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Study: Carbonaceous chondrite impact responsible for lunar water

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3 years ago

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Study: Carbonaceous chondrite impact responsible for lunar water

According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a Chinese research team used data from the Chang’e-4 lunar probe to determine that a water-rich meteorite hit the moon about 1 million years ago.

Liu Yang of the National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences told Xinhua that the impact is believed to be related to carbonaceous chondrites, a type of water-rich asteroid. Liu is the corresponding author of the study, which was published in the journal Natural Astronomy.

Carbonaceous chondrites are considered to be one of the oldest celestial bodies in the solar system, rich in water and organic matter. Scientists believe that they are probably related to the origin of life on Earth.

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According to Liu, if a carbonaceous chondrite hits the moon, some of the water it carries may remain on the moon.

A previous study showed that impacts are one of the main sources of water on the moon, as well as volcanic eruptions and solar wind.

On the ninth lunar day of the mission, the rover Yutu-2 of the Chang’e-4 probe encountered a small impact crater with a depth of 15 to 20 centimeters and performed detailed spectral measurements.

After analyzing the high-resolution remote sensing images and hyperspectral data of Yutu-2, the researchers identified the material around the center of the crater as the remnants of the impact of the carbonaceous chondrite.

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Liu said that previous studies have found carbonaceous chondrite fragments in lunar samples brought back by the Apollo program, but this is the first time that carbonaceous chondrite impact residues have been directly observed on the lunar surface through remote sensing.

The research team estimates that the impact event occurred as long as 1 million years ago-a short time period compared with the geological time scale since the formation of the moon, roughly equivalent to a few minutes ago in a person’s life.

Therefore, the team concluded that carbonaceous chondrite impacts are still providing water for the moon.

He said that Liu’s team is still using data from the Chinese Mars probe Tianwen-1 to study the ancient water environment of the red planet.

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Nasa’s old map of Jupiter, which reminds many of dosa, has gone viral once more

Published

3 years ago

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May 25, 2022

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Nasa’s old map of Jupiter, which reminds many of dosa, has gone viral once more

Certain images or videos frequently resurface on the Internet, leaving people speechless. When those clips or pictures are shared again on one social media platform or another, they create a buzz. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) created and posted this image of a map of Jupiter online a few years ago. After being shared on Twitter, the image drew a lot of attention this time. And, as usual, the image made people think of dosa, a popular South Indian dish.

The image was shared by the Twitter account Latest in Space. “From the very bottom of Jupiter, I’m looking up. While tweeting the image, they wrote, “Seen by NASA Cassini.” The images from the Cassini spacecraft’s narrow-angle camera were used to create this out-of-this-world image, which is part of a coloured map series produced by the space agency.

The article was published a few days ago. The tweet has received nearly 20,000 likes since it was shared, and the number is growing. The tweet has been retweeted more than 2,000 times. Take a look at some of the comments to see how the image of Jupiter looks like dosa.

A Twitter user commented, “Looks like a designer dosa.” “When I rush to pick up a call, this is what happens to my dosa on the dosa pan,” one joked. “This is how my mother makes Dosa,” a third said. “Jupiter in the making,” wrote a fourth, along with a photo of someone preparing – you guessed it – dosa.

 

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