TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
February 12, 2025
Asteroid Bennu Holds the Building Blocks of Life
What can a space rock tell us about life on Earth? NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a careful approach to the near-Earth asteroid 101955 Bennu in October of 2020 to collect surface samples. In September 2023, the robotic spaceship returned these samples to Earth. A recent analysis has shown, surprisingly, that the samples contained 14 out of the 20 known amino acids that are the essential building blocks of life. The presence of the amino acids re-introduces a big question: Could life have originated in space? However, the protein building blocks themselves held another surprise they contained an even mixture of left-handed and right-handed amino acids in contrast to our Earth which only has left-handed ones. This raises another big question: Why does life on Earth have only left-handed amino acids? Research on this is sure to continue.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukCSRYcjSQw
Even the blind can see?
NASA Telescopes Deliver Stellar Bouquet in Time for Valentine’s Day
Feb 12, 2025
A bouquet of thousands of stars in bloom has arrived. This composite image contains the deepest X-ray image ever made of the spectacular star forming region called 30 Doradus.
By combining X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue and green) with optical data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (yellow) and radio data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (orange), this stellar arrangement comes alive.
Otherwise known as the Tarantula Nebula, 30 Dor is located about 160,000 light-years away in a small neighboring galaxy to the Milky Way known as the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).
Because it one of the brightest and populated star-forming regions to Earth, 30 Dor is a frequent target for scientists trying to learn more about how stars are born.
With enough fuel to have powered the manufacturing of stars for at least 25 million years, 30 Dor is the most powerful stellar nursery in the local group of galaxies that includes the Milky Way, the LMC, and the Andromeda galaxy.
The massive young stars in 30 Dor send cosmically strong winds out into space. Along with the matter and energy ejected by stars that have previously exploded, these winds have carved out an eye-catching display of arcs, pillars, and bubbles.
A dense cluster in the center of 30 Dor contains the most massive stars astronomers have ever found, each only about one to two million years old. (Our Sun is over a thousand times older with an age of about 5 billion years.)
This new image includes the data from a large Chandra program that involved about 23 days of observing time, greatly exceeding the 1.3 days of observing that Chandra previously conducted on 30 Dor.
The 3,615 X-ray sources detected by Chandra include a mixture of massive stars, double-star systems, bright stars that are still in the process of forming, and much smaller clusters of young stars.
There is a large quantity of diffuse, hot gas seen in X-rays, arising from different sources including the winds of massive stars and from the gas expelled by supernova explosions.
This data set will be the best available for the foreseeable future for studying diffuse X-ray emission in star-forming regions.
The long observing time devoted to this cluster allows astronomers the ability to search for changes in the 30 Dor’s massive stars.
Several of these stars are members of double star systems and their movements can be traced by the changes in X-ray brightness.
A paper describing these results appears in the July 2024 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program.
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
Visual Description
This release features a highly detailed composite image of a star-forming region of space known as 30 Doradus, shaped like a bouquet, or a maple leaf.
30 Doradus is a powerful stellar nursery. In 23 days of observation, the Chandra X-ray telescope revealed thousands of distinct star systems.
Chandra data also revealed a diffuse X-ray glow from winds blowing off giant stars, and X-ray gas expelled by exploding stars, or supernovas.
In this image, the X-ray wind and gas takes the shape of a massive purple and pink bouquet with an extended central flower, or perhaps a leaf from a maple tree.
The hazy, mottled shape occupies much of the image, positioned just to our left of center, tilted slightly to our left. Inside the purple and pink gas and wind cloud are red and orange veins, and pockets of bright white light.
The pockets of white light represent clusters of young stars. One cluster at the heart of 30 Doradus houses the most massive stars astronomers have ever found.
The hazy purple and pink bouquet is surrounded by glowing dots of green, white, orange, and red. A second mottled purple cloud shape, which resembles a ring of smoke, sits in our lower righthand corner.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-telescopes-deliver-stellar-bouquet-in-time-for-valentines-day/
https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.06528
Democrat calls on NASA administrator to revoke Musk’s access to headquarters
02/12/25 9:51 AM ET
Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday urged the acting head of NASA to revoke tech billionaire Elon Musk’s access to the space agency’s headquarters, citing an extreme conflict of interest.
“Since January 20, 2025, Mr. Musk has enjoyed nearly unfettered access to data across several government agencies and offices.
At the same time, SpaceX is NASA’s largest private contractor, receiving nearly $2.3 billion from the agency in Fiscal Year 2023,” Meng wrote in a letter to acting Administrator Janet Petro.
“Providing such access to Mr. Musk at NASA would create a blatant, multi-billion-dollar conflict of interest — exactly the kind of coziness between government and industry and corruption that my constituents fear happens in Washington,” she added.
The New York representative even went to visit the agency in person to raise concerns with Musk’s access.
The SpaceX and Tesla CEO joined President Trump in the Oval Office Tuesday, addressing concerns with a suggested conflict of interest as Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency‘s (DOGE) efforts to overhaul the government, including dismantling agencies, and slash federal spending.
“The people voted for major government reform and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk said about DOGE’s moves during the presser. “That’s what democracy is all about.”
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has also pressed the administration this week for info on Musk’s compliance with ethics and reporting requirements.
In a letter addressed to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Schiff said as a “special government employee,” the tech billionaire is subject to federal criminal conflict of interest statutes — which bar government staffers from participating in matters where they have a financial interest.
Trump on Tuesday said he is closely monitoring Musk’s work and will quickly combat any conflicts of interest or a lack of transparency.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5140317-grace-meng-elon-musk-access-nasa/
https://meng.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/meng.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/NASA%20re%20doge%20021125.pdf
https://www.schiff.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20250210-Sen-Schiff-Letter-to-COS-Wiles-on-Musk.pdf
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NASA Fire Safety Test Took on Reduced Gravity
Feb 12, 2025
An experiment studying how solid materials catch fire and burn in the Moon’s gravity was launched on Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital flight this month.
Developed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland together with Voyager Technologies, the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation (LUCI) will help researchers determine if conditions on the Moon – with reduced gravity – might be a more hazardous environment for fire safety.
On this flight, LUCI tested flammability of cotton-fiberglass fabric and plastic rods, and once launched, the payload capsule rotated at a speed to simulate lunar gravity. NASA Glenn researchers will analyze data post-flight.
LUCI’s findings will help NASA and its partners design safe spacecraft and spacesuits for future Moon and Mars missions.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-fire-safety-test-took-on-reduced-gravity/
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-tests-in-simulated-lunar-gravity-to-prep-payloads-for-moon/
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Captures Colorful Clouds Drifting Over Mars
Feb 11, 2025
While the Martian clouds may look like the kind seen in Earth’s skies, they include frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice.
Red-and-green-tinted clouds drift through the Martian sky in a new set of images captured by NASA’s Curiosity rover using its Mastcam — its main set of “eyes.”
Taken over 16 minutes on Jan. 17 (the 4,426th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity’s mission), the images show the latest observations of what are called noctilucent (Latin for “night shining”), or twilight clouds, tinged with color by scattering light from the setting Sun.
Sometimes these clouds even create a rainbow of colors, producing iridescent, or “mother-of-pearl” clouds. Too faint to be seen in daylight, they’re only visible when the clouds are especially high and evening has fallen.
Martian clouds are made of either water ice or, at higher altitudes and lower temperatures, carbon dioxide ice. (Mars’ atmosphere is more than 95% carbon dioxide.)
The latter are the only kind of clouds observed at Mars producing iridescence, and they can be seen near the top of the new images at an altitude of around 37 to 50 miles (60 to 80 kilometers).
They’re also visible as white plumes falling through the atmosphere, traveling as low as 31 miles (50 kilometers) above the surface before evaporating because of rising temperatures.
Appearing briefly at the bottom of the images are water-ice clouds traveling in the opposite direction roughly 31 miles (50 kilometers) above the rover.
Dawn of Twilight Clouds
Twilight clouds were first seen on Mars by NASA’s Pathfinder mission in 1997; Curiosity didn’t spot them until 2019, when it acquired its first-ever images of iridescence in the clouds.
This is the fourth Mars year the rover has observed the phenomenon, which occurs during early fall in the southern hemisphere.
Mark Lemmon, an atmospheric scientist with the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, led a paper summarizing Curiosity’s first two seasons of twilight cloud observations, which published late last year in Geophysical Research Letters.
“I’ll always remember the first time I saw those iridescent clouds and was sure at first it was some color artifact,” he said. “Now it’s become so predictable that we can plan our shots in advance; the clouds show up at exactly the same time of year.”
Each sighting is an opportunity to learn more about the particle size and growth rate in Martian clouds. That, in turn, provides more information about the planet’s atmosphere.
Cloud Mystery
One big mystery is why twilight clouds made of carbon dioxide ice haven’t been spotted in other locations on Mars. Curiosity, which landed in 2012, is on Mount Sharp in Gale Crater, just south of the Martian equator.
Pathfinder landed in Ares Vallis, north of the equator. NASA’s Perseverance rover, located in the northern hemisphere’s Jezero Crater, hasn’t seen any carbon dioxide ice twilight clouds since its 2021 landing.
Lemmon and others suspect that certain regions of Mars may be predisposed to forming them.
A possible source of the clouds could be gravity waves, he said, which can cool the atmosphere: “Carbon dioxide was not expected to be condensing into ice here, so something is cooling it to the point that it could happen.
But Martian gravity waves are not fully understood and we’re not entirely sure what is causing twilight clouds to form in one place but not another.”
Mastcam’s Partial View
The new twilight clouds appear framed in a partially open circle. That’s because they were taken using one of Mastcam’s two color cameras: the left 34 mm focal length Mastcam, which has a filter wheel that is stuck between positions.
Curiosity’s team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California remains able to use both this camera and the higher-resolution right 100 mm focal length camera for color imaging.
The rover recently wrapped an investigation of a place called Gediz Vallis channel and is on its way to a new location that includes boxwork — fractures formed by groundwater that look like giant spiderwebs when viewed from space.
More recently, Curiosity visited an impact crater nicknamed “Rustic Canyon,” capturing it in images and studying the composition of rocks around it.
The crater, 67 feet (20 meters) in diameter, is shallow and has lost much of its rim to erosion, indicating that it likely formed many millions of years ago.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/mars-science-laboratory/nasas-curiosity-rover-captures-colorful-clouds-drifting-over-mars/
NASA’s X-59 Turns Up Power, Throttles Through Engine Tests
Feb 11, 2025
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft took another successful step toward flight with the conclusion of a series of engine performance tests.
In preparation for the X-59’s planned first flight this year, NASA and Lockheed Martin successfully completed the aircraft’s engine run tests in January.
The engine, a modified F414-GE-100 that powers the aircraft’s flight and integrated subsystems, performed to expectations during three increasingly complicated tests that ran from October through January at contractor Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California.
“We have successfully progressed through our engine ground tests as we planned,” said Raymond Castner, X-59 propulsion lead at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.
“We had no major showstoppers. We were getting smooth and steady airflow as predicted from wind tunnel testing.
We didn’t have any structural or excessive vibration issues. And parts of the engine and aircraft that needed cooling were getting it.”
The tests began with seeing how the aircraft’s hydraulics, electrical, and environmental control systems performed when the engine was powered up but idling.
The team then performed throttle checks, bringing the aircraft up to full power and firing its afterburner – an engine component that generates additional thrust – to maximum.
A third test, throttle snaps, involved moving the throttle swiftly back and forth to validate that the engine responds instantly.
The engine produces as much as 22,000 pounds of thrust to achieve a desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet.
The X-59’s engine, similar to those aboard the U.S. Navy’s F-18 Super Hornet, is mounted on top of the aircraft to reduce the level of noise reaching the ground.
Many features of the X-59, including its 38-foot-long nose, are designed to lower the noise of a sonic boom to that of a mere “thump,” similar to the sound of a car door slamming nearby.
Next steps before first flight will include evaluating the X-59 for potential electromagnetic interference effects, as well as “aluminum bird” testing, during which data will be fed to the aircraft under both normal and failure conditions.
A series of taxi tests and other preparations will also take place before the first flight.
The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to solve one of the major barriers to commercial supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter.
https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasas-x-59-turns-up-power-throttles-through-engine-tests/
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g44x7csWXsE
Astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore to return soon! NASA prepones Crew 10’s launch date; details here
12 Feb 2025, 01:34 PM IST
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are expected to return to Earth sooner than expected after National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) made a major announcement on Tuesday.
The US space agency revealed that it has replaced the astronaut capsule for its Crew-10 mission with a previously flown SpaceX Crew Dragon.
Accelerating the target launch and return dates, NASA in a post on X stated, “NASA and SpaceX are accelerating the target launch and return dates for the upcoming crew rotation missions to and from Space Station.
Crew10 launch now is targeted for March 12.” Crew-10 mission's four-member expedition crew is set to bring the astronauts back to earth.
NASA's updated timeline
The updated timeline for the upcoming crew rotation missions to and from the International Space Station has now been moved up to March 12. The launch was previously scheduled for March 25.
However, the new launch date is “pending mission readiness and completion of flight readiness.” According to NASA, Crew-9 mission will return after completing a handover procedure with the newly arrived Crew-10 expedition team.
Change in plan
This change in schedule was possible because mission management team decided to change the NASA's original plan due to production delays in arranging new capsule.
Since, the Crew-10 mission involving Dragon spacecraft would require additional processing time, the agency decided to use an already flown SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Crew 10 mission capsule
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will be brought back in previously flown Dragon capsule called ‘Endurance.’
NASA in a statement said, “Teams will work to complete Dragon’s refurbishment and ready the spacecraft for flight, which includes trunk stack, propellant load, and transportation to SpaceX’s hangar at 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to be mated with the mission’s Falcon 9 rocket.”
The two astronauts had flown off to the ISS on Boeing's Starliner capsule on June 5, 2024, for eight-day stay.
Following multiple snags in the spacecraft, including a helium leak, they were left stranded at the space station, where Sunita Williams is taking charge of the ISS.
https://www.livemint.com/science/astronauts-sunita-williams-butch-wilmore-to-return-soon-nasa-prepones-crew-10s-launch-date-details-here-11739344572058.html
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-spacex-invite-media-to-watch-crew-10-launch-to-space-station/
U.S. Space and Rocket Center announces passing of Maria von Braun, wife of Dr. Wernher von Braun Published 9:10 am Wednesday, February 12, 2025
9:10 am Wednesday, February 12, 2025
HUNTSVILLE — It is with deep sadness that the U.S. Space and Rocket Center has shared the passing of Maria von Braun, who died Monday, Jan. 20, at her home in Alexandria, Virginia, at the age of 96.
“Maria von Braun was a beloved friend, philanthropist, and advocate for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center,” Dr. Kimberly Robinson, Rocket Center CEO and Executive Director, said.
“Maria’s enduring legacy in Huntsville has shaped the city’s rich history in space exploration and education”
Together with her late husband, Dr. Wernher von Braun, Maria was a cornerstone of the Huntsville community for many years. She was instrumental in supporting the mission of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
Her family has requested that memorial donations be made in Mrs. von Braun’s name to the newly renovated Rocket Park at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Space Camp scholarships, or the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra.
Her vision and commitment to these causes will continue to benefit countless individuals and families for years to come.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and all who had the privilege of knowing her,” Robinson said. “She will be greatly missed.”
https://enewscourier.com/2025/02/12/u-s-space-and-rocket-center-announces-passing-of-maria-von-braun-wife-of-dr-wernher-von-braun/
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/africasource/trump-should-patch-the-holes-in-us-africa-space-cooperation/
Trump should patch the holes in US-Africa space cooperation
February 12, 2025 9:06am ET
As US President Donald Trump gets settled in Washington, he has a pivotal opportunity to strengthen space cooperation between the United States and Africa.
Africa’s space sector presents significant opportunities for the United States. The sector is projected to generate over twenty billion dollars in direct revenue annually.
Meanwhile, it serves as a platform to advance broader US foreign policy objectives related to national security, space diplomacy, sustainability, and global influence.
The Biden administration achieved notable progress in building relationships with African countries in the space sector.
For example, Nigeria and Rwanda became the first and second African countries to sign the Artemis Accords—a framework for best practices to use in space, drafted by the United States—and Angola quickly followed in 2023.
US-Africa partnerships expanded with public and private sector representatives from the United States and Africa gathering at convenings such as the US-Africa Commercial Space Stakeholders Meeting in Azerbaijan and the NewSpace Africa Conference in Angola, which my company and the African Union co-hosted.
These efforts demonstrated a growing recognition that Africa’s space sector holds strategic importance. But the Biden administration still fell short of establishing a coherent and actionable strategy for long-term US engagement with African space programs.
As the Trump administration takes the reins, it faces a pivotal opportunity to build on this groundwork by solidifying relationships, streamlining strategy, and ensuring consistent engagement with African space programs.
But Trump will need to take a collaborative approach: In order to harness the opportunities of the African space sector, the United States must also fill the gaps in its space coordination with Africa.
Clarify the office in charge
Uncertainty lingers among African leaders about which US institution would lead this charge: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Office of Space Commerce under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the National Space Council (if the second Trump administration keeps it).
Much of the implementation has been thus far led by the Office of Space Commerce. The Trump administration can help address this uncertainty by establishing a dedicated task force within an appropriate US space entity to oversee US-Africa space collaboration.
This could include personnel from other institutions such as the National Space Council, Office of Space Commerce, NASA, the US Geological Survey, the US Space Force, and other relevant agencies.
This task force should help strengthen US partnerships with African institutions—including the African Space Agency and national space agencies—restructuring programs (for example, NASA Harvest) to align with the new US foreign policy.
Likewise, the task force should support and advocate for US space businesses in Africa, opening new channels for space commerce between the United States and Africa.
Support the adoption of sustainable space practices
Africa, though contributing minimally to space debris, disproportionately bears the consequences of poorly regulated space activities.
Incidents involving what is reported to be space-related debris in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda—and a recent one in Kenya that saw a five-hundred-kilogram metallic ring fall from the sky—highlight what is at stake in shaping global norms and practices for responsible space exploration.
The United States has a strong foundation in advocating for space sustainability, as shown by its Space Priorities Framework and NASA’s sustainability strategy.
In addition, the 2022 National Orbital Debris Implementation Plan offers actionable steps for mitigating, tracking, and remediating debris.
The Trump administration should work closely with African leaders to integrate these practices into their national and continental space strategies.
This includes offering technical assistance, helping build capacity for debris monitoring, and encouraging African participation in multilateral initiatives on space sustainability.
Collaborating on these efforts would not only help mitigate the risks African countries face but also strengthen the United States’ position as a global leader in promoting responsible space use.
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Differentiate the US approach
The Trump administration should also offer transparent, mutually beneficial agreements that contrast with concerns about predatory practices associated with global geopolitics.
Promoting democratic values, governance, and the rule of law in space agreements will further differentiate the US approach.
Build Africa’s space capacity
The United States should also more closely align US initiatives with the African Space Policy and Strategy, which has several aims, including one to develop on-continent space capacity.
Toward this effort, and to respond to China’s and Russia’s increasing involvement on the continent, the Trump administration should do more to co-develop technologies, provide education and training opportunities, and facilitate technology transfer that empowers African nations to build domestic space capabilities.
The US private sector plays a pivotal role in this effort, and the US government should encourage space companies to invest in Africa, establish joint ventures, and share advanced technologies that will foster innovation-driven partnerships.
Ease lingering tensions
Since its 2023 launch in Nigeria, Starlink has rapidly expanded its operations across Africa. While Starlink has been transformative in bridging Africa’s digital divide, its rapid entry has sparked concerns among African satellite operators and telecom companies.
Local players face intensified competition, and some governments—such as Algeria and Egypt—have yet to give a license to Starlink, likely in part because they are protecting their national satellite infrastructure business.
Additionally, some African telecom operators have argued that Starlink’s operations undermine local development goals as Starlink builds no local infrastructure, employs few locals, and benefits from less stringent regulations—whereas local companies face more complex licensing requirements and tax obligations and their investments in infrastructure benefit local economies.
The playing field is also getting more complex, as Eutelsat’s OneWeb has entered the African market and is offering more favorable licensing terms, threatening Starlink’s hegemony.
All of this has an impact on how Africans perceive the United States as a potential collaborator on space issues.
The Trump administration should, through diplomacy, help resolve such licensing disputes, protecting African and US interests and supporting Starlink’s role in global connectivity goals.
Ramp up diplomacy
The new administration should also enhance its soft power through space diplomacy. Doing so will deepen trust and strengthen ties between the United States and Africa.
One way to accomplish that is by hosting African researchers in US space institutions. Another is by sending more high-level representation to space-related events and convenings on the African continent.
Doing so would signal the Trump administration’s readiness to partner with African nations in achieving their space ambitions—and offer the United States another platform to discuss cooperation on everything from technology transfers to launchpad use.
If the Trump administration can fill these gaps in the US approach to collaborating with Africa on space, it will not only unlock a massive (and lucrative) industry but also protect US foreign policy objectives and programs on the continent, propel local development priorities, and shape space norms in line with democratic values.
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How Antarctica's only native insect could hold secrets to deep space travel
February 12, 2025
Antarctica’s only native insect could provide inspiration for how humans could travel into deep space.
The tiny midge called Belgica antarctica manages to live in the freezing continent by essentially switching itself off for the coldest seasons, researchers say.
This could hold clues for humans about subjects like cryopreservation, when living things are frozen at very low temperatures far below zero, to come back to normal life again in future.
This might be helpful if we ever get to Mars and then onwards into deeper space beyond our our solar system.
The concept of freezing humans like this featured in science fiction films such as Alien, where crew had to enter tube-like ‘Hypersleep’ chambers after showering to survive lengthy journeys.
Cryopreservation is already used for some tissue, such as embryos used in IVF. But while it is possible for cells, we are far from ready to revive frozen human beings.
The article in Nature’s Scientific Reports tells how the frozen midge larvae ‘readily survived 32 days of simulated overwintering’.
An international research team, led by scientists at Japan’s Osaka Metropolitan University, found that the flightless midge naturally deals with the seasons during its two-year life cycle by undergoing ‘quiescence’ in its first year and ‘obligate diapause’ in its second.
These are essentially dormant periods when the weather is too cold to function.
The first period comes in immediate response to adverse conditions, and when conditions improve, the organism becomes active again.
Its second quiet period comes from within, when it reaches a fixed point in its life cycle.
This allows the midges to emerge as adults at the same time period, when summer arrives.
Dr Mizuki Yoshida said: ‘As adults, they have only a few days of life and need to find a mate, so this timing mechanism is key to their survival.’
Professor Shin Goto said: ‘We determined that for the Antarctic midge obligate diapause ends with the onset of low temperatures in winter so that the larvae all pupate at the same time and emerge as adults at the same time.’
He added that although such adaptations aren’t known to occur in other creatures, ‘we believe that insects inhabiting harsh environments such as the Arctic and high altitudes might be employing similar strategies.’
They reared midges over a period of six years to find out some of their environmental coping mechanisms, and work out how other species might be able to survive in extreme cold.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/how-antarctica-s-only-native-insect-could-hold-secrets-to-deep-space-travel/ar-AA1yTktZ
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-86617-4
China announces names of spacesuit and crewed lunar rover
Updated: 2025-02-12 09:55
China unveiled on Wednesday the names of its moon-landing spacesuit and the crewed lunar rover.
According to a news release from the China Manned Space Agency, the new spacesuit, which will be worn by astronauts as they walk on the lunar surface, is named Wangyu, or Stargazing, while the manned rover's name is Tansuo, or Exploration.
The agency explained that the word "Wangyu" symbolizes a new chapter in China's space endeavor that features manned missions to the moon and deep-space expeditions and also demonstrates the country's determination to uphold the peaceful use of outer space and pursue a shared future of mankind.
The naming of Tansuo represents the Chinese people's exploration of the unknown world and displays the spirit of relentless marching forward of the people working for the nation's manned space programs, according to the agency.
The names were reviewed and chosen by a group of experts from more than 9,000 proposals, which were solicited from members of the public.
Currently, prototypes of the spacesuit and rover are being designed and the research work has been progressing smoothly, it said.
China has announced its plan of conducting its first manned mission to the moon around 2030.
Major space institutes and enterprises have been involved in the research and development of hardware to be used in the ambitious project.
In addition to developing technologies and constructing spacecraft and infrastructure, the Chinese space community has also been striving to spark and maintain attention and enthusiasm from the public by publicizing project developments such as the naming of key components.
In February 2024, the manned space agency announced the names of the lander that will carry Chinese astronauts to the moon's surface and a new crew spaceship that will ferry astronauts.
The lander is named Lanyue, or Embracing the Moon, which first appeared in a poem written by the late Chairman Mao Zedong in 1965.
The name symbolizes the Chinese people's aspiration and confidence in their exploration of the universe and expedition to the moon.
The new spaceship's name is Mengzhou, or Dream Vessel, which represents its responsibility of fulfilling the Chinese nation's dream of landing on the moon to start a new journey of space adventure, according to the agency.
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202502/12/WS67abffa4a310a2ab06eabb77.html
February's full moon shines bright tonight. Here's what to expect from the Snow Moon
February 12, 2025
Tonight, skywatchers are in for a treat as the Full Snow Moon rises.
The moon reached its peak brightness at 8:53 a.m. EST (1353 GMT) on Feb. 12, but local moonrise and moonset times will depend on your location.
As the February full moon rises, Mars will remain high in the sky to the upper right of the moon, creating a delightful skywatching scene.
For those in the eastern U.S., the moon will be visible just after sunset, creating a beautiful sight against the twilight sky.
It will climb quite high, reaching its peak around midnight, where it will remain visible for the rest of the night before setting with the morning sun.
A full moon happens when the moon is directly opposite the sun from our perspective on Earth, fully illuminated by sunlight.
While most full moons are completely lit up, sometimes the moon's orbit brings it into Earth's shadow, causing a lunar eclipse (the next time this will happen will be across March 13 and March 14).
February's full moon will miss Earth's shadow, however. This is because the moon's orbit is tilted about five degrees relative to Earth's path around the sun, which means the sun, Earth and moon won't line up perfectly this time.
The Snow Moon is named for the season it falls within, as February is often one of the snowiest months in the northern hemisphere.
This month, the Snow Moon's appearance is accompanied by several bright planets, including Jupiter and Venus.
For those with a clear view of the western horizon, Venus will be visible just after sunset, and Jupiter will shine high above the Orion constellation as the evening progresses.
https://www.space.com/the-universe/moon/februarys-full-moon-shines-bright-tonight-heres-what-to-expect-from-the-snow-moon-2025