A FULL ‘worm’ moon is expected to light up the night sky this Monday.

The “worm moon” is the third full moon of 2024 and will reach maximum brightness on Monday, March 25 at 3 a.m. ET.

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Perhaps most notably, this full moon will pass through Earth’s outer shadow, resulting in a “mild penumbral lunar eclipse,” Live Science reported.

This will happen between 00:53 and 05:32 ET and during the peak more than 90% of the moon will be in the shadow.

This subtle spectacle can be viewed from North America, South America, Europe, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Stargazers won’t get the chance to see another partial lunar eclipse until September 18.

WHAT IS A lunar Eclipse?

Lunar eclipses occur during the full moon phase, when the Earth is between the moon and the sun.

When this happens, the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon’s surface.

“That will make the full moon appear fainter as a strange-looking shadow moves across its surface,” the release said.

Lunar eclipses typically last only a few hours and can be viewed from anywhere on the night side of the Earth.

Because they are usually quite faint, it is also possible to view lunar eclipses without eye protection.

Additionally, this minor lunar eclipse will occur exactly two weeks before the Great North American Solar Eclipse on April 8.

What is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse is a natural phenomenon in which the sun, blocked by the moon, casts a shadow on the Earth.

This partial or total blocking can only occur when the sun, moon and earth are aligned.

As the sun’s rays are blocked, people get a chance to witness the fiery corona.

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WHY IS IT CALLED THE WORM MOON

The Farmers’ Almanac calls March’s full moon the Worm Moon.

It is believed that the worm moon gets its name from the worms and battles that typically arise when spring arrives.

Moon names in the Farmer’s Almanac often come from Native American tribes.

The worm moon is also called the sugar moon by the Ojibwe tribes The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, other indigenous tribes have called March’s moon the Crow Moon.

NASA’s sci-fi-esque space station has announced breakthroughs that bring the project closer to reality.

The Orbital Reef is a space station intended to exist in Earth’s lower atmosphere to allow scientists continued access to space and advancement.

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The space station was created by billionaire Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin in partnership with NASA as part of their commercial space strategy.

“NASA enables commercial industry to build, own and operate space systems, with the agency procuring services for its science and research needs,” the space agency wrote.

“Industry can also use these same services for fully commercial activities in space.

“Through our public-private partnerships, we are helping open the space to more science, more people and more opportunity.”

The Orbital Reef project was given four milestones as part of the 2021 NASA Space Act Agreement that brought the project to life, reports NASA.

The milestones include testing materials and designs that will clean, recover and store the air and water needed to support humans during spaceflight.

With recent critical life support milestones testing positive, this milestone marks another step forward toward the project’s goal of making the United States a part of space exploration.

Angela Hart, manager of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, explained how crucial these tests are to moving the project forward.

“These milestones are critical to ensuring that a commercial destination can support human life so that NASA astronauts can continue to access low Earth orbit to conduct important scientific research in the unique microgravity environment,” she said .

“Additionally, each milestone achieved allows NASA to gain insight into our partner’s progress in station design and development.”

The Orbital Reef’s life support system will mirror that of the International Space Station, a regenerative system that recycles air and waste produced by humans on board.

These regenerative functions are integral to reducing the amount of supplies that need to be transported to space.

Testing of the project’s life support systems includes a trace contaminant control test, a water contaminant oxidation test, a urine water recovery test, and a water tank test.

BEGINNING OF ORBITAL REEF

The conceptual model for the orbital reef was first released to the public in November 2022.

A conceptual one video took viewers from launch to space and showed what the space station could look like when completed.

The film was highly romanticized and showed a real potential for a full life on board.

People were seen making art, dancing and even enjoying romances.

One dramatic scene showed a woman staring at the Earth from a station window.

“Your address, in orbit,” a single statement concluded the video.

The space station will serve both a residential function, for those who can afford it, and a research function as part of the collaboration with NASA.

Blue Origin previously said it hopes to have the Orbital Reef space station operational by 2027.

RESIDENCE IN SPACE

The development will consist of spacious modules and living areas with large windows to the earth, allowing travelers to enjoy the view of our planet.

Travelers experience weightlessness and live and work in space with a rental contract on board the project.

Numerous amenities will be available to travelers for any length of visit, Bezos’ company said, including medical care and recreational options.

In addition to those who live there of their own accord, scientists will also be housed there for work.

They will receive housing and laboratories – including a micro garden – that are necessary for fundamental scientific applications

“Whether it’s physical, biological or earth sciences, developing new products or testing exploration systems, you’ll find it easier than ever to do your work in orbit,” says the Blue Origin. website is reading.

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A NEARBY star is about to go supernova, finally making it visible to the naked eye.

According to NASA, this is a one-time event, as this recurring nova eruption only happens about once every 80 years.

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There is no risk that Earth will be hit by the mighty explosion, which is said to have the same force as a hydrogen bomb.

When NASA says the star is “close,” what it actually means is that it is in a galaxy 3,000 light-years away.

The star, T Coronae Borealis or T CrB, last exploded in 1946.

But NASA astronomers believe the rocket will explode again between February and September 2024.

Normally the galaxy is too faint to see with the naked eye.

During a supernova, T Coronae Borealis will be as bright as the North Star Polaris for several days.

According to NASA, amateur astronomers will be able to observe the star in the sky for a little longer using binoculars.

Where in the sky?

The exploding T Coronae Borealis will appear as a bright “new” star near the constellation Coronae Borealis.

Coronae Borealis, also known as the Northern Crown, is a small U-shaped constellation between the constellations Hercules and Boots.

NASA advises luminary astronomers to “get familiar” with the Corona Borealis star system sooner or later.

“This returning nova is just one of five in our Milky Way,” NASA added.

“This happens because T CrB is a binary system with a white dwarf and a red giant.

‘The stars are so close that, as the red giant becomes unstable due to increasing temperature and pressure and begins to shed its outer layers, the white dwarf collects that matter on its surface.

‘The white dwarf’s shallow, dense atmosphere eventually warms enough to cause a runaway thermonuclear reaction – which produces the nova we see from Earth.’

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CHINA has built a twenty-story-tall nuclear space engine to power a mission to Mars.

Boffins have reportedly been tasked with “innovating” the project “or dying” as the country paves the way for a new era in the global space race.

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After a collaboration of more than ten research institutes and universities, China believes it has made tremendous progress in interplanetary travel.

According to a report from the South China Morning MailThe research team has confirmed that the prototype lithium-cooled nuclear reactor system has passed initial ground tests.

The 1.5-megawatt-class fission reactor, which is seven times more powerful than a competing system being built by NASA, has shrunk to an unprecedented size.

An article published by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ peer-reviewed journal Scientia Sinica Technologica explains how the lithium-cooled system is also designed to dramatically expand in space.

By using liquid lithium, they can also make the reactor smaller, thanks to the element’s high thermal conductivity and low weight.

Starting as a container-sized volume, once fully deployed the structure can grow to the size of a 20-story building, including the 1.5-megawatt reactor’s heat sink.

But on the ground it folds neatly into a container-sized volume that weighs less than eight tons, the paper said.

Additionally, the design will allow the reactor system to be “easily loaded and launched by rocket,” while also being able to maintain stable operations for extended periods in the harsh conditions of space.

The article adds that the Chinese reactor will generate up to 1,276 degrees Celsius from the fission of uranium fuel, which is much higher than the operating temperature of most commercial nuclear power plants.

The intense heat then expands liquid forms of the inert elements helium and xenon into gases, driving a generator.

The paper adds that high-mass return transport will be possible for both crewed and cargo spaceflights.

As a result, the powerful energy source will pave the way for China’s large-scale exploration of the moon and Mars.

China’s determination to lead the race for nuclear-powered spaceflight is further implemented with a slogan hanging above the reactor prototype that reads: “Innovate or perish. No excuses.”

While spacecraft like the Starship, which is being developed by US company SpaceX, could take at least seven months to reach Mars, China’s nuclear-powered spacecraft could complete a round trip in just three months.

The Starship rocket is central to NASA’s plans to land astronauts on the moon later this decade, as well as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s hopes to colonize Mars.

But even a single trip to the red planet requires a massive life support system.

NASA confirmed that the first Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will send two scientific spacecraft to Mars in late 2024, while Musk sees 2026 as the earliest year SpaceX will launch its own unmanned mission.

The new timeline comes after Musk’s Starship mega-rocket – the spacecraft he hopes will land on the moon and eventually Mars – exploded during a second launch attempt.

NASA has also called for volunteers to live in a simulated Mars colony for an entire year to boost preparations for future life on the red planet.

The Earth mission will launch in early 2025 and will see a crew of four living in a 1,700-square-foot facility – just like one would be built on Mars.

NASA says it “simulates a realistic Martian habitat” with the aim of supporting long-duration space exploration missions.

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THE mystery behind a strange point of light first discovered by the Hubble telescope has been solved.

Thanks to NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the object has been confirmed to be a massive galaxy.

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The speck may look small in images, but researchers now think it is one of the largest galaxies from the early universe.

It is called Gz9p3 and is thought to have existed 510 million years after the Big Bang.

For context, the universe is now 13.8 billion years old.

The galaxy also helps highlight the difference between the Hubble Space Telescope and the JWST.

What seemed like a tiny speck to Hubble can be seen in more detail by the JWST.

The Gz9p3 galaxy is thought to contain billions of stars.

The finding also suggests that galaxies in the early universe grew much faster than previously thought.

Kit Boyett, a scientist at the University of Melbourne, worked on the study.

‘Just a few years ago, Gz9p3 appeared as a single point of light through the Hubble Space Telescope.

‘But using the James Webb Space Telescope we were able to observe this object as it appeared 510 million years after the Big Bang, about 13 billion years ago.

“We found that Gz9p3 was much more massive and mature than expected for such a young universe, which already contains several billion stars,” he says. explained.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope ever built.

Technically, it looks back in time by scanning the light given off by extremely distant galaxies and stars.

This ability to time travel is based on the fact that even light has a speed limit.

The further you peer into space, the more time has passed since the light you are looking at made its way to you.

A giant asteroid labeled ‘potentially hazardous’ contains never-before-seen precious metals.

This is evident from a new study that focused on the infamous asteroid Bennu.

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Some results are finally available from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sampling mission.

That mission sent a small spacecraft to the space rock Bennu.

The asteroid has a diameter of about 1,614 feet.

A sample was taken from the surface in 2020 and landed back on Earth in 2023.

Now scientists have provided insight into what they found on the large space rock.

It is said to contain a rare substance called magnesium phosphate.

This material has never been seen before on Earth.

It is possible that this mineral fell to Earth from space but was too fragile to survive.

This discovery was unveiled last week at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) in Texas.

Jessica Barnes, assistant professor at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL), led the study on the phosphate substances in the sample.

“It’s no surprise that we initially thought this could be a contaminant,” she says Living Science.

Other scientists discovered that Bennu contains water-altered compounds.

There is a theory that life on Earth originated from the impact of an asteroid that brought with it water and the right organic molecules.

There is also some concern that an asteroid like Bennu could end lives on Earth.

Bennu was previously labeled as a possible security risk to our planet.

It is said that there is a one in 2,700 chance that it could collide with us in the 2100s.

The chances are slim and Bennu has passed Earth before and left us unscathed.

The relative proximity to the asteroid’s path still means it is important for scientists to study the asteroid up close.

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OUR biology prevents us from traveling around the cosmos and learning about the mysteries of deep space in a human way.

Well, that is the opinion of Volodymyr Usov, former chairman of the Ukrainian National Space Agency turned cosmic entrepreneur.

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Elon Musk has spoken out about his plans to colonize Mars in the 2050s – and is currently testing the rocket for the job.

But if that’s what people want, we might need people to volunteer to become genetically modified astronauts, Usov argues.

“We want to thrive in space, not just survive for a few weeks,” he told The Sun.

Although the future Usov describes feels like it’s been plucked from a science fiction novel, or torn from the pages of the next space-bound blockbuster, he’s serious about it.

‘We have to figure out how to actually build a society [in space]starting with a little one and then growing,” he continues.

“Because what we are here on Earth is the result of millions of years of evolution and connection to a certain environment on this planet that for some strange reason was really beneficial.

“On Mars or anywhere else in the universe, as far as I know, it’s not as favorable as it is here on Earth.”

It’s a problem… that we must address, or we will never be able to expand beyond Earth.

Volodymyr Usov, former chairman of the Ukrainian National Space Agency

While Musk and his billionaires build transportation, Usov believes private industry and scientists should invest more in adapting human biology to space.

If we don’t do that, he says, space travel will be virtually impossible in the long term.

What humans need is rapid evolution in evolution – or gene editing.

“We have to adapt very quickly and without technology helping us with this adaptation, I don’t think this can actually happen,” says Usov.

“Because if you take the community to Mars… they can’t move around, they can’t communicate properly, they can’t have families… society as we see it now is impossible unless we adapt our biology to the new environment.”

No benefits in space

Do you think life on earth is difficult? Living in space will be infinitely more difficult.

Humans will face much greater risks of cancer from radiation, in addition to ruptured lungs and dangerously swollen skin due to the low air pressure on Mars.

And that’s just the Red Planet in our solar system; the unique challenges of other worlds will require entirely different adaptations to survive.

“It’s not just one way in which we have to change ourselves for space,” Usov explains, “because every environment, every planet, every new galaxy will have its own conditions, and we need a plan to adapt to this specific environment.” to adjust. .

“For our evolution, natural selection works fine… but when we talk about this absolutely new environment, it will be difficult to go just below natural selection, because it requires millions of years and large populations.

“We won’t have one in space.

“It’s a problem… that we must address, otherwise we will never be able to expand beyond Earth.”

Usov suggests that our biological weaknesses can be “fixed” with gene editing, which involves changing genes that make life on a given planet unsurvivable.

If you can help people and save lives, and you don’t, that’s unethical.

Volodymyr Usov, former chairman of the Ukrainian National Space Agency

Gene editing adds, removes and changes DNA in the genome, and is of great importance in tackling diseases.

As Usov sees it, gene editing essentially uses a natural process in our bodies to bypass evolution.

“Our genomes are mutating every day, we just don’t have direction for that,” he says, adding that the process isn’t necessarily something “new.”

To avoid the obvious ethical concerns, adults should nominate themselves for the process.

Although Usov notes that gene editing of embryos, eggs or sperm could be introduced later to ensure that new, spacefaring genes are passed down from generation to generation.

A skydiver without a parachute

A skydiver’s chances of survival without a parachute are small, but not zero.

Giving the green light to gene editing would be an astronaut’s parachute if he lives off-planet, said Usov, who is aware of the negative reactions people have to genetic modification.

“I’m sure the majority of people will react negatively, just as they react to any radical innovation,” he says.

“If you have the technology in your hands that can actually increase your chance of survival, increase your chance of a better life in a different kind of environment, it is actually unethical not to do this.

“If you can help people and save lives, and you don’t, that’s unethical.”

Usov points to today’s working astronauts, who – like athletes and entertainers – naturally possess a higher level of skills that make them suitable for their work.

They are already the result of genetic selection, he says, which is fine for those transported to and from the ISS, but won’t be enough to build a society off-planet.

“If we are talking about the colonies with thousands of people, of course we would not be able to get the people with all those genomes in such large quantities,” Usov explains.

‘That’s why we need to get average, ordinary people to edit their genomes to create the new traits that will help them survive. [off Earth].”

If this vision of the future comes to fruition, humans may one day be able to live long and happy lives on Mars – and on worlds beyond.

But whether these people will be called “human” – or even identify as such – is a cultural mystery waiting to unfold.

ADDITIONAL Northern Lights could be visible this month due to gaps in Earth’s magnetic field.

That’s what scientists say, who claim that the sun is at its most active peak.

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We know that the sun follows an eleven-year solar cycle, which is controlled by its magnetic field.

It is powered by the poles on the sun changing places about every eleven years.

It is said that the sun has reached the stage in this cycle where increased solar activity can result in more sightings of the Northern Lights.

Eruptions and eruptions from the solar surface have been observed to become increasingly intense and extreme.

WHAT ARE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS?

The Northern Lights, also known as the Northern Lights, are created when Earth’s magnetosphere is bombarded by solar wind.

It is the solar wind that interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field, creating the beautiful green-blue appearance.

Charged particles from the sun hit atoms in the Earth’s atmosphere and give them a higher energy state.

When the atoms fall back to their lower energy state, light is released.

HOW TO BEST SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

A NASA study 75 years of data show that March is often the best month to see the Northern Lights.

With the sun in its high solar activity phase, this month could be your best chance to see the best Northern Lights in the next decade.

To see the natural phenomenon at its best, a visit to a country in the Arctic Circle is ideal.

However, sometimes the lights are so strong that you can see them as far away as Florida.

It is best to check the space weather forecasts for your region.

You can take a look at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website.

When it is dark, go to an area where there is no light pollution and be patient as it may take some time for the Northern Lights to appear.

Please note that the Northern Lights may look dim with your eyes, but bright through a camera due to a higher aperture setting.

A RARE nova is expected to light up the night sky this year, according to astronomers.

The nova will erupt in the binary star system T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) and will be visible to the naked eye.

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T CrB is located in the northern constellation Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown, about 3,000 light-years from Earth.

The star system consists of a red giant star and a white dwarf that revolve around each other.

The red giant continuously feeds the white dwarf with its stellar fuel, hydrogen.

When enough hydrogen builds up on the white dwarf, it undergoes a thermonuclear explosion.

This causes the star to brighten dramatically and is what scientists call a nova.

About every 80 years, this system puts on a dazzling nova display, with the last outburst occurring in 1946.

Now astronomers predict that another eruption is imminent sometime between February and September 2024, NASA explains in a statement.

“This could be a unique viewing opportunity,” NASA officials said.

They added that the star system normally has a magnitude of +10, which is too faint to see with the naked eye.

During the event this will increase to magnitude +2, which is a similar brightness to the North Star, Polaris.

“Once the brightness reaches its peak, it should be visible to the naked eye for several days, and a little more than a week with binoculars, before dimming again, possibly for another 80 years,” NASA officials said.

OTHER STARGASING EVENTS IN 2024

For stargazers and amateur astronomers, 2024 promises to be a year of cosmic fireworks.

A total solar eclipse will be visible from North America on April 8, 2024.

The solar phenomenon will transcend Mexico, the United States and Canada.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the sun’s surface.

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is also expected to brighten the night sky on May 6.

It is one of only two meteor showers caused by dust and debris left in the inner solar system by Halley’s Comet. Living Science.