Moons of the Solar System

[Nacky]

Mystery Solved: Water on Saturn Comes From Icy Moon 'Rain'

An icy moon around Saturn is showering rain water onto its home planet, creating a vast halo of water vapor around the ringed world, a new study finds.

www.space.com/12432-saturn-water-rain-enceladus-moon.html


Earth's Stabilizing Moon May Be Unique Within Universe

New simulations show that Earth's moon is not only unique in the solar system, but may also be rare throughout the universe.

www.space.com/12464-earth-moon-unique-solar-system-universe.html

[Nacky]

Mystery of Saturn Moon's Bizarre Giant Cloud Solved

The mystery of a giant arrow-shaped cloud on Saturn's largest moon Titan may now be solved, a new study suggests.

www.space.com/12640-saturn-moon-titan-weird-cloud-explained.html

[Nacky]

Moon Packed with Precious Titanium, NASA Probe Finds

A new map of the moon has uncovered a trove of areas rich in precious titanium ore, with some lunar rocks harboring 10 times as much of the stuff as rocks here on Earth do.

www.space.com/13247-moon-map-lunar-titanium.html

[Nacky]

The Hazy History of Air on Saturn's Moon Titan

What rocky moon has a nitrogen-rich atmosphere, Earth-like weather patterns and geology, liquid hydrocarbon seas and a relatively good chance to support life? The answer is Titan, the fascinating moon of Saturn.

www.space.com/13305-saturn-moon-titan-air-history.html

[Nacky]

On a related note...and yes it's already come and gone but it's noteworthy nonetheless, our moon and the Geminid Meteor Shower situation.

Full Moon May Spoil Geminid Meteor Shower's Peak Tomorrow

The Geminid meteor shower has typically been one of the most impressive of the year.

www.space.com/13893-geminid-meteor-shower-peak-dec-13.html

[Nacky]

And another Moon update that has slipped by (December 10, 2011) and it depended on what part of the world you might be...

Lunar Eclipse Will Supersize Blood-Red Moon Saturday

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon.

www.space.com/13874-total-lunar-eclipse-dec-10-preview.html

[Nacky]

Saturn's Moon Titan May be More Earth-Like Than Thought

Scientists say Titan's atmosphere has layers, just like Earth.

www.space.com/14247-saturn-moon-titan-atmosphere-earth.html

[Nacky]

Grail Mission Snaps Far Side of the Moon - First Video Footage

NASA's Grail Mission has delivered its first video footage of the far side of the moon. The MoonKam on the 'Ebb' spacecraft snapped the imagery on January 19th, 2012.

www.space.com/14442-grail-mission-snaps-side-moon.html

[Nacky]

Life on Moons: Antarctic Lake Shows How to Find It

Russian scientists have drilled 13,000 feet below Antarctica to the Lake Vostok, sealed off to the world for at least 14 million years, and if life can be found there, it may be possible in similar conditions on Europa and Enceladus.

www.space.com/14528-life-moons-antarctic-lake-shows-find.html

[Nacky]

Moon Kisses Sun - Transit Images Captured By Satellite

The Moon briefly flew in between the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Sun. The event was snapped by the solar-seeing satellite, producing multi-filtered views of this mini-eclipse.

www.space.com/14635-moon-kisses-sun-transit-images-captured-satellite.html



The Moon Is Not Dead: Geologic Activity Recently Monitored

High resolution imagery provided by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has shown that small valleys in some parts of the moon are slowly forming. This suggests that the moon's crust is expanding is some areas.

www.space.com/14632-moon-dead-geologic-activity-monitored.html

[Nacky]

Saturn's Icy Moon Dione Has Oxygen Atmosphere

A NASA spacecraft circling Saturn has discovered a wispy oxygen atmosphere on the ringed planet's icy moon Dione, but you wouldn't want to live there. For one thing, you wouldn't be able to breathe. Dione's atmosphere is 5 trillion times less dense than the air at Earth's surface, scientists say.

www.space.com/14775-saturn-moon-dione-oxygen-atmosphere.html