Beth Johnson – Medium

1 day ago

How to Drink Lunar Volcano Water

Early and frequent volcanic eruptions on the Moon may have led to the formation of thick ice sheets which are now buried under layers of regolith. — Let’s look way back in the past to the early days of the Moon when volcanoes erupted with geologic frequency. Those volcanoes covered the surface in what we now see as dark maria, mostly smooth plains of basalt. …

Space

2 min read

3 days ago

Former Planet Ceres Moved to Asteroid Belt

In trying to understand why Ceres’ misty exosphere contains ammonia, simulations find that the dwarf planet formed past Saturn and moved inward. — Where you are in the solar system changes just how much of an effect the Sun has on you. For Earth, the Sun can cause bright aurorae that can extend down into the mid-latitudes. For comets, the changing distance to the Sun is what gives us cometary tails. …

Space

3 min read

Former Planet Ceres Moved to Asteroid Belt

4 days ago

On the Hunt to Understand Really Old Rocks

Using radioactive dating, researchers found that the mantle underneath New Guinea melted sometime in the past 540 million years. — Understanding the origin and timing of life and world-building materials is important science. All of this work is tied together in the larger quest for understanding how life came about and can we find it elsewhere. …

Geology

2 min read

On the Hunt to Understand Really Old Rocks

Jun 10

Plants Successfully Grown in Lunar Soil

Scientists have successfully grown Arabidopsis plants in twelve grams of lunar soil brought back by the Apollo missions, using two types of soil. — Researchers continue to try and figure out how life could work on the Moon. Obviously, we’re not talking about a place where there was once liquid water that could have seeped underground and possibly sustained microbes. But when we talk about building a lunar base, we need to think about…

Space

2 min read

Jun 8

Earth Analog for Martian Subsurface Contains Life

Researchers working in the high Arctic region of Canada have discovered a spring that hosts a thriving microbial community. — Researchers from McGill University working in the high Arctic region of Canada have discovered a spring that hosts a thriving microbial community. The Lost Hammer Spring is a fantastic Earth analog for Mars’s deep surface, with water temperatures around -50 degrees Celsius but a salinity of around 24%. …

Science

2 min read

Earth Analog for Martian Subsurface Contains Life

Jun 6

Chinese Rover Discovers More Evidence for Water on Mars

According to a new paper, the number of hydrated minerals found by Zhurong’s two spectrometers could have only come from water being present for a long time. — It seems like every year or so, one team or another announces more evidence about water on Mars. This time it’s the Chinese, with their Zhurong rover. They now think that Mars had water far later than currently believed. Mars once had lots of water, but at some point, about…

Space

2 min read

Chinese Rover Discovers More Evidence for Water on Mars

Jun 2

InSight Records Largest Marsquake Yet

InSight records a magnitude 5 quake on Mars, topping the previously recorded largest quake which was a magnitude 4.2, and possibly finds the upper limit of tremors. — Our favorite Martian lander, InSight, recently recorded the largest marsquake yet, measuring magnitude 5. The quake happened last week on May 4 and tops the previous record, which was magnitude 4.2 and occurred last August. While this magnitude may be considered ‘merely’ a medium-size quake here on Earth, and especially…

Space

2 min read

Jun 1

Volcano’s Effects Reached Space

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted in January, and satellites in space detected hurricane-speed winds and and strange electric currents. — Back in January, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted and was literally heard around the world. Even Beth, in California, heard the sonic boom that day. Plus, the shock waves and tsunami waves also had a far reach. …

Space

2 min read

May 30

Community Scientists Find 1700 Asteroids

Community scientists identified more than 1,000 possible trails of asteroids in Hubble images, leading to the discovery of 1,701 trails in all. — One of the core pillars of CosmoQuest is community, and within that pillar, we try to bring together community members and science projects. That’s a big reason why we’re going to, spoiler alert, take off a chunk of this summer — we want to bring community science back to CosmoQuest.

Space

2 min read

Community Scientists Find 1700 Asteroids

May 26

Finding the Limits of Ocean Worlds

Lab experiments with saltwater solutions have provided researchers with a range of temperatures where water remains liquid under icy world conditions. — We’ve written before about icy worlds in our solar system and how they have liquid water under those icy shells. These worlds include the likes of Europa, Ganymede, Titan, and Enceladus, and it turns out that they make Earth look dry. Now, in a new paper published in the journal…

Space

3 min read