Hi; Moon we are back!!!

[GeneChing]

China's Yutu 2 rover spots cube-shaped 'mystery hut' on far side of the moon
By Andrew Jones published 2 days ago

It's likely a large boulder excavated by an ancient lunar impact.

China’s Yutu 2 rover has spotted a mystery object on the horizon while working its way across Von Kármán crater on the far side of the moon.

Yutu 2 spotted a cube-shaped object on the horizon to the north and roughly 260 feet (80 meters) away in November during the mission's 36th lunar day, according to a Yutu 2 diary published by Our Space, a Chinese language science outreach channel affiliated with the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Our Space referred to the object as a "mystery hut" (神秘小屋/shenmi xiaowu), but this a placeholder name rather than an accurate description.


This zoomed-in image shows a closer look at a cube shape spotted by China's Yutu 2 rover on the far side of the moon. (Image credit: CNSA/Our Space)
Team scientists have expressed a strong interest in the object and Yutu 2 is now expected to spend the next 2-3 lunar days (2-3 Earth months) traversing lunar regolith and avoiding craters to get a closer look, so updates can be expected.

A likely explanation for the shape would be a large boulder which has been excavated by an impact event.


An image from China's Yutu 2 showing a cube-shaped object on the horizon on the far side of the moon. (Image credit: CNSA/Our Space)

The solar-powered Yutu 2 and Chang’e 4 lander made the first ever landing on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3, 2019, and the rover has been rolling through the 115-mile-wide (186 kilometers) Von Kármán crater ever since.

Chang'e 4, like its name suggests, is China's fourth moon mission and second to deliver a rover on the moon. The Chang'e 1 and 2 missions were orbiters, with Chang'e 3 landing on the near side of the moon with the first Yutu rover. China has also launched the Chang'e 5 T1 test mission around the moon and the Chang'e 5 moon sample return mission.

monolith...?

[GeneChing]

Super Flower Blood Moon 2022: Everything to know for the total lunar eclipse
By Elizabeth Howell published 6 days ago

It will be visible in parts of the Americas, Antarctica, Europe, Africa, the east Pacific, New Zealand, eastern Europe and the Middle East.


A Blood Moon total lunar eclipse will occur on May 15-16, 2022 and will look similar to this view of one from July 2018. Here's everything you need to know about the event. (Image credit: ESA/CESAR–M.Castillo)

The first lunar eclipse of 2022 will take place on May 15 and 16, depending on your time zone.

A total lunar eclipse, which happens as the full moon moves into the deep umbral shadow of the Earth, will be visible in total phase from portions of the Americas, Antarctica, Europe, Africa and the east Pacific. Meanwhile, a penumbral eclipse, an event arising when the moon is in the lighter penumbral shadow from our planet, will be visible in New Zealand, eastern Europe and the Middle East. Eclipse scientist Fred Espenak has listed May 15th's full moon as a so-called supermoon, in which the full moon is at perigee (its closest to Earth of the month), making it a Super Blood Moon eclipse.

While timing depends on your location, TimeandDate.com says the partial eclipse begins May 15 at 10:28 p.m. EDT (0228 GMT on May 16). The Blood Moon will peak May 16 at 12:11 a.m. EDT (0411 GMT). Then the event ends at 1:55 a.m. EDT (0555 GMT). Note the penumbral moon phase of the eclipse will begin about an hour earlier and end about an hour after the partial eclipse.

If you're hoping to photograph the moon, or want to prepare your gear for the total lunar eclipse, check out our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography. Read our guides on how to photograph a lunar eclipse, as well as how to photograph the moon with a camera for some helpful tips to plan out your lunar photo session.

This will be the first of two lunar eclipses in 2022. The next one will take place on Nov. 8, 2022. It will be visible at least partially from Asia, Australia, North America, parts of northern and eastern Europe, the Arctic and most of South America, according to TimeandDate.com.

2023 will also see two lunar eclipses. The first will be May 5 to 6, 2023; it's another penumbral one visible, at least partially, from southern and eastern Europe, Antarctica, most of Asia, Australia, Africa as well as the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans.

The second will be a partial eclipse on Oct. 28 to 29 visible at least partially from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, northern and eastern South America, the Arctic, Antarctica and the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of the May 15 to 16 lunar eclipse.

WHAT TIME IS THE BLOOD MOON AND HOW TO WATCH ONLINE?

While the visibility of the eclipse depends on your region, timeanddate.com has information about when the eclipse begins and ends globally. The partial eclipse begins May 15 at 10:28 p.m. EDT (0228 GMT on May 16).

The Blood Moon comes to the fore on May 16 at 12:11 a.m. EDT (0411 GMT). All eclipse phases end 1:55 a.m. EDT (0555 GMT). (If you're in the region of the penumbral eclipse, it will be roughly an hour earlier and end about an hour after the partial eclipse.)

We also have some livestreams of the event on YouTube, embedded below. First up is NASA Science Live, which starts at 9:32 p.m. May 15 (0132 GMT May 16.) It will include a discussion on eclipses, moon science and the agency's moon-landing Artemis program.

Astronomy broadcasting service Slooh's webcast starts on May 15 at 9:30 p.m. EDT (May 16 0130 GMT). You should hear from astronomy enthusiasts about the eclipse and its cultural significance. Slooh only plans to showcase the total phase publicly, with the partial eclipse covered in a members-only Discord channel.

There is also the broadcast from TimeandDate.com. Starting at 10 p.m. EDT May 15 (0200 GMT May 16), it plans to broadcast the entire event as long as the weather is cooperative.

There will likely be more webcasts as we get closer to the May 15-16 event. We'll share those here in a dedicated webcast guide as we learn more.

Hope it's clear tomorrow night so I can see this.

[GeneChing]

Strawberry supermoon of June rises on Tuesday. Here's what to expect.
By Jeff Spry published about 22 hours ago
The first of four summer supermoons rises on Tuesday and here’s what to expect

As summer nears, thoughts of fresh berries for strawberry shortcake are usually in order, but June is also blessed with what Native American cultures have nicknamed the Full Strawberry Moon, and this year is extra special as it will also be designated as a supermoon to add to its lunar appeal.

June's full moon, normally seen as the final full moon of spring or the first of summer, is traditionally called the Strawberry Moon. In a season filled with four supermoons (they occur monthly from May to August), June's lunar event reaches its peak on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:51 a.m. EDT (1151 GMT).

If bad weather clouds your Tuesday night sky, you can see the Strawberry supermoon of June live online in a free webcast from the Virtual Telescope Project(opens in new tab) in Ceccano, Italy. It will begin at 3:15 p.m. EDT (1915 GMT).

Supermoons are typically defined as any full moon situated at a distance of at least 90% of perigee (that point where the moon is nearest Earth). June’s full moon finds itself at 222,238.4 miles (357,658 km) from our planet when it rises at dusk. Moon lovers should point their gaze in the southeast direction after sunset as the Strawberry Moon lifts elegantly up over the horizon.


A full moon during perigee, known as a supermoon, rises behind Horton Tower in England in this photo by astrophotographer Tom Ormerod. (Image credit: Tom Ormerod)

Those living in North American time zones will experience this celestial happening later that same evening. For exact times, check out this Moonrise and Moonset Calculator(opens in new tab) from the Farmer's Almanac to learn when it will occur in your region.

Supermoons are often known to appear slightly larger than a normal full moon, up to 30% brighter and 17% larger, but in reality it seem to appear much the same, observed as a bright orb casting a slight golden tint. While the actual time of the full moon is instantaneous on Tuesday, it will appear full to the casual observer from June 13-15.

The Full Strawberry Moon gets its name from its occurrence during the brief harvest season for its namesake strawberries. That name and other colorful full moon monikers found in the pages of The Old Farmer's Almanac are derived from multiple sources, including Native American influences, colonial American traditions, and Old World European customs. Names for full or new moons were historically used to monitor certain seasons but in modern times we mostly use them as evocative nicknames that harken back to simpler days.

For avid amateur astronomers wishing to photograph the moon, check out our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography guides for helpful tips. You can also read our timely suggestions on how to photograph the moon with a camera to perfect your lunar photo session.

Editor's Note: If you snap an amazing moon photo and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

I was out last night and the moon was stunning.

[GeneChing]

China Discovers Stunning Crystal on the Moon, Nuclear Fusion Fuel for Limitless Energy
The find makes China the third country to discover a new mineral on the Moon, and the country says it's analyzed the soil for rare helium-3.
Becky Ferreira
By Becky Ferreira
September 14, 2022, 6:00am

[IMG]https://video-images.vice.com/articles/6320ed06863d22009b94af6f/lede/1663102571441-screen-shot-2022-09-13-at-45539-pm.png?crop=0.9673xw:0.9988xh;0.0327xw,0xh&resize= 500:*[/IMG]
IMAGE: TWITTER/@PDCHINA
210329_MOTHERBOARD_ABSTRACT_LOGO
ABSTRACT breaks down mind-bending scientific research, future tech, new discoveries, and major breakthroughs.

China has discovered a crystal from the Moon made of a previously unknown mineral, while also confirming that the lunar surface contains a key ingredient for nuclear fusion, a potential form of effectively limitless power that harnesses the same forces that fuel the Sun and other stars.

The crystal is part of a batch of lunar samples collected by China’s Chang’e-5 mission, which landed on the Moon in 2020, loaded up with about four pounds of rocks, and delivered them to Earth days later. After carefully sifting through the samples—which are the first Moon rocks returned to Earth since 1976—scientists at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology spotted a single crystal particle, with a diameter smaller than the width of a human hair.

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The crystal is made of the novel mineral Changesite—(Y), named after the Chinese Moon goddess, Chang’e, that also inspired China’s series of lunar missions. It was confirmed as a new mineral on Friday by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA), according to the Chinese state-run publication Global Times.

Changesite—(Y) is the sixth new mineral to be identified in Moon samples, and the first to be discovered by China. Before China, only the U.S. and Russia could claim to have discovered a new Moon mineral. It is a transparent crystal that formed in a region of the northern lunar near-face that was volcanically active about 1.2 billion years ago.

According to state media, the new lunar samples also contain helium-3, a version of the element helium that has long fascinated scientists—and science fiction creators—because of its potential as a nuclear fusion fuel source. This hypothetical form of power aims to harness energy released by atoms that merge under tremendous pressures, such as those in the interiors of stars. Starlight is a ubiquitous product of nuclear fusion, but human-made fusion reactors will still likely take decades to develop, assuming they are feasible at all.

Sign up for Motherboard’s daily newsletter for a regular dose of our original reporting, plus behind-the-scenes content about our biggest stories.

That said, if these reactors do become a reality, helium-3 would be a good fuel candidate because it produces less radioactive byproducts and nuclear waste compared to other atoms. Whereas helium-3 is incredibly scarce on Earth, it is abundant on the Moon, a disparity that has stoked dreams of mining the material on the lunar surface.

Along those lines, China has joined the United States, and other nations, in expressing interest in extracting resources from the Moon in the future.

Fascinating...

[GeneChing]

2025? I should live so long...

Auspicious for the midterms however. Rock the Vote!

What time is the Blood Moon total lunar eclipse on Nov. 8?
By Tariq Malik published about 24 hours ago
Here's an awesome timeline for the Beaver Blood Moon lunar eclipse of Nov. 8.

The last total lunar eclipse until 2025 will turn the moon blood-red on Tuesday, Nov. 8, but exactly when you should look up depends on where you are.

The eclipse, dubbed the Beaver Blood Moon lunar eclipse since it occurs during November's Full Beaver Moon, will be visible across North America, the Pacific, Australia and Asia. During the eclipse, the full moon will pass through Earth's shadow as it moves behind our planet with respect to the sun, giving it a spectacular bloody color in the process. You can watch the total lunar eclipse on Space.com for free, courtesy of several webcasts from observatories across the United States.

Tuesday's "blood moon" eclipse will begin at 3:02 a.m. EST (0803 GMT) when the moon begins to enter the outermost region of Earth's shadow. You'll have to adjust the time for your time zone (it begins at 12:02 a.m. PST for observers on the U.S. West Coast, for example). While this marks the official beginning of the lunar eclipse, it can be hard to see as the Earth's penumbral shadow is very slight.


This NASA graphic shows the stages of the total lunar eclipse of Nov. 8, 2022 in Eastern time as the moon moves from right to left. (Image credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio)

Looking for a telescope for the lunar eclipse? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 (opens in new tab) as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide.
"The moon begins to dim, but the effect is quite subtle," NASA wrote (opens in new tab) in an eclipse timeline.

More striking will be the partial eclipse phase, which will begin at 4:09 a.m. EST (0909 GMT) and last just over an hour. This is when the moon enters the Earth's umbra, or darker portion of the Earth's shadow. If you didn't notice the penumbral eclipse, you should be able to see this with your unaided eye.

"To the naked eye, as the moon moves into the umbra, it looks like a bite is being taken out of the lunar disk," NASA wrote in its guide.

Blood moon lunar eclipse timeline for Nov. 8, 2022
Millestone EST PST GMT
Penumbral eclipse begins 3:02 a.m. 12:02 a.m. 0802
Partial eclipse begins 4:09 a.m. 1:09 a.m. 0909
Totality begins 5:17 a.m. 2:17 a.m. 1017
Totality ends 6:42 a.m. 3:42 a.m. 1142
Partial eclipse ends Moon has set 4:49 a.m. 1249
Penumbral eclipse ends Moon has set 5:50 a.m 1350

Source: NASA


A map showing where the November 8, 2022 lunar eclipse is visible. Contours mark the edge of the visibility region at eclipse contact times. (Image credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio)

If you take a photo of the last total lunar eclipse until 2025 let us know! You can send images and comments to spacephotos@space.com.
The real show begins at totality, when the entire moon enters the umbra. On Nov. 8, this will occur at 5:17 a.m. EST (1017 GMT) and will last about 85 minutes, ending at 6:42 a.m. EST (1142 GMT), according to NASA.

"The moon will turn a coppery-red. Try binoculars or a telescope for a better view," NASA wrote. "If you want to take a photo, use a camera on a tripod with exposures of at least several seconds.

If you are hoping to photograph the moon, check out our guides on how to photograph a lunar eclipse and how to photograph the moon with a camera. You can prepare for your next moon observing session with our guides to the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.

Once the total phase of the lunar eclipse ends, it will return a partial phase in a reverse of the what we saw at the beginning of the eclipse. The partial phase will end at 7:49 a.m. EST (4:49 a.m. PST, 1249 GMT), but by this time the moon will have set for Eastern time zone observers. For those in locations where the moon is still visible, the final penumbral phase will last until 8:50 a.m. EST (5:50 a.m. PST, 1350 GMT).

And those are the times for the Nov. 8 total lunar eclipse! If you miss this lunar event, the next total lunar eclipse will occur on March 14, 2025, though there will be partial lunar eclipses in 2023 and 2024. Of course, there is a full moon every month, so you can practice your lunar photography and observing all year in advance of the next moon eclipse.

Editor's Note: If you snap an amazing lunar eclipse photo and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.