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The moon is easily mistaken for a silvery orb in the night sky, providing soft light most evenings. But have you ever wondered what time it is on the moon?
As many countries move to establish a human presence on the surface of the moon, experts say it is time to establish a time scale for Earth’s natural satellite. Otherwise, things could get confusing.
Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity decades ago changed the way we understand time, and time even goes differently depending on where a clock is sitting on Earth. Determining a lunar timescale will be even more challenging.
The new measurement system that NASA and its international partners must agree on will have to account for the fact that seconds tick faster on the moon. Over time, those seconds add up.
But it will be vital for astronauts living in lunar habitats and scooting around in lunar buggies who need to know exactly what time it is.
Defying gravity
Boeing officials scrapped the anticipated crew ride ahead of the Starliner spacecraft moments before liftoff on Saturday.
The ground launch sequencer, the computer that essentially launches the rocket, triggered an automatic hold a few minutes before the scheduled launch time of 12:25 pm ET, and mission teams are still assessing the cause of the issue.
Starliner could be ready to launch again as early as Sunday if the issue can be resolved easily.
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.
Look up
The sunspot clusters responsible for the May 10 solar storm, which painted the skies around the world with colorful auroras, are coming back around.
Experts predict that auroras could dance over the northern and upper Midwestern states on Saturday, but there is also a chance of more dazzling displays over the next week as the sunspots face Earth directly.
Meanwhile, a “planet parade” that sees six planets aligning in the sky will happen soon, with the best view possible in North America and Europe just before sunrise on Sunday. Expect to see Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, but Uranus, Mercury and Neptune will probably not be visible to the naked eye.
And the “devil comet” will also make its closest approach to Earth on Sunday, but it is likely that only those in the Southern Hemisphere will be able to see it with the help of binoculars or a telescope.
We are a family
About 4,000 years ago, a woman living in Bronze Age Scotland probably accidentally took a lump to the head, which killed her in her 30s.
Now, visitors to the Perth Museum and Art Gallery can see a digitally rendered version of her face, thanks to a recreation of 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 may have been a member of a group known as the Picts and a young murder victim who lived in medieval Scotland.
In addition, scientists have found evidence that ancient Egyptian physicians tried to remove a cancerous tumor from the skull of a young man more than 4,000 years ago.
Long long ago
The remains of 28 horses buried almost 2,000 years ago at Villedieu-sur-Indre in central France are fascinating archaeologists – not least because the cause of the horses’ deaths is still a mystery.
The nine graves date between 100 BC. and AD 100, and the horses were 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 they may have been part of a ritual sacrifice, according to the researchers.
Separately, a remarkably complete Stegosaurus fossil is going up for auction this summer, but paleontologists are concerned about where it will end up.
Amazing creatures
When people started observing cats with striking fur patterns living in the village of Petäjävesi in Finland in 2007, scientists sat up and took notice.
The cats used to sport ombré strands of fur that were dark at the root and faded to white. And now, researchers know what causes their unusual fur pattern: a mutation that affects a gene called KIT, which controls hair color.
The cats are called “salty licorice only” cats, named after salmiak, a popular Finnish concoction of black licorice speckled with white salt.
Inquiries
Explore these exciting new findings:
— Archaeologists excavating Pompeii in southern Italy have uncovered children’s sketches depicting scenes of gladiators and hunters fighting animals, suggesting that young children watched the violent displays firsthand.
— Observations of the Dinkinesh asteroid captured by NASA’s Lucy mission indicate that a solar quake may have created a two-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 involves trips to the lunch baskets of soldiers and travelers.
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