Category Archives: Astronomy from the Moon

Wednesday / 16 June 2021

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Malapert Mountain Likely To Be Among Key Loci Of International Lunar Community

Lunar Landing Sites Under Consideration At Global Space Exploration Conference 2021 In St Petersburg, Russia Include 5-km Peak Malapert Mountain (86°S, 0°); Possessing Numerous Attributes Conducive To Scientific Observation, Communication, IRSU, Habitation; Containing Areas Of Near (90%+) Continuous Illumination And Shadowed Cold-Traps Possibly Harboring Water Ice; Earth Line-Of-Sight From Peak Rarely Interrupted; Shielded Far Side Flank Appropriate For Radio Astronomy; As USA President Biden And Russia President Putin Meet Today In Geneva, And China-Russia International Research Station Is Presented, Malapert Could Be Focus Of Cooperation Between Space Powers

Credits: NASA, GSFC, Arizona State University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 Dec 2020

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Artemis III Human Lunar Surface Science To Concentrate On 7 Goals Including Astronomy From The Moon

Priorities And Advantageous Conditions For Science During NASA Human Landing Officially Planned For 2024 Include Moon As Stable / Quiet Platform For Farside Long Wavelength Radio Observation, With Special Attention On 21-cm “Dark Ages” Spectrum From Dawn Of Universe; Position Just Outside Earth Magnetosphere Conducive To Heliophysical Investigations On Electrodynamic Interactions With Surrounding Plasma Fields; Low Seismicity Ideal For Interferometer-Based Study Of Relatively / Gravitational Waves And Calibration; 60 Earth-Radii Distance 4x Shorter Than L1 Point Used For Long-Term Climate Observation; Lunar Cataclysm Hypothesis May Be Validated Via South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return If Dated 4.1Ga / Younger

Credits: NASA / Pat Rawlings

Tuesday / 6 Oct 2020

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USA To Explore Radio Astronomy From The Moon Starting 2021

Intent On Gathering Data Relevant To Primordial Cosmology, Future Lunar-Based Astronomy Missions Were Presented By CU Boulder Professor Jack Burns At LEAG 2020: ROLSES, Set To Land On Moon In Oct 2021 As Part Of CLPS Carrier Intuitive Machines Nova-C Science Payload, Will Monitor 10 kHz – 10 MHz Spectrum With Antennae At 1 & 2 m Above Lunar Surface, Testing Response; LuSEE In 2024 Will Measure Electromagnetic Fields On Farside; DAPPER Orbiter Aims For 2025 And 10-km Diameter FARSIDE In Planning Stages Would Have Major SETI Potential

Credits: CU, NASA, JPL, ESO, Jack Burns

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 Sep 2020

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Asia Lunar Exploration: Ongoing And Near Future

ISRO Second Soft Landing Attempt Slated For Early 2021 (Chandrayaan-3), During Which 350-kg Capacity Lander Technology Will Be Validated For Collaborative LUPEX Mission With Japan NET 2023; JAXA To Contribute H3 Launch Vehicle / Rover And Precision Landing Technology Trialed During 2022 SLIM; Meanwhile On Lunar Near / Far Sides CSNA Craft Continue Observations – CE-3 Operational ~7 Years, Returning Astronomical Observations / Data From Mare Imbrium; CE-4 Lander And Rover Hibernate On Far Side, Anticipate Reactivation For 23rd Lunar Day (644 Earth Days) On 8 Oct, Yutu-2 Has Traversed 547.17 m; CE-5 Sample Return LM-5 Launch Expected From Wenchang SLC On Hainan 24 Nov

 

Credits: CNSA, JAXA, ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 Sep 2020

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ILOA Hawai’i Successfully Conducts Antipodal Galaxy Forum Europe 2020 September 18 In Vienna

1st Hybrid ILOA Galaxy Forum Half-Way Around World On “Astronomy From The Moon”; 99th Galaxy Forum Overall Since July 2008 Start; Featuring IAF / DLR Leader Pascale Ehrenfreund, Lunar Scientist Ian Crawford; Co-Hosted With ESA Investigator / ILEWG Director Bernard Foing And University Of Vienna Extragalactic Astrophysics Professor Bodo Ziegler; Projection Of Forum Across Vast Distance A Precursor For Earth-Moon Communication; Possible IAF / IAU Working Collaboration May Advance International Lunar Observatories; ILOA Director Steve Durst Closing Comments Invoke Apollo 11 Plaque “In Peace For All” And Truism “Single Planet Species Don’t Last”

Credits: ILOA, Galaxy Forum, Puli Space, SARAO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 June 2020

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Moon-Earth Interglobal Solutions For Covid-19 Global Challenge As Confirmed Cases Pass 10,000,000

Astronomy From The Moon Explores And Engages Electromagnetic Spectrum Energies, Wavelengths; UltraViolet UVC Growing Widespread Applications And Acceptance; Gamma Ray, X-Ray, Microwaves Also Generate Varied Medical Uses; USA, PRC, India, Europe, Japan, Russia / International Moon Enterprise And Effort Through Artemis, Chang’e, Chandrayaan, Selene, Luna Programs – Most Likely To Provide Yet Unknown Knowledge, Discoveries And Answers For Humankind Most Pressing Global Need; Covid-19 Earth Observation Dashboard Created By NASA, ESA, JAXA Tracks Changes In Human-Activity Emissions, Could Be Guide For Multi World Species Sustainability

Credits: JAXA, ESA, NASA

Tuesday / 3 March 2020

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  Galaxy Forum Southeast Asia 2020 In Chiang Mai Leading Towards SEA Regional Presence On Moon

International Lunar Observatory Association And National Astronomical Research Institute Of Thailand Hosts Galaxy Forum Southeast Asia 2020 With Theme Of Astronomy From The Moon At Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark In Chiang Mai – Support Base For Largest Thailand Observatory At Doi Inthanon; Opening Remarks Will Be Given By Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chaki Sirindhorn, Known As “Princess Of Astronomy” For Her Contributions; Southeast Asia Could Become One Of First Regions To Conduct Astronomy From The Moon Via Potential Principal Operating Partnership Constructs

Credits: Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 Feb 2020

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New Race To Moon South Pole – Malapert Mountain

Multiple Nations And Commercial Enterprises Aiming For Lunar South Polar Region; Following CNSA Chang’e-5 Sample Return In 2020, Chang’e-6 And Chang’e-7 Will Explore South Pole; ISRO Chandrayaan-3, -4 and -5 Will Continue Polar Landing Goal Of Chandrayaan-2; SpaceX Promises Lunar Landings By 2022; NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services May Carry Payloads Such As The International Lunar Observatory ILO-1 For Galaxy Imaging And Broadcasting From Malapert Mountain, One Of The Most Important And Valuable Sites In Solar System

Credits: NASA, CNSA, ISRO, SpaceX, ILOA

Tuesday / 26 November 2019

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Roscosmos Looks To Lunar South Pole Telescopes For Asteroid Warning

Russia Plans To Operate Telescopes At A Lunar South Pole Base To Monitor Potentially Hazardous Earth-Approaching Asteroids And Comets; Roscosmos Preparing For Uncrewed Lunar Landing In 2021 And Possible Human Landing By 2030; Robot Systems Will Maintain South Pole Telescopes Along With Periodic Visits By Cosmonauts; Alexander Bloshenko (L) Of Roscosmos Discusses Mining Helium-3, But Only After Nuclear Fusion And Lunar Industries Are Both Well-Established; Roscosmos Head Dmitry Rogozin (R) Remains Open To Cooperation With China For Building Lunar Base

Credits: Roscosmos

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 Nov 2019

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Campaign Aims To Preserve Lunar Far Side Pristine Quality For Astronomy Enterprises

Claudio Maccone (L), Astrophysicist And Chair Of International Astronautical Association SETI Committee, Wants Regulations To Protect Lunar Far Side Stellar Advantages From Radio Interference; Joseph Silk Of Paris Institute Of Astrophysics Advocates Far Side Astronomy; Jack Burns (R) Of University Of Colorado Plans Dark Ages Polarimetry Pathfinder (DAPPER) Spacecraft For Lunar Orbit, Proposes Larger ‘Farside’ Radio Telescope To Be Emplaced By Robots

Credits: University of Colorado, NASA