The next wave of lunar explorers is headed to terrain that promises to be both stunning and challenging. Here’s how they’ll cope with some of the difficulties they’ll encounter.
Moon
Posted inNews
The Moon Is Even Older Than Scientists Thought
How did the Moon form and how old is it? The most precise dating yet of Earth’s largest satellite found that it is much older than previously thought.
Posted inNews
A Lunar Mission Spots Its Failed Brethren
Data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have been instrumental in pinpointing where other Moon-bound spacecraft have crashed.
Posted inNews
Rare Granite Body Discovered on Moon’s Farside
The granite couldn’t have formed the same way that it does on Earth—with liquid water and plate tectonics. So how did it get there?
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Visualizing the Deep Insides of Planets and Moons
A novel method uses gravity data to determine where density anomalies lie inside planetary bodies.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
A Mystery About the Moon’s Deep Interior Endures
Geophysical data has suggested that the base of the Moon’s mantle is partially molten or contains ilmenite, but an improved rheology model puts the existence of this layer in doubt.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Decrypting Lunar Craters Quickly and Easily
Machine learning can reveal the stories written in the marks on the Moon.
Posted inNews
Tides Ripple Across Earth’s Plasma “Donut”
Interactions between lunar gravity and the terrestrial magnetic field may cause a 90° offset from the Moon’s position in its orbit.
Posted inNews
A Day in the Life Used to Be 17 Hours
The Moon was a lot closer to Earth 2.46 billion years ago, and the shorter distance contributed to shorter days.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Shape of Pits on the Moon
Three-dimensional reconstructions enable virtual exploration of pits on the Moon.