben Burress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our research for Deep Space Network operations is definitely impacted,” said Blackwood of her \u003ca href=\"https://hi.jpl.nasa.gov/\">Human Centered Design Group\u003c/a> team, “as we mostly need to be face-to-face in order to measure and evaluate operational practices. So, we’re having to get creative about tools and methods, while trying not to impact operations at all — because no matter what, the DSN needs to keep receiving data.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Human Centered Design Group is also responsible for developing and programming the 3D terrain mapping system used by the Curiosity rover team. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>To Boldly Zoom\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imagine the starship Enterprise traveling through interstellar space, exploring strange new worlds — and the Bridge is largely empty. All the crew, from captain to science officer to navigator, is cloistered away working from their personal quarters. The communications officer, also isolated, keeps everyone in touch via Zoom. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For JPL, it’s something like that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Top 10 All-Time Favorite Space Pics From an Astronomer in Isolation",
"headTitle": "Top 10 All-Time Favorite Space Pics From an Astronomer in Isolation | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Looking for another entertaining, educational thing to do during your stay-at-home confinement? Here’s a list of favorite space images, collected by an astronomer \u003ci>—\u003c/i> me \u003ci>—\u003c/i> passing the time in isolation, like everbody else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seeing Saturn with Super-Vision\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vision of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shows us Saturn in a light that human eyesight can never perceive. This \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7632\">false-colored visual-and-infrared composite\u003c/a> paints the gas giant in color-coded temperatures, including a dazzling crown of auroras, shown in green, rising 600 miles above the cloud tops of Saturn’s southern polar region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961967\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA13405.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961967 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-800x449.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-768x431.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composite false-color visible-and-infrared image of Saturn, featuring southern polar auroras (green). Image taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. \u003ccite>(NASA/University of Arizona/VIMS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gullies on the Walls of Mars Crater\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What may look \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/5355/linear-gullies-inside-russell-crater-mars/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">deceptively like water-carved gullies\u003c/a> running down the sandy slopes of Russell Crater on Mars are likely caused by the seasonal thawing of carbon dioxide ice instead. Multiple images of this spot taken at different times in the planet’s seasonal year reveal that these channels form in the Martian winter, when water ice is still frozen, but the more volatile carbon dioxide could be able to flow in some way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961964\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961964 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k.jpg 1919w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Seasonal gullies carved into the sandy slope of Mars’ Russell Crater, likely caused by thawing of carbon dioxide ice. Image taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. \u003ccite>(NASA/UA/HiRISE)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Swiss cheese’ Terrain at Mars’ Southern Polar Ice Cap\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smooth patches of carbon-dioxide ice rise 10 meters above surrounding \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/multimedia/20070830-004989_0945.html\">blob-shaped depressions\u003c/a>. This is another of Mars’ unearthly artforms made possible by seasonal temperatures low enough to freeze carbon dioxide from the thin air, which is eaten away as the season warms to form pits and other spectacular features.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961966\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://hirise-pds.lpl.arizona.edu/PDS/EXTRAS/RDR/PSP/ORB_005000_005099/PSP_005095_0935/PSP_005095_0935_RED.browse.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961966 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Swiss cheese’ formations at Mars’ south pole, caused by seasonal thawing of carbon dioxide ice. Image taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. \u003ccite>(NASA/UA/HiRISE)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jupiter’s Masterpiece of Motion\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restless and complex cloud tops and deep atmosphere of Jupiter give Earth’s best artists some serious competition. Wrapped around a circular storm cell, an atmospheric jet stream stirs up magnificent and mind-bending swirls, eddies and vortices for us to behold through the eye of \u003ca href=\"https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/\">NASA’s Juno spacecraft\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961968\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA22944.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961968 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jupiter’s clouds stirred by a strong jet stream wrapped around a storm cell in the high northern latitudes. Image taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. \u003ccite>(NASA/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sunset on Pluto\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fifteen minutes after its closest approach to \u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/dwarf-planets/pluto/overview/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pluto\u003c/a>, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft took this image, capturing smooth icy plains and some of the dwarf planet’s mountain ranges. The layers of Pluto’s thin, hazy atmosphere are backlit by the near setting sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961971\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA19948.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961971 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Limb of Pluto caught near sunset, 15 minutes after NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made its closest approach to the dwarf planet. \u003ccite>(NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Curiosity Snaps a Selfie\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NASA’s Curiosity rover paused to take \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8631/nasas-curiosity-mars-rover-takes-a-new-selfie-before-record-climb/?site=msl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this selfie \u003c/a>on Feb. 26, 2020, before turning to climb the ridgeline of crumbling rock seen here in the background. Curiosity is alive and well and continuing its climb up Mount Sharp, in Gale Crater, investigating the geology for clues to Mars’ climatic history, and if the planet was ever capable of supporting life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961973\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/system/downloadable_items/44678_PIA23624_hutton_selfie.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961973 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Selfie’ taken by NASA’s rover Curiosity on February 26, 2020. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crab Nebula: Supernova Remnant Fireworks Burst\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A supernova observed and recorded by Chinese and Japanese astronomers in A.D. 1054 marks the spot in the sky that telescopes later discovered the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/messier-1-the-crab-nebula\">Crab Nebula\u003c/a>, a cloud of hot gas expanding outward and dissipating into space. By virtue of that ancient observation, the Crab is the first supernova remnant whose parent star’s explosion was witnessed by human eyes. Below, images captured by different modern observatories were combined to form this stunning composite. A high-resolution visual image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope is layered with a radio image from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and an X-ray image from the Chandra X-ray Telescope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961974\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hvi/uploads/image_file/image_attachment/30064/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961974 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composite visible, radio and X-ray image of the Crab Nebula supernova remnant, whose parent star was observed to explode in 1054 CE. Visible image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, radio image by the VLA, and X-ray image by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. \u003ccite>(NASA/STScI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sweeping View of the Cosmos\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/press-releases/panstarrs_release/\">Pan-STARRS observatory\u003c/a> at the summit of Haleakala on Maui, Hawaii, produced this mosaic map of every part of the sky viewable from the observatory’s latitude, combining a half-million images into one extraordinary view. Contained within this image are over 800 million celestial objects, including the ghostly sweep of the Milky Way galaxy’s stars and an obscuring disk of gas and dust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961989\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961989 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-800x449.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-768x431.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mosaic image of the entire sky viewable from the Pan-STARRS observatory on Maui, Hawaii, composed of half a million individual images captured over four years. \u003ccite>(Danny Farrow, Pan-STARRS1 Science Consortium and Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crater on Far Side of Moon\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Always hidden from Earth’s gaze, located on the far side of the moon in the southern polar region, is Antoniadi Crater, an impact crater 80 miles in diameter that resides in a much vaster depression. This picture, taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, captures one end of Antoniadi from an oblique angle. The crater wall sweeping across the background \u003ca href=\"http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/898\">rises almost 2.5 miles\u003c/a> above the floor, and the “little” crater in the foreground would engulf the city of San Francisco. Fun fact: The bottom of the small foreground crater contains the lowest point on the moon’s surface, about 4.75 miles below mean surface level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961979 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oblique view of a portion of the moon’s Antoniadi Crater, captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. \u003ccite>(NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lunar South Pole Illumination Map\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This \u003ca href=\"http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/991\">unusual looking picture\u003c/a> of the moon’s south pole is a composite map made from images taken \u003ca href=\"https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/lunar-south-pole-atlas/movies/Clementine_spole480.mp4\">every two hours over a full lunar day\u003c/a> (about four weeks on Earth). The brightness of each pixel tells how much sunlight that spot receives in the course of the moon’s day, white representing the most sunlight and black where sunlight never falls. Here at the moon’s south pole, the sun never rises far above the horizon, and sunlight shines across the landscape at a grazing angle. The black areas show places of permanent shadow, where observations have confirmed the presence of water ice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961980\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/images/content/506629main_pole4x3_full.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961980 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Illumination map composite image of the moon’s south pole showing total sunlight exposure over a lunar day. Black indicates crater and canyon floors that never receive direct sunlight and are known to harbor water ice. \u003ccite>(NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Find Your Favorite\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The multitude of captivating, awe-inspiring, and just plain run-of-the-mill stunning \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">space images available online\u003c/a> is nothing short of astronomical. Browse their image galleries in search of your own collection of faves; you’ll soon find your hours of isolation melting away in breathtaking wonder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Benjamin Burress has been a staff astronomer at Chabot Space & Science Center since July 1999. Before that he served on the crew of NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory at Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, and was the Head Observer at the Naval Prototype Optical Interferometer program at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. He has written over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ben-burress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">300 pieces\u003c/a> on astronomy and space exploration for KQED since 2007. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Enjoy this top ten list of favorite space images selected by an astronomer passing time in isolation.",
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"headline": "Top 10 All-Time Favorite Space Pics From an Astronomer in Isolation",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Looking for another entertaining, educational thing to do during your stay-at-home confinement? Here’s a list of favorite space images, collected by an astronomer \u003ci>—\u003c/i> me \u003ci>—\u003c/i> passing the time in isolation, like everbody else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seeing Saturn with Super-Vision\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vision of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shows us Saturn in a light that human eyesight can never perceive. This \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7632\">false-colored visual-and-infrared composite\u003c/a> paints the gas giant in color-coded temperatures, including a dazzling crown of auroras, shown in green, rising 600 miles above the cloud tops of Saturn’s southern polar region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961967\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA13405.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961967 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-800x449.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-768x431.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA13402.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composite false-color visible-and-infrared image of Saturn, featuring southern polar auroras (green). Image taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. \u003ccite>(NASA/University of Arizona/VIMS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gullies on the Walls of Mars Crater\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What may look \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/5355/linear-gullies-inside-russell-crater-mars/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">deceptively like water-carved gullies\u003c/a> running down the sandy slopes of Russell Crater on Mars are likely caused by the seasonal thawing of carbon dioxide ice instead. Multiple images of this spot taken at different times in the planet’s seasonal year reveal that these channels form in the Martian winter, when water ice is still frozen, but the more volatile carbon dioxide could be able to flow in some way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961964\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961964 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/40953024715_a5e01d0907_6k.jpg 1919w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Seasonal gullies carved into the sandy slope of Mars’ Russell Crater, likely caused by thawing of carbon dioxide ice. Image taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. \u003ccite>(NASA/UA/HiRISE)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Swiss cheese’ Terrain at Mars’ Southern Polar Ice Cap\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smooth patches of carbon-dioxide ice rise 10 meters above surrounding \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/multimedia/20070830-004989_0945.html\">blob-shaped depressions\u003c/a>. This is another of Mars’ unearthly artforms made possible by seasonal temperatures low enough to freeze carbon dioxide from the thin air, which is eaten away as the season warms to form pits and other spectacular features.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961966\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://hirise-pds.lpl.arizona.edu/PDS/EXTRAS/RDR/PSP/ORB_005000_005099/PSP_005095_0935/PSP_005095_0935_RED.browse.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961966 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/32581039467_2646d0211f_4k.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Swiss cheese’ formations at Mars’ south pole, caused by seasonal thawing of carbon dioxide ice. Image taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. \u003ccite>(NASA/UA/HiRISE)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jupiter’s Masterpiece of Motion\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restless and complex cloud tops and deep atmosphere of Jupiter give Earth’s best artists some serious competition. Wrapped around a circular storm cell, an atmospheric jet stream stirs up magnificent and mind-bending swirls, eddies and vortices for us to behold through the eye of \u003ca href=\"https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/\">NASA’s Juno spacecraft\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961968\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA22944.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961968 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/pia22944.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jupiter’s clouds stirred by a strong jet stream wrapped around a storm cell in the high northern latitudes. Image taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. \u003ccite>(NASA/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sunset on Pluto\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fifteen minutes after its closest approach to \u003ca href=\"https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/dwarf-planets/pluto/overview/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pluto\u003c/a>, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft took this image, capturing smooth icy plains and some of the dwarf planet’s mountain ranges. The layers of Pluto’s thin, hazy atmosphere are backlit by the near setting sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961971\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA19948.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961971 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/nh-apluto-wide-9-17-15-final_0.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Limb of Pluto caught near sunset, 15 minutes after NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made its closest approach to the dwarf planet. \u003ccite>(NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Curiosity Snaps a Selfie\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NASA’s Curiosity rover paused to take \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8631/nasas-curiosity-mars-rover-takes-a-new-selfie-before-record-climb/?site=msl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this selfie \u003c/a>on Feb. 26, 2020, before turning to climb the ridgeline of crumbling rock seen here in the background. Curiosity is alive and well and continuing its climb up Mount Sharp, in Gale Crater, investigating the geology for clues to Mars’ climatic history, and if the planet was ever capable of supporting life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961973\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/system/downloadable_items/44678_PIA23624_hutton_selfie.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961973 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/PIA23624_hutton_selfie.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Selfie’ taken by NASA’s rover Curiosity on February 26, 2020. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crab Nebula: Supernova Remnant Fireworks Burst\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A supernova observed and recorded by Chinese and Japanese astronomers in A.D. 1054 marks the spot in the sky that telescopes later discovered the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/messier-1-the-crab-nebula\">Crab Nebula\u003c/a>, a cloud of hot gas expanding outward and dissipating into space. By virtue of that ancient observation, the Crab is the first supernova remnant whose parent star’s explosion was witnessed by human eyes. Below, images captured by different modern observatories were combined to form this stunning composite. A high-resolution visual image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope is layered with a radio image from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and an X-ray image from the Chandra X-ray Telescope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961974\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hvi/uploads/image_file/image_attachment/30064/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961974 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/STSCI-H-p1721a-m-2000x2000.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composite visible, radio and X-ray image of the Crab Nebula supernova remnant, whose parent star was observed to explode in 1054 CE. Visible image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, radio image by the VLA, and X-ray image by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. \u003ccite>(NASA/STScI)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sweeping View of the Cosmos\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/press-releases/panstarrs_release/\">Pan-STARRS observatory\u003c/a> at the summit of Haleakala on Maui, Hawaii, produced this mosaic map of every part of the sky viewable from the observatory’s latitude, combining a half-million images into one extraordinary view. Contained within this image are over 800 million celestial objects, including the ghostly sweep of the Milky Way galaxy’s stars and an obscuring disk of gas and dust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961989\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961989 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-800x449.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-768x431.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Pan-STARRS_skySurvey_CMYK400dpi.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mosaic image of the entire sky viewable from the Pan-STARRS observatory on Maui, Hawaii, composed of half a million individual images captured over four years. \u003ccite>(Danny Farrow, Pan-STARRS1 Science Consortium and Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crater on Far Side of Moon\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Always hidden from Earth’s gaze, located on the far side of the moon in the southern polar region, is Antoniadi Crater, an impact crater 80 miles in diameter that resides in a much vaster depression. This picture, taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, captures one end of Antoniadi from an oblique angle. The crater wall sweeping across the background \u003ca href=\"http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/898\">rises almost 2.5 miles\u003c/a> above the floor, and the “little” crater in the foreground would engulf the city of San Francisco. Fun fact: The bottom of the small foreground crater contains the lowest point on the moon’s surface, about 4.75 miles below mean surface level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961979 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/M1146021973_LRmos.warp_.str01.60in_26in.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oblique view of a portion of the moon’s Antoniadi Crater, captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. \u003ccite>(NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lunar South Pole Illumination Map\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This \u003ca href=\"http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/991\">unusual looking picture\u003c/a> of the moon’s south pole is a composite map made from images taken \u003ca href=\"https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/lunar-south-pole-atlas/movies/Clementine_spole480.mp4\">every two hours over a full lunar day\u003c/a> (about four weeks on Earth). The brightness of each pixel tells how much sunlight that spot receives in the course of the moon’s day, white representing the most sunlight and black where sunlight never falls. Here at the moon’s south pole, the sun never rises far above the horizon, and sunlight shines across the landscape at a grazing angle. The black areas show places of permanent shadow, where observations have confirmed the presence of water ice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1961980\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/images/content/506629main_pole4x3_full.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1961980 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/SouthPoleIllumMap_small.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Illumination map composite image of the moon’s south pole showing total sunlight exposure over a lunar day. Black indicates crater and canyon floors that never receive direct sunlight and are known to harbor water ice. \u003ccite>(NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Find Your Favorite\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The multitude of captivating, awe-inspiring, and just plain run-of-the-mill stunning \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">space images available online\u003c/a> is nothing short of astronomical. Browse their image galleries in search of your own collection of faves; you’ll soon find your hours of isolation melting away in breathtaking wonder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Benjamin Burress has been a staff astronomer at Chabot Space & Science Center since July 1999. Before that he served on the crew of NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory at Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, and was the Head Observer at the Naval Prototype Optical Interferometer program at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. He has written over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ben-burress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">300 pieces\u003c/a> on astronomy and space exploration for KQED since 2007. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "NASA’s Been Social Distancing Astronauts and Spacecraft for Decades. Why? Just in Case...",
"headTitle": "NASA’s Been Social Distancing Astronauts and Spacecraft for Decades. Why? Just in Case… | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Even before the worldwide outbreak of novel coronavirus, we were all familiar with social distancing and other practices to prevent the spread of disease in society: Staying home from work when sick; coughing into our arms; getting an annual flu vaccination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But did you know that NASA has been engaged in these practices, on an interplanetary scale, for decades?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Planetary Protection\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NASA’s Office of \u003ca href=\"https://sma.nasa.gov/sma-disciplines/planetary-protection\">Planetary Protection\u003c/a> has established policies for preventing the transfer of terrestrial microbes and organic materials to other planets and moons in our solar system, as well as the protection of Earth from extraterrestrial organisms that might be carried back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1960882\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1960882\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Viking_Oven.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"594\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Viking_Oven.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Viking_Oven-160x132.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">NASA’s Viking lander (packed inside its protective reentry shell) is prepared for biological sterilization in a giant oven built for this purpose. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These policies are designed to mitigate accidental cross-contamination by missions of exploration where a “stay-at-home” approach just doesn’t work. These practices include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Building sterile, or “\u003ca href=\"https://www.universetoday.com/143792/panel-says-that-nasa-isnt-doing-enough-to-protect-other-worlds-from-earth-life/\">low biological burden\u003c/a>,” spacecraft to minimize the possibility of terrestrial microbes and organic material “hitchhiking” to other worlds\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Designing flight plans that prevent physical contact with other bodies in the solar system\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Creating plans for handling collected \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/11/bold-space-mission-bring-back-rocks-mars-takes-shape\">samples \u003c/a>that have been brought back to Earth for laboratory study, in order to prevent extraterrestrial organisms — if they exist — from contaminating Earth’s biosphere.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ensuring Astronauts Don’t Pick Up an Astro-bug\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early days of solar system expeditions, there were many unknowns with respect to extraterrestrial life — the biggest being, of course, is there any?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea that the moon might harbor some form of contagion, though considered unlikely, prompted NASA to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-apollo-11-astronauts-leave-quarantine\">quarantine the astronauts\u003c/a> of Apollos 11, 12 and 14 by housing them in special isolation trailers for three weeks following their return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of these trailers is currently on display at the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda — though, ironically, you can’t go there right now because of our current quarantine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To this day we have not detected evidence of life beyond Earth, but we have learned a lot more about how terrestrial life has adapted to living under very extreme conditions on our planet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003ca href=\"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/extremophile.html\">Extremophile\u003c/a>” life forms thrive in Earth’s coldest, darkest, hottest, and most toxic environments — on the deep ocean floor, around geothermal hot springs, under Antarctic ice. Their adaptability and \u003ca href=\"https://futurism.com/organism-eats-meteorites-find-alien-life\">tenacity\u003c/a> both encourage and caution us that life might be found on other worlds in our solar system, and tell us that we must take great care in exploring them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mars Vehicles Sterilized\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mars’ surface is now home to nine retired and still serving robotic landers and rovers, as well as a few derelicts and the wreckage of unsuccessful landings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before leaving Earth, these vehicles were painstakingly sterilized to prevent the inadvertent transfer of terrestrial extremophiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, because if there is indigenous Martian life — perhaps thriving in wet, underground environments — we don’t want to introduce an invasion of Earthling microbes that might cause a Martian pandemic. It would be a disaster if we accidentally wiped out organisms that have managed to survive Mars’ cold, dry environment for billions of years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1960885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1960885\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist rendition of NASA’s next Mars rover, Perseverance, which will look for signs of past Martian life in Jezero Crater and collect samples of rock and soil for possible return to Earth by future missions. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The other reason not to contaminate Mars, or any other world we explore, is simply so that we don’t interfere with our \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/programmissions/science/goal1/\">search for life there\u003c/a>. A robotic explorer carrying a sensitive life-detecting experiment might produce confusing results if it detected terrestrial extremophiles instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Incinerating Spacecraft\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Planetary protection also includes spacecraft never intended to land on other worlds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/galileo/\">Galileo \u003c/a>spacecraft in the Jupiter system and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-cassini-spacecraft-ends-its-historic-exploration-of-saturn\">Cassini\u003c/a> at Saturn weren’t designed to land on anything, but they could have eventually run out of fuel needed to maneuver, becoming derelicts that might one day crash into a moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1960887\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 768px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1960887\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/137_GalileoEnd768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/137_GalileoEnd768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/137_GalileoEnd768-160x75.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of NASA’s Galileo spacecraft burning up in Jupiter’s atmosphere in a deliberate disposal maneuver designed to protect any life that may exist on Jovian moons like Europa. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because an astounding outcome of both missions was the discovery of \u003ca href=\"https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a14555/water-worlds-in-our-solar-system/\">moons that possess liquid water\u003c/a>, and the tantalizing possibility of life-harboring environments, NASA sent both spacecraft on fiery plummets into Jupiter and Saturn’s atmospheres, incinerating any possible biological material that could have contaminated those moons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Speculating on the Damage From an ET Virus\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What would an extraterrestrial organism do to us if it were to contaminate Earth’s biosphere? The answer, of course, would depend on the nature of the organism, and if it could even survive in Earth’s environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Science fiction writers have taken stabs at speculating such an event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Crichton’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMbSpnlOOtE\">The Andromeda Strain\u003c/a>” dramatically envisions the arrival of an extraterrestrial pathogen on Earth, and scientists’ heroic efforts to curtail a pandemic that would dwarf the current COVID-19 crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1960889\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 785px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1960889\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/The_War_of_the_Worlds_by_Henrique_Alvim_Corr%C3%AAa_orginal_graphic_05.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"785\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/The_War_of_the_Worlds_by_Henrique_Alvim_Corrêa_orginal_graphic_05.jpg 785w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/The_War_of_the_Worlds_by_Henrique_Alvim_Corrêa_orginal_graphic_05-160x204.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/The_War_of_the_Worlds_by_Henrique_Alvim_Corrêa_orginal_graphic_05-768x978.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 785px) 100vw, 785px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Illustration from the 1906 French edition of H. G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” \u003ccite>(Henrique Alvim Corréa)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>H. G. Wells’ novel “\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/welles-scares-nation\">The War of the Worlds\u003c/a>” takes a reverse approach to the idea of interplanetary contamination when an invading armada of Martians is ultimately destroyed by their lack of immunity to terrestrial microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, while we continue our safe social distancing and stay-at-home efforts against terrestrial bugs, we can find some comfort in NASA’s own safe solar-system exploration practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Even before the worldwide outbreak of novel coronavirus, we were all familiar with social distancing and other practices to prevent the spread of disease in society: Staying home from work when sick; coughing into our arms; getting an annual flu vaccination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But did you know that NASA has been engaged in these practices, on an interplanetary scale, for decades?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Planetary Protection\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NASA’s Office of \u003ca href=\"https://sma.nasa.gov/sma-disciplines/planetary-protection\">Planetary Protection\u003c/a> has established policies for preventing the transfer of terrestrial microbes and organic materials to other planets and moons in our solar system, as well as the protection of Earth from extraterrestrial organisms that might be carried back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1960882\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1960882\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Viking_Oven.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"594\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Viking_Oven.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/Viking_Oven-160x132.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">NASA’s Viking lander (packed inside its protective reentry shell) is prepared for biological sterilization in a giant oven built for this purpose. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These policies are designed to mitigate accidental cross-contamination by missions of exploration where a “stay-at-home” approach just doesn’t work. These practices include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Building sterile, or “\u003ca href=\"https://www.universetoday.com/143792/panel-says-that-nasa-isnt-doing-enough-to-protect-other-worlds-from-earth-life/\">low biological burden\u003c/a>,” spacecraft to minimize the possibility of terrestrial microbes and organic material “hitchhiking” to other worlds\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Designing flight plans that prevent physical contact with other bodies in the solar system\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Creating plans for handling collected \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/11/bold-space-mission-bring-back-rocks-mars-takes-shape\">samples \u003c/a>that have been brought back to Earth for laboratory study, in order to prevent extraterrestrial organisms — if they exist — from contaminating Earth’s biosphere.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ensuring Astronauts Don’t Pick Up an Astro-bug\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early days of solar system expeditions, there were many unknowns with respect to extraterrestrial life — the biggest being, of course, is there any?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea that the moon might harbor some form of contagion, though considered unlikely, prompted NASA to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-apollo-11-astronauts-leave-quarantine\">quarantine the astronauts\u003c/a> of Apollos 11, 12 and 14 by housing them in special isolation trailers for three weeks following their return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of these trailers is currently on display at the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda — though, ironically, you can’t go there right now because of our current quarantine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To this day we have not detected evidence of life beyond Earth, but we have learned a lot more about how terrestrial life has adapted to living under very extreme conditions on our planet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003ca href=\"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/extremophile.html\">Extremophile\u003c/a>” life forms thrive in Earth’s coldest, darkest, hottest, and most toxic environments — on the deep ocean floor, around geothermal hot springs, under Antarctic ice. Their adaptability and \u003ca href=\"https://futurism.com/organism-eats-meteorites-find-alien-life\">tenacity\u003c/a> both encourage and caution us that life might be found on other worlds in our solar system, and tell us that we must take great care in exploring them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mars Vehicles Sterilized\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mars’ surface is now home to nine retired and still serving robotic landers and rovers, as well as a few derelicts and the wreckage of unsuccessful landings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before leaving Earth, these vehicles were painstakingly sterilized to prevent the inadvertent transfer of terrestrial extremophiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, because if there is indigenous Martian life — perhaps thriving in wet, underground environments — we don’t want to introduce an invasion of Earthling microbes that might cause a Martian pandemic. It would be a disaster if we accidentally wiped out organisms that have managed to survive Mars’ cold, dry environment for billions of years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1960885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1960885\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/21383_PIA22111_1600.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist rendition of NASA’s next Mars rover, Perseverance, which will look for signs of past Martian life in Jezero Crater and collect samples of rock and soil for possible return to Earth by future missions. \u003ccite>(NASA/JPL-Caltech)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The other reason not to contaminate Mars, or any other world we explore, is simply so that we don’t interfere with our \u003ca href=\"https://mars.nasa.gov/programmissions/science/goal1/\">search for life there\u003c/a>. A robotic explorer carrying a sensitive life-detecting experiment might produce confusing results if it detected terrestrial extremophiles instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Incinerating Spacecraft\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Planetary protection also includes spacecraft never intended to land on other worlds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/galileo/\">Galileo \u003c/a>spacecraft in the Jupiter system and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-cassini-spacecraft-ends-its-historic-exploration-of-saturn\">Cassini\u003c/a> at Saturn weren’t designed to land on anything, but they could have eventually run out of fuel needed to maneuver, becoming derelicts that might one day crash into a moon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1960887\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 768px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1960887\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/137_GalileoEnd768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/137_GalileoEnd768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/137_GalileoEnd768-160x75.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist concept of NASA’s Galileo spacecraft burning up in Jupiter’s atmosphere in a deliberate disposal maneuver designed to protect any life that may exist on Jovian moons like Europa. \u003ccite>(NASA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because an astounding outcome of both missions was the discovery of \u003ca href=\"https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a14555/water-worlds-in-our-solar-system/\">moons that possess liquid water\u003c/a>, and the tantalizing possibility of life-harboring environments, NASA sent both spacecraft on fiery plummets into Jupiter and Saturn’s atmospheres, incinerating any possible biological material that could have contaminated those moons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Speculating on the Damage From an ET Virus\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What would an extraterrestrial organism do to us if it were to contaminate Earth’s biosphere? The answer, of course, would depend on the nature of the organism, and if it could even survive in Earth’s environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Science fiction writers have taken stabs at speculating such an event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Crichton’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMbSpnlOOtE\">The Andromeda Strain\u003c/a>” dramatically envisions the arrival of an extraterrestrial pathogen on Earth, and scientists’ heroic efforts to curtail a pandemic that would dwarf the current COVID-19 crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1960889\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 785px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1960889\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/The_War_of_the_Worlds_by_Henrique_Alvim_Corr%C3%AAa_orginal_graphic_05.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"785\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/The_War_of_the_Worlds_by_Henrique_Alvim_Corrêa_orginal_graphic_05.jpg 785w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/The_War_of_the_Worlds_by_Henrique_Alvim_Corrêa_orginal_graphic_05-160x204.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/04/The_War_of_the_Worlds_by_Henrique_Alvim_Corrêa_orginal_graphic_05-768x978.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 785px) 100vw, 785px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Illustration from the 1906 French edition of H. G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” \u003ccite>(Henrique Alvim Corréa)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>H. G. Wells’ novel “\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/welles-scares-nation\">The War of the Worlds\u003c/a>” takes a reverse approach to the idea of interplanetary contamination when an invading armada of Martians is ultimately destroyed by their lack of immunity to terrestrial microbes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, while we continue our safe social distancing and stay-at-home efforts against terrestrial bugs, we can find some comfort in NASA’s own safe solar-system exploration practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "heres-something-you-can-do-outside-stargazing-our-easy-guide-to-the-night-sky",
"title": "Here's Something You CAN Do Outside: Stargazing. Our Easy Guide to the Night Sky",
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"content": "\u003cp>If you’ve never really learned about the night sky, now is a great time do it. Parents can teach their children about the stars, and anyone can get out of the house and stargaze, keeping plenty of appropriate physical distance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, on a clear evening, stop streaming movies, step outside, and look up! Here’s your guide to how and what to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Keep it Simple\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The early spring has one of year’s most magnificent evening displays of bright stars. So, even if you live in the city, where stars compete with \u003ca href=\"https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/\">urban light pollution\u003c/a>, you can still see a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1959848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1959848\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-800x269.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-800x269.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-768x259.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-1020x343.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-1920x646.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A layer of low fog over the East Bay highlights the problem of urban light pollution, the light from cities that sets the atmosphere above aglow and makes stargazing a challenge. \u003ccite>(Carter Roberts)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of stars up there. The best advice for beginners is this: pick one specific region of the sky, and get to know what’s there. Don’t worry about learning the names of all the stars and the constellations. That can come later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Sampler Pack of the Evening Spring Sky\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To begin, here’s a way to choose a small patch of the night sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next few weeks, after the evening twilight has faded, around 8 or 9 p.m., find a safe location nearby, one with a clear view of the sky. Get comfortable, and look to the southwest — to the left of where the sun set.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Venus\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first thing you will notice is an extremely bright object shining almost directly west, a couple of hand-spans above the horizon. It is intense, and, unlike the stars around it, \u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/space/why-dont-planets-twinkle-as-stars-do\">shines steadily without twinkling\u003c/a>. It’s not a star; it’s the planet Venus. Fun fact: Planets don’t twinkle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1959845\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1959845\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium-800x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium-800x576.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium.jpg 879w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The southwestern portion of the sky in late March, around 9:00 p.m. Image created using the free desktop planetarium software, Stellarium. \u003ccite>(Stellarium)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Venus is currently playing its role as the “Evening Star,” and will remain in the early western sky for several weeks to come. As the weeks pass, though, Venus will start sinking into the twilight. And by mid-May, the planet will disappear in the glow of dusk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://nineplanets.org/venus/\">Venus\u003c/a> is the brightest of the planets, and the third brightest object in the sky, outshined only by the moon and sun. Here’s why: first, Venus is very close to Earth — so close that the light entering your eyes bounced off Venus only minutes ago! Second, it’s a big planet, about as big as Earth. And, third, Venus is completely covered in cloud and reflects much of the sunlight shining on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem> Sirius, the Dog Star\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Venus, you will find several very bright stars across this patch of sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Far to the left, almost directly to the south and about the same distance above the horizon as Venus, is the brilliant star \u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/sirius-the-brightest-star\">Sirius\u003c/a>, also called the “Dog Star,” because it belongs to the constellation Canis Major, the “Greater Dog.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth] Sirius appears bluish-white, but you might see glints and flashes of prismatic colors in its light as it twinkles: red, green, yellow. This is caused by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/49-refraction-of-light\">refraction \u003c/a>of Sirius’ light in Earth’s atmosphere, the same phenomenon that produces rainbows from water droplets and the spectrum of colors split by a prism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sirius is bright enough to stimulate the color-sensitive “cone” cells in your retinas, not just the black-and-white “rod” cells. In general, stars are not bright enough for your eyes to detect any color, though there are exceptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Betelgeuse\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of those exceptions can be found near Sirius. Look up and to the right of Sirius and you will find the bright orange-red star, \u003ca href=\"https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/what-will-a-betelgeuse-supernova-look-like-from-earth\">Betelgeuse\u003c/a>. Betelgeuse is located at the “shoulder” of the constellation Orion, the Hunter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Betelgeuse’s color isn’t caused by refraction in Earth’s atmosphere. It comes from the star itself. Betelgeuse is a “red giant” star, an older star that has blown up to an enormous size, over 800 times larger than the sun—which accounts for its brightness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Winter Triangle\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sirius and Betelgeuse are two members of a pattern of stars called the \u003ca href=\"https://www.constellation-guide.com/winter-triangle/\">Winter Triangle,\u003c/a> a large equilateral triangle. The third star of the Triangle is found above Sirius and to the left of Betelgeuse. It’s called Procyon, and it belongs to the constellation Canis Minor, or the Lesser Dog. In Greek mythology, Orion the hunter has two dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, marked by Sirius and Procyon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Winter Triangle is not a constellation, but a simpler and unofficial pattern of stars called an \u003ca href=\"https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asterism\">“asterism.”\u003c/a> Like the often more complicated and storied constellations, asterisms help identify different parts of the night sky, like signposts. The sky is full of asterisms, and as you learn more about the skies in different seasons, you’ll learn to recognize them, along with the constellations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Orion’s Belt\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, there’s another asterism not far away from the Winter Triangle. Located below Betelgeuse is a row of three stars that are equally bright, and equally spaced apart. This is \u003ca href=\"https://nineplanets.org/orions-belt/\">Orion’s Belt\u003c/a>, one of the easiest star patterns to find and recognize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Meteor Shower Treat: The Lyrids \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With this beginner’s crash course in sky exploration under your belt, you’re in for a treat! There’s an upcoming meteor shower.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1959850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1959850\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/meteors-leonids-carter-roberts-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/meteors-leonids-carter-roberts-2.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/meteors-leonids-carter-roberts-2-160x90.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Timed exposure image of meteor trails produced by the Leonids meteor shower. \u003ccite>(Carter Roberts)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After midnight on April 21st, and throughout the early morning hours of April 22nd, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/\">Lyrids meteor shower\u003c/a> will reach its peak of activity for the year, producing as many as 20 meteors per hour. All you must do is stay up past midnight, or set your alarm clock for 2 or 3 a.m., and gaze into the eastern sky until you see one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Websites for Beginners\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are plenty of online resources to help you explore the night sky and its constellations and asterisms. They can also alert you to upcoming celestial events like meteor showers and eclipses. Here are a few for starters:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/sky-at-a-glance/\">Sky and Telescope’s “This Week’s Sky at a Glance” \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/tonight\">Earthsky, Tonight \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/\">Time And Date, Night Sky\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-astronomy-apps/\">several good phone apps\u003c/a>, for iOS and Android, that will help you find your way around the sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As you gaze casually at the twinkling patterns of stars in your sky, you may find your curiosity teasing you to explore deeper questions about the universe we exist in. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thoughtco.com/closest-stars-to-earth-3073628\">How far away\u003c/a> are the stars? What are they made of? \u003ca href=\"https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/educators/lessons/star_size/\">How big\u003c/a> and hot are they really? Do any of them have \u003ca href=\"https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/\">planets\u003c/a>, and what might those worlds be like? The good news is, there are answers to these questions!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s another teaser to get you thinking: Look down at your hand. Every atom of carbon, oxygen, iron, and many other elements that make up your body comes from inside the cores of stars that lived and died before the sun and Earth even existed. Curious? Explore!\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>If you’ve never really learned about the night sky, now is a great time do it. Parents can teach their children about the stars, and anyone can get out of the house and stargaze, keeping plenty of appropriate physical distance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, on a clear evening, stop streaming movies, step outside, and look up! Here’s your guide to how and what to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Keep it Simple\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The early spring has one of year’s most magnificent evening displays of bright stars. So, even if you live in the city, where stars compete with \u003ca href=\"https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/\">urban light pollution\u003c/a>, you can still see a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1959848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1959848\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-800x269.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-800x269.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-768x259.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-1020x343.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/low-fog-1920x646.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A layer of low fog over the East Bay highlights the problem of urban light pollution, the light from cities that sets the atmosphere above aglow and makes stargazing a challenge. \u003ccite>(Carter Roberts)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of stars up there. The best advice for beginners is this: pick one specific region of the sky, and get to know what’s there. Don’t worry about learning the names of all the stars and the constellations. That can come later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Sampler Pack of the Evening Spring Sky\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To begin, here’s a way to choose a small patch of the night sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next few weeks, after the evening twilight has faded, around 8 or 9 p.m., find a safe location nearby, one with a clear view of the sky. Get comfortable, and look to the southwest — to the left of where the sun set.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Venus\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first thing you will notice is an extremely bright object shining almost directly west, a couple of hand-spans above the horizon. It is intense, and, unlike the stars around it, \u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/space/why-dont-planets-twinkle-as-stars-do\">shines steadily without twinkling\u003c/a>. It’s not a star; it’s the planet Venus. Fun fact: Planets don’t twinkle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1959845\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1959845\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium-800x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium-800x576.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/southwesternsky-march23-stellarium.jpg 879w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The southwestern portion of the sky in late March, around 9:00 p.m. Image created using the free desktop planetarium software, Stellarium. \u003ccite>(Stellarium)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Venus is currently playing its role as the “Evening Star,” and will remain in the early western sky for several weeks to come. As the weeks pass, though, Venus will start sinking into the twilight. And by mid-May, the planet will disappear in the glow of dusk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://nineplanets.org/venus/\">Venus\u003c/a> is the brightest of the planets, and the third brightest object in the sky, outshined only by the moon and sun. Here’s why: first, Venus is very close to Earth — so close that the light entering your eyes bounced off Venus only minutes ago! Second, it’s a big planet, about as big as Earth. And, third, Venus is completely covered in cloud and reflects much of the sunlight shining on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem> Sirius, the Dog Star\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Venus, you will find several very bright stars across this patch of sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Far to the left, almost directly to the south and about the same distance above the horizon as Venus, is the brilliant star \u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/sirius-the-brightest-star\">Sirius\u003c/a>, also called the “Dog Star,” because it belongs to the constellation Canis Major, the “Greater Dog.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> Sirius appears bluish-white, but you might see glints and flashes of prismatic colors in its light as it twinkles: red, green, yellow. This is caused by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/49-refraction-of-light\">refraction \u003c/a>of Sirius’ light in Earth’s atmosphere, the same phenomenon that produces rainbows from water droplets and the spectrum of colors split by a prism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sirius is bright enough to stimulate the color-sensitive “cone” cells in your retinas, not just the black-and-white “rod” cells. In general, stars are not bright enough for your eyes to detect any color, though there are exceptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Betelgeuse\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of those exceptions can be found near Sirius. Look up and to the right of Sirius and you will find the bright orange-red star, \u003ca href=\"https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/what-will-a-betelgeuse-supernova-look-like-from-earth\">Betelgeuse\u003c/a>. Betelgeuse is located at the “shoulder” of the constellation Orion, the Hunter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Betelgeuse’s color isn’t caused by refraction in Earth’s atmosphere. It comes from the star itself. Betelgeuse is a “red giant” star, an older star that has blown up to an enormous size, over 800 times larger than the sun—which accounts for its brightness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Winter Triangle\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sirius and Betelgeuse are two members of a pattern of stars called the \u003ca href=\"https://www.constellation-guide.com/winter-triangle/\">Winter Triangle,\u003c/a> a large equilateral triangle. The third star of the Triangle is found above Sirius and to the left of Betelgeuse. It’s called Procyon, and it belongs to the constellation Canis Minor, or the Lesser Dog. In Greek mythology, Orion the hunter has two dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, marked by Sirius and Procyon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Winter Triangle is not a constellation, but a simpler and unofficial pattern of stars called an \u003ca href=\"https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asterism\">“asterism.”\u003c/a> Like the often more complicated and storied constellations, asterisms help identify different parts of the night sky, like signposts. The sky is full of asterisms, and as you learn more about the skies in different seasons, you’ll learn to recognize them, along with the constellations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Orion’s Belt\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, there’s another asterism not far away from the Winter Triangle. Located below Betelgeuse is a row of three stars that are equally bright, and equally spaced apart. This is \u003ca href=\"https://nineplanets.org/orions-belt/\">Orion’s Belt\u003c/a>, one of the easiest star patterns to find and recognize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Meteor Shower Treat: The Lyrids \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With this beginner’s crash course in sky exploration under your belt, you’re in for a treat! There’s an upcoming meteor shower.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1959850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1959850\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/meteors-leonids-carter-roberts-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/meteors-leonids-carter-roberts-2.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/03/meteors-leonids-carter-roberts-2-160x90.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Timed exposure image of meteor trails produced by the Leonids meteor shower. \u003ccite>(Carter Roberts)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After midnight on April 21st, and throughout the early morning hours of April 22nd, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/\">Lyrids meteor shower\u003c/a> will reach its peak of activity for the year, producing as many as 20 meteors per hour. All you must do is stay up past midnight, or set your alarm clock for 2 or 3 a.m., and gaze into the eastern sky until you see one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Websites for Beginners\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are plenty of online resources to help you explore the night sky and its constellations and asterisms. They can also alert you to upcoming celestial events like meteor showers and eclipses. Here are a few for starters:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/sky-at-a-glance/\">Sky and Telescope’s “This Week’s Sky at a Glance” \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://earthsky.org/tonight\">Earthsky, Tonight \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/\">Time And Date, Night Sky\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-astronomy-apps/\">several good phone apps\u003c/a>, for iOS and Android, that will help you find your way around the sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As you gaze casually at the twinkling patterns of stars in your sky, you may find your curiosity teasing you to explore deeper questions about the universe we exist in. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thoughtco.com/closest-stars-to-earth-3073628\">How far away\u003c/a> are the stars? What are they made of? \u003ca href=\"https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/educators/lessons/star_size/\">How big\u003c/a> and hot are they really? Do any of them have \u003ca href=\"https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/\">planets\u003c/a>, and what might those worlds be like? The good news is, there are answers to these questions!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s another teaser to get you thinking: Look down at your hand. Every atom of carbon, oxygen, iron, and many other elements that make up your body comes from inside the cores of stars that lived and died before the sun and Earth even existed. Curious? Explore!\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>If you’ve looked closely at a calendar lately, you may have noticed the bonus day at the end of February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yep, 2020 is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.timeanddate.com/date/leapyear.html\">leap year\u003c/a>, and February 29, the rarest of days, gives us an extra 24 hours of winter—even if they feel more like spring. As an extra bonus, if your birthday falls after February, you get one more day being younger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What will you do with your calendar dividend?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Leap Year Is a Lull in Time\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Broadly speaking, the extra day is added to leap year for the same reason a clock needs occasional adjustment: a small error in the clock’s ability to track time gradually builds up to an amount that we notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the case of leap year, we add a day to the end of February (which doesn’t have enough days anyway) to correct for a difference in the length of the calendar year and the actual length of an \u003ca href=\"http://planetfacts.org/tropical-year/\">astronomical, or seasonal, year\u003c/a>. Julius Caesar started the practice, based on influence from the Egyptian calendar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1957589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 750px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1957589\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/tropical-common-leap1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/tropical-common-leap1.jpg 750w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/tropical-common-leap1-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram showing the relatives lengths of a tropical (seasonal, or solar) year, a common year and a leap year. \u003ccite>(TimeAndDate.com)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We base our calendars and clocks on whole numbers, but the cycles of nature rarely care about that\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong> The actual length of a year—the time it takes Earth to revolve once around the sun—is not precisely 365 days, but 365.2422 days. So, with each passing calendar year, the additional quarter-day compounds, adding up to a full day of mismatch every four years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, we add a “leap day” to slow our calendars down and let Earth catch up. Leap years occur on years that are multiples of four, except those divisible by 100 (in case you want to map out leap years of the future).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Other Kinds of Leaps\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of the modern would uses the common Gregorian solar calendar, in which the first day of the year, January 1, always takes place at the same tick-mark in Earth’s orbit around the sun. But many cultures still observe aspects of their own traditional calendar systems, for various purposes. These may include celebrating a cultural New Year, setting important events like weddings and traditional festivals, and other events specific to a culture and history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1957588\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1957588\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-800x320.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-800x320.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-160x64.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-768x307.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-1020x408.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-1920x768.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram representing the motion of the moon around the Earth, over a portion of Earth’s revolution around the sun. \u003ccite>(Orion 8)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/about-chinese.html\">traditional Chinese calendar\u003c/a> is a “lunisolar” system, based not only on the solar seasonal cycle, but the moon’s phase cycle as well. And as usually happens when humans try to impose a bookkeeping mentality on nature’s messy fractional cycles, the Chinese calendar is synchronized to the solar and lunar periods with its own leap year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each traditional Chinese month begins at new moon and is 29.5 days long, the period until the next new moon. Do the math. There are 12.37 lunar months in a year. So, to keep the lunar months in close synchronization with the seasons, the Chinese leap year has an extra month added, for a total of 13.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Leap Second?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It may sound finicky, but our modern technological world has given birth to the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/news/a-very-short-history-of-the-leap-second\">leap second\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The modern world sets its clocks to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC, also called Greenwich Mean Time). The highly precise UTC atomic clock is kept to within one second of mean solar time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1957586\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1957586\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/greenwich-clock-800x1491.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1491\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/greenwich-clock.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/greenwich-clock-160x298.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/greenwich-clock-768x1431.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">On public display at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, this clock was historically used to announce the official astronomical time to the public. \u003ccite>(Royal Observatory)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But while an atomic clock meters time with such precision that it will only deviate by a second in over a million years, the “Earth clock” doesn’t follow in perfect lock-step. Mean solar time, based on the sun’s average daily motion caused by the Earth’s rotation, is gradually slowing, very minutely, requiring timekeepers to add a second every now and then to the UTC atomic clock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while the steady decline of Earth’s spin, caused by tidal interactions with moon and sun, is predictable, other factors that affect its rotation are more variable. For example, the shifting bulk of ice caps and glaciers as they grow and melt (more melt lately), the rise and fall of magma and ocean currents, and other natural factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So,\u003cem> when\u003c/em> timekeepers add a leap second depends on how Earth’s rotational variations behave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Strolling With Nature\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It doesn’t matter what natural cycle humans frame our timekeeping preferences around — we have to make adjustments to make it fit, like a one-size-fits-none piece of clothing. Nature strolls to the tempo of its own symphony, and we have the glorious luxury of free-falling into Earth’s clock, once every four years.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>If you’ve looked closely at a calendar lately, you may have noticed the bonus day at the end of February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yep, 2020 is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.timeanddate.com/date/leapyear.html\">leap year\u003c/a>, and February 29, the rarest of days, gives us an extra 24 hours of winter—even if they feel more like spring. As an extra bonus, if your birthday falls after February, you get one more day being younger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What will you do with your calendar dividend?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Leap Year Is a Lull in Time\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Broadly speaking, the extra day is added to leap year for the same reason a clock needs occasional adjustment: a small error in the clock’s ability to track time gradually builds up to an amount that we notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the case of leap year, we add a day to the end of February (which doesn’t have enough days anyway) to correct for a difference in the length of the calendar year and the actual length of an \u003ca href=\"http://planetfacts.org/tropical-year/\">astronomical, or seasonal, year\u003c/a>. Julius Caesar started the practice, based on influence from the Egyptian calendar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1957589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 750px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1957589\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/tropical-common-leap1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/tropical-common-leap1.jpg 750w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/tropical-common-leap1-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram showing the relatives lengths of a tropical (seasonal, or solar) year, a common year and a leap year. \u003ccite>(TimeAndDate.com)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We base our calendars and clocks on whole numbers, but the cycles of nature rarely care about that\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong> The actual length of a year—the time it takes Earth to revolve once around the sun—is not precisely 365 days, but 365.2422 days. So, with each passing calendar year, the additional quarter-day compounds, adding up to a full day of mismatch every four years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, we add a “leap day” to slow our calendars down and let Earth catch up. Leap years occur on years that are multiples of four, except those divisible by 100 (in case you want to map out leap years of the future).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Other Kinds of Leaps\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of the modern would uses the common Gregorian solar calendar, in which the first day of the year, January 1, always takes place at the same tick-mark in Earth’s orbit around the sun. But many cultures still observe aspects of their own traditional calendar systems, for various purposes. These may include celebrating a cultural New Year, setting important events like weddings and traditional festivals, and other events specific to a culture and history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1957588\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1957588\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-800x320.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-800x320.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-160x64.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-768x307.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-1020x408.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/Moon_phases_en-1920x768.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram representing the motion of the moon around the Earth, over a portion of Earth’s revolution around the sun. \u003ccite>(Orion 8)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/about-chinese.html\">traditional Chinese calendar\u003c/a> is a “lunisolar” system, based not only on the solar seasonal cycle, but the moon’s phase cycle as well. And as usually happens when humans try to impose a bookkeeping mentality on nature’s messy fractional cycles, the Chinese calendar is synchronized to the solar and lunar periods with its own leap year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each traditional Chinese month begins at new moon and is 29.5 days long, the period until the next new moon. Do the math. There are 12.37 lunar months in a year. So, to keep the lunar months in close synchronization with the seasons, the Chinese leap year has an extra month added, for a total of 13.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Leap Second?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It may sound finicky, but our modern technological world has given birth to the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/news/a-very-short-history-of-the-leap-second\">leap second\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The modern world sets its clocks to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC, also called Greenwich Mean Time). The highly precise UTC atomic clock is kept to within one second of mean solar time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1957586\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1957586\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/greenwich-clock-800x1491.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1491\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/greenwich-clock.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/greenwich-clock-160x298.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/02/greenwich-clock-768x1431.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">On public display at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, this clock was historically used to announce the official astronomical time to the public. \u003ccite>(Royal Observatory)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But while an atomic clock meters time with such precision that it will only deviate by a second in over a million years, the “Earth clock” doesn’t follow in perfect lock-step. Mean solar time, based on the sun’s average daily motion caused by the Earth’s rotation, is gradually slowing, very minutely, requiring timekeepers to add a second every now and then to the UTC atomic clock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while the steady decline of Earth’s spin, caused by tidal interactions with moon and sun, is predictable, other factors that affect its rotation are more variable. For example, the shifting bulk of ice caps and glaciers as they grow and melt (more melt lately), the rise and fall of magma and ocean currents, and other natural factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So,\u003cem> when\u003c/em> timekeepers add a leap second depends on how Earth’s rotational variations behave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Strolling With Nature\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It doesn’t matter what natural cycle humans frame our timekeeping preferences around — we have to make adjustments to make it fit, like a one-size-fits-none piece of clothing. Nature strolls to the tempo of its own symphony, and we have the glorious luxury of free-falling into Earth’s clock, once every four years.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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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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"meta": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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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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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"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",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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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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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"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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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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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.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"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. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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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. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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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/",
"meta": {
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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": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"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
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
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