Tag: Moon

Harvest moon 2023, the last supermoon of the year, kicks off fall stargazing on Sept. 29

NeRD

This Friday’s full moon will be a somewhat special one in that it will carry the title of “Harvest Moon” for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.  The moon officially will turn full when it reaches a spot in the sky opposite (180-degrees) to the sun. This moment will occur on Friday (Sept. 29) at 09:57 Greenwich Time (or in the Eastern Time zone, just prior to moonset at 5:57 a.m.).  It also turns out that this full moon is the one that comes closest to the September equinox. In 2023,…

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See Artemis 2 astronauts explore moon-like crater in Canada (photos)

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Astronauts for the Artemis 2 moon mission, along with potential future lunar crews, practiced their prospecting skills on a Canadian crater this month. The expedition included Artemis 2 moon astronaut Jeremy Hansen, with the Canadian Space Agency, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch. The two will be mission specialists aboard Artemis 2, the first moon mission to send humans around our neighboring satellite since 1972. While Hansen and Koch will not be landing on the moon, geology training will assist them with spotting features like craters from afar. Space agencies around…

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Japan’s SLIM moon lander completes 1st critical phase in Earth orbit

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Japan’s SLIM lunar lander has passed a first critical stage on its voyage to the moon. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) launched successfully on Sept. 6 with the main objective of demonstrating a highly accurate soft landing on the moon. Teams on the ground have since been working to verify the functionality of the spacecraft.  The lightweight moon lander has now passed a first critical operation period, meaning its solar panels, communications, propulsion and other systems are working well, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced on Sept.…

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How Apollo 17 Is Preparing Artemis for a Return to the Moon

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Researchers gear up for Artemis and a new generation of lunar exploration, with a look at samples from the final crewed mission to the Moon. The post How Apollo 17 Is Preparing Artemis for a Return to the Moon appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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Set Your Sights on this Lunar Bull’s-Eye

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Go ahead, live on the edge: Grab your chance this month to see Mare Orientale, one of the most spectacular lunar seas most people have never seen. The post Set Your Sights on this Lunar Bull’s-Eye appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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