International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025 | United Nations
Image Date: Feb. 11, 2025
Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025 | United Nations
Drier Lunar Far Side Offers Insight on Moon's Evolution: Chinese Study
The latest discovery from rock samples returned by China's Chang'e-6 lunar mission reveals that the Moon's mantle contains less water on the far side compared to the near side, suggesting that the "hidden hemisphere," that always faces away from Earth, tends to be much drier.
Published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, a new study by Chinese scientists found that the water content in each gram of the thick rocky layer beneath the Moon's far side surface is less than 2 micrograms, the lowest record ever reported.
Previous studies on samples from the lunar near side have shown that the water concentrations within the Moon's interior could reach up to 200 micrograms per gram.
"Currently, we have measured the water content in the basaltic mantle source region of Chang'e 6, and it is approximately less than 2 micrograms per gram. The result we have obtained from the near side of the Moon is around 7.5 micrograms per gram. This means that the water content in the mantle on the far side of the Moon is even lower than that on the near side," said Hu Sen, a research fellow from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.The global scientific community widely believes that the Moon was formed when a Mars-sized object collided with Earth 4.5 billion years ago. During this extremely hot impact event, the Moon was thought to be depleted of water and other volatile elements.
Over the past two decades, there has been debate about whether the water content in the Moon's mantle, the middle layer between its surface and its core, is abundant or scarce, and all the published estimates were derived from the near side samples of the Moon.
The Chang'e-6 lunar probe, launched in early May 2024, landed in the Moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin and returned to Earth in late June with more than 1,935 grams of the first-ever samples from the less-known far side of the Moon.
The Moon samples used in this study weigh 5 grams, consisting of 578 particles ranging in size from 0.1 to 1.5 millimeters. These particles were carefully sieved and hand-selected, with 28 percent of them being mare basalt fragments.
The newly found disparity in the Moon's internal water content is of great significance. It may offer a fresh insight into the Moon's formation and evolution.
"The water on the Moon we are talking about is mostly water from the Moon's interior, which is related to the processes of its origin, evolution, and formation. Our country's Chang'e 7 mission will focus on issues related to lunar surface water in the future," said Hu.
The findings of this study also hold significant implications for future lunar exploration tasks, as water on the Moon is key to long-term human settlement.
Antarctica at The Terminator | Fram2 Mission to Earth's Poles | SpaceX
Fram2 Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips (Australia): "The sharp horizon bookending this clip shows the stark contrast between Earth and the void of space. In the middle we see the annual polar night over central Antarctica, caused by the South Pole’s annual tilt away from the sun."
The line that separates day from night on Earth is known as the terminator.
The Fram2 Mission crew members were the first humans to view the Earth’s polar regions from space.
The Fram2 crew successfully returned to Earth on Friday, April 4, 2025 in their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, splashing down off the coast of California.
Cascading Meteors over Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona
The decommissioned NSF McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope was the largest solar telescope in the world and is now being given new life as a dynamic astronomy visualization and presentation center focused on astronomy funded by NSF. With the public opening scheduled for mid-2025, visitors can expect an experience built on NOIRLab’s foundational principle of Discovering Our Universe Together.
Rob Sparks, the photographer, is a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.
Using ‘X-Ray Eyes’ to Find Hidden Black Holes | NASA’s NuSTAR Mission
Most supermassive black holes in the universe are hiding, but NASA’s NuSTAR mission can find them by using high-energy X-rays. In this video, NuSTAR lead scientist Peter Boorman explains how this space telescope penetrates thick gas and dust to reveal black holes that other telescopes cannot see. Watch to learn as well what finding and studying black holes can reveal about the way galaxies grow and evolve.
Short for Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, NuSTAR has been operating since 2012. Recently, scientists combined 10 years of data with measurements from other missions, including the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), and they now estimate at least 35 percent of the feeding supermassive black holes in the universe are hidden. Determining the number of hidden versus unobscured black holes can help scientists understand how they get so big.
NuSTAR launched on June 13, 2012. A Small Explorer mission led by Caltech in Pasadena, California, and managed by JPL for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, it was developed in partnership with the Danish Technical University (DTU) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The telescope optics were built by Columbia University, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and DTU. The spacecraft was built by Orbital Sciences Corp. in Dulles, Virginia. NuSTAR’s mission operations center is at the University of California, Berkeley, and the official data archive is at NASA’s High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center. ASI provides the mission’s ground station and a mirror data archive. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.
Planet Mars Images: April 6-9, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers
Dark Matter Gravitational Lensing | NOIRLab
This visualization shows dark matter distorting the light from background galaxies.
Most of the universe is made of stuff we have never seen. Its gravity drives normal matter (gas and dust) to collect and build up into stars, galaxies, and massive galaxy clusters. Visible matter reveals itself by shining brightly, but astronomers detect dark matter by its gravitational influence on the light we see. By looking at the area around massive galaxy clusters, astronomers can identify warped background galaxies gravitationally lensed by the cluster and reverse-engineer their distortions.
Learn more about dark matter at NASA:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/science-highlights/shining-a-light-on-dark-matter/
Asteroid 2024 YR4: Moon Impact Risk Assessment | NOIRLab's Gemini South
2024 YR4 was first detected on December 27, 2024, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). At the time, the asteroid made a close approach to Earth, passing at a distance of just 0.017 astronomical units (approximately 2.5 million kilometers, or 1.5 million miles). Initial uncertainty regarding its trajectory warranted further investigation, leading astronomers to secure critical special Director's Discretionary Time on Gemini South for follow-up observations using the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on February 7, 2025.
In late January 2025, one month after its discovery, 2024 YR4 rose above the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) notification threshold of 1% probability of a future impact with Earth, projected for December 22, 2032. This potential threat gained international attention among the public and the media. With further analysis, the Earth impact probability then dropped below 1% in late February. While the asteroid will miss Earth during this encounter, there remains a few percent chance it could hit the Moon instead.
Interested in characterizing the now famous asteroid, the team of astronomers, led by Bryce Bolin of Eureka Scientific, used the Gemini South telescope in Chile, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, partly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab, to capture images of it in multiple wavelengths.
US & Russian Soyuz MS-27 Crew: Before Launch at Baikonur Cosmodrome: Part 2
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
US & Russian Soyuz MS-27 Crew: Before Launch at Baikonur Cosmodrome: Part 1
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
New Comet Discovered: Introducing Comet SWAN25F.jpg)
Amateur astronomers are monitoring a bright new comet easily detectable by backyard telescopes. Introducing, Comet SWAN25F . . .
The comet is named after the SWAN camera onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). Australian amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo noticed the comet in online images. SWAN is a special camera that maps hydrogen in the solar wind. This suggests the comet may be rich in the element.
"The comet's tail is at least 2 degrees long," says Michael Jaeger, who teamed up with Gerald Rhemann to photograph the comet low in the morning sky from Weißenkirchen, Austria:
"At the turn of the month, the comet could become brighter than 5th magnitude," predicts Jaeger.
"The comet appears to be brightening quite quickly," says Nick James of the British Astronomical Association. "It is too early to predict what the peak brightness will be. We need a few more days of observations to confirm the current trend, but it should become at least a binocular object."
#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Earth #Comets #Comet #CometSWAN25F #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #MichaelMattiazzo #MichaelJaeger #GeraldRhemann #Astrophotographers #Austria #Australia #STEM #Education
Jonny Kim: “Lifelong Learning” | NASA Astronaut Moments | Johnson Space Center
Dedicated to a life full of learning, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim is well-prepared for his first mission to the International Space Station, where he will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to support future space missions and to provide benefits to people on Earth.
The former Navy SEAL and emergency medicine resident launched on a Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft on April 8, 2025, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky of Russia. Jonny Kim will serve as a flight engineer and member of the Expedition 72/73 crew for approximately eight months.
How Do Astronauts Practice Self-Care in Space? | International Space Station
Everyone needs a little self-care. However, what does that look like for astronauts orbiting 250 miles above Earth? See how crew members may turn to music, movies, and more to unwind and recharge.
NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) uses research to develop methods to protect the health and performance of astronauts in space. With the goal of traveling to Mars and beyond, HRP is using ground research facilities, the International Space Station, and analog environments to enable cutting-edge science.
Learn more about the ongoing research exploring human health in space at NASA’s Human Research Program: www.nasa.gov/hrp
US & Russian Soyuz MS-27 Crew Arrival | International Space Station
At 7:28 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the hatch opened between the International Space Station and the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky of Russia. Earlier at 4:57 a.m. EDT, the spacecraft docked to the International Space Station’s Prichal module.
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
US & Russian Soyuz MS-27 Crew: Rocket Liftoff in Kazakhstan
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
US & Russian Soyuz MS-27 Crew: Pre-launch Activities in Kazakhstan
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.