First Confirmed Moon Cave Could Provide Shelter for Future Astronauts

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, Sign up for free here.

CNN
—

As the full moon shines in the night sky this weekend, take a moment to enjoy its beauty and look out over a large, dark plain.

The surface feature is Mare Tranquillitatis, or Sea of ​​Tranquility, where the Apollo 11 mission landed on the afternoon of July 20, 1969.

The moon won’t reach its peak until 6:17 a.m. ET on Sunday, but the silver ball will still be visible. Showing its best on Saturday, the 55th anniversary NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin lead the first human walk on the moon.

Now, as NASA and other space agencies plan for a more permanent human presence on the Moon through the Artemis program, it turns out that the Sea of ​​Tranquility may hold an unexplored treasure worth revisiting.

Scientists have found Cavity under the sea of ​​tranquilityand may provide shelter for future lunar astronauts in the form of a cave.

Lunar caves, or subterranean passages formed by volcanic processes during the Moon’s early history, are associated with the craters that cover the Moon’s surface.

The long, wide cave, discovered by reviewing archival NASA data, could be used to protect astronauts from harsh radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations, as well as provide a new way to study lunar rocks.

Astronomers have discovered An exoplanet with a cucumber-shaped orbit Which may turn into another kind of world.

The unusual orbit, which changes temperatures on TIC 241249530 b from a warm summer day to one hot enough to melt titanium, may be a sign that the planet is getting closer to its star.

Astronomers estimate that in hundreds of millions of years, the planet will take just a few days, rather than six months, to orbit its star and become a hot version of Jupiter.

Separately, the European Space Agency plans to send a spacecraft called Ramses to accompany the asteroid Apophis as it makes a safe approach to Earth – 10 times closer than the Moon – in April 2029. The spacecraft could Capture Earthquakes and Landslides on Space Rock It is also affected by the Earth’s gravity.

If pets with flat faces, such as French Bulldogs and Persians, or puffy cheeks, such as Maine Coons, squint and exhibit behavioral problems, they may have a painful condition: blepharitis.

Some dogs and cats Genetic strains are more likely to develop deformed eyelids, which cause the eyelashes to rub against the cornea.

But what humans might call cosmetic surgery is helping pets like Hamilton, a four-year-old English bulldog, Overcoming the pain of deformed eyelids.

“These changes are not cosmetic, they are necessary for the animal’s health,” said Dr. Dana Varble, chief veterinarian of the North American Veterinary Medical Association.

The Curiosity rover was about to settle into a new exploration site on Mars when it hit a rock — and made the “most unexpected” discovery in its 12-year mission so far, according to mission scientists.

Curiosity’s wheels revealed that inside the rock was something never before seen on the Red Planet: yellow-green sulfur crystals. It turns out that there The entire field is within an old channel. Carved into the side of Mount Sharp on Mars.

But scientists don’t know how, when, or why sulfur formed on Mars, creating a new mystery for the rover team to solve.

Meanwhile, the African Space Agency was recently inaugurated. Launching satellites to improve the quality of life on EarthSuch as monitoring water quality and preventing illegal mining and fishing.

While dinosaurs roamed the Earth during the Cretaceous period, sharks with unusual teeth swam the seas.

Sharks of the genus Ptychodus had rows of large, circular incisors that crushed shelled prey. But scientists have only been able to guess what these predators looked like after finding teeth.

Paleontologists have recently discovered a nearly complete skeleton of an ancient shark in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, revealing the The mystery of the prehistoric fish.

Separately, cut out the marks on the Fossilized remains of a giant armadillo-like creature Archaeological excavations in Argentina reveal that humans butchered animals more than 20,000 years ago — and that the oldest people in the Americas settled there much earlier than previously thought.

Immerse yourself in these unexpected stories:

Experts in New Zealand are determining whether a creature that washed up on the beach is a shovel-toothed whale — a species considered Almost mythical because scientists have never recorded a live sighting..

— NASA relayed Missy Elliott’s message. “Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” about 158 ​​million miles from Venusthe first time a hip-hop song has been sent into space.

— In Cambodia, Record number of Siamese crocodile eggs just hatched In the wild, providing hope to endangered species that were on the verge of extinction. Towards extinction.

— A flaming meteor flew over New York City this week and disintegrated over New Jersey, Skywatchers captured videos of the rare event..

Did you like what you read? Oh, but there’s more. Register here To receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers. Ashley Strickland And Katie HuntThey find wonders in planets outside our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.