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It’s easy to take the moon for granted as a silver orb in the night sky, providing a soft light on most evenings. But have you ever thought about what time it is on the moon?
As multiple countries race to establish a human presence on the moon’s surface, experts say it’s time to establish a timescale for Earth’s natural satellite. Otherwise, things can get confusing.
Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity changed the way we understand time decades ago, and time even passes differently depending on where a clock is on Earth. Determining a lunar timescale will be an even greater challenge.
The new measurement system that NASA and its international partners must agree on will have to take into account the fact that seconds tick by faster on the moon. Over time, those seconds add up.
But it will be crucial for astronauts living in lunar habitats and traveling around in lunar buggies, who need to know exactly what time it is.
Defying gravity
Boeing officials canceled the long-awaited first crewed voyage of the Starliner spacecraft on Saturday just before launch.
An automatic shutdown was triggered by the ground launch sequencer, the computer that essentially launches the rocket, a few minutes before the scheduled launch time of 12:25 PM ET, and mission teams are still assessing the cause of the problem.
It’s possible Starliner could be ready to launch again on Sunday if the problem can be easily resolved.
Veteran NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore remain safe and have exited the capsule, and will be ready for the next Starliner launch attempt when all systems are ready to go.
To look up
The sunspot clusters responsible for the May 10 solar storm, which painted skies around the world with colorful auroras, are returning.
Experts predict that auroras could dance over the northern and upper Midwestern states on Saturday, but there’s also a chance for more dazzling displays in the coming week as the sunspots point straight toward Earth.
Meanwhile, a “planet parade” will soon take place in which six planets will appear to line up in the sky, with optimal viewing in North America and Europe just before sunrise on Sunday. Expect to catch glimpses of Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, but Uranus, Mercury and Neptune probably won’t be visible to the naked eye.
And the ‘devil’s comet’ will also make its closest approach to Earth on Sunday, but will likely only be spotted by those in the Southern Hemisphere using binoculars or a telescope.
We are family
About 4,000 years ago, a Bronze Age woman in Scotland was probably accidentally hit in the head, causing her death at the age of 30.
Now visitors to the Perth Museum and Art Gallery can see a blinking, expressive digital version of her face, thanks to a recreation by Dr. Chris Rynn, a craniofacial anthropologist and forensic artist who studied her skull.
Other facial reconstructions on display at the museum include an Iron Age man who could have belonged to a group called the Picts, and a young murder victim who lived in medieval Scotland.
In addition, scientists have found evidence that ancient Egyptian physicians attempted to remove a cancerous tumor from the skull of a young man more than 4,000 years ago.
A long time ago
The remains of 28 horses buried nearly 2,000 years ago in Villedieu-sur-Indre in central France are astonishing archaeologists – especially because the cause of the horses’ death is still a mystery.
The nine graves date from between 100 BC and 100 AD, and the horses were all carefully laid to rest in the same position at the same time.
The adult stallions may have been killed in battle during the Gallic Wars, when Julius Caesar conquered Gaul, or perhaps they were part of a ritual sacrifice, the researchers said.
In addition, an exceptionally complete Stegosaurus fossil will be auctioned this summer, but paleontologists are concerned about where it will end up.
Fantastic creatures
When people first started observing cats with distinctive coat patterns in the Finnish village of Petäjävesi in 2007, scientists sat up and took notice.
The cats had ombré-colored strands of fur that were dark at the root and faded to white. And now researchers know what causes their unusual coat pattern: a mutation that affects a gene called KIT, which controls hair color.
The cats are also called “salty licorice” cats, named after salmiak, a popular Finnish treat of black licorice speckled with white salt.
Curiosities
Discover these intriguing new findings:
– Archaeologists excavating Pompeii in southern Italy have discovered children’s sketches depicting scenes of gladiators and hunters fighting animals, suggesting that young children saw the violent displays firsthand.
– Observations of the asteroid Dinkinesh captured by NASA’s Lucy mission reveal that a sun-induced earthquake may have created a stunning double-lobed moon orbiting the space rock.
— The modern cockroach has a surprising history that began more than 2,000 years ago, and the insect’s path to becoming a pest included hitching a ride in the lunch baskets of soldiers and travelers.
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