Are we about to find out the moon's origin? Japan's space agency says it may now have clues
A Japan space agency official says an unmanned spacecraft that landed on the moon last month has captured and transmitted data analyzing 10 lunar rocks, a greater-than-expected achievement that could help provide clues about the origin of the moon.
Japan's precision moon lander has hit its target, but it appears to be upside-down
Japan’s space agency said Thursday that its first lunar mission hit the tiny patch of the moon’s surface it was aiming for in a successful demonstration of its pinpoint landing system — although it appears to be sitting upside-down.
South Korea arrests former top officials over 2020 killing
South Korea’s former defense minister and coast guard chief have been arrested over their alleged involvement in covering up facts and distorting the circumstances surrounding North Korea’s killing of a South Korean fisheries official in 2020 near the rivals’ tense sea border.
Moon, Biden agree to work on joint North Korea strategy
In this photo provided by South Korea Presidential Blue House, South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks on the phone with U.S. President Joe Biden at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, in South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. During their first phone talks since President Joe Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed the allies make joint efforts for lasting peace and denuclearization. The two leaders agreed on the need to soon map out a “comprehensive strategy on North Korea if possible,” Moon’s spokesman, Kang Min-seok, said. AdThe U.S., which has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, regularly stages military drills with South Korea. North Korea views such military training and U.S.-led sanctions as proof of American hostility.
Moon urges Biden to learn from Trump's N. Korea diplomacy
South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during an on-line New Year press conference with local and foreign journalists at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. (Jeon Heon-kyun/Pool Photo via AP)SEOUL – South Korea’s president on Monday urged the incoming Biden administration to build upon the achievements and learn from the failures of President Donald Trump’s diplomatic engagement with North Korea. Biden has accused Trump of chasing the spectacle of summits rather than meaningful curbs on the North’s nuclear capabilities. And while Moon acknowledged that Biden is likely to try a different approach than Trump, he stressed that Biden could still learn from Trump’s successes and failures in dealing with North Korea. “The start of the Biden administration provides a new opportunity to start over talks between North Korea and the United States and also between South and North Korea,” which have stalled amid the stalemate in nuclear negotiations, Moon said.
N. Korea's Kim apologizes over shooting death of S. Korean
It’s extremely unusual for a North Korean leader to apologize to South Korea on any issue. South Korean officials condemned what they called an “atrocious act” and pressed North Korea to punish those responsible. According to the North Korean message, North Korean troops first fired blanks after the man found in the North’s waters refused to answer other than saying he’s from South Korea a couple of times. Then, as he made moves to flee, the North Korean troops fired 10 rounds. In 2002, Kim Jong Il, the late father of Kim Jong Un, said he felt “sorry” about a failed 1968 attempt to assassinate South Korean President Park Chung-hee.
Check out this ‘mini-moon’ that’s orbiting Earth
A tiny object that has gotten sucked into orbit around Earth is acting as a temporary mini-moon. The object, which is actually an asteroid, is only the second asteroid known to orbit Earth, according to CNN. Kacper Wierzchos and Theodore Pruyne, both researcher specialists for the Catalina Sky Survey, made the discovery on Feb. 15 and posted it to Twitter. On the night of Feb. 15, my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Teddy Pruyne and I found a 20th magnitude object. pic.twitter.com/zLkXyGAkZl — Kacper Wierzchos (@WierzchosKacper) February 26, 2020Researchers said the asteroid, known as 2020 CD3, is likely between 6.2 feet and 11.4 feet in diameter.
NASA's new lunar rover will hunt for water on the Moon
NASA's VIPER mobile robot will roam around the Moon's South Pole looking for water ice in 2022. (NASA AMES/Daniel Rutter)(CNN) - NASA will send a mobile robot to the South Pole of the Moon to hunt for water, the US space agency has announced. The rover -- the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER for short -- is the size of a golf cart, and will sample the Moon's soil environments to search for evidence of water and ice. Scientists consider the lunar poles as promising places to search for water ice, which could be used to provide oxygen for humans to breathe, and hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel. The vehicle, which is due to land on the lunar surface in December 2022, will collect data on different soil environments on the Moon and map out where else water could be found.
A full Hunter's Moon to light sky Sunday
Matt Cardy/Getty Images(CNN) - Moon enthusiasts, get ready -- because the next full moon will appear Sunday. The full moon, known as the Hunter's Moon, always follows September's Harvest Moon. According to the Farmer's Almanac, the Hunter's Moon gets its name from the Native Americans. With the full moon, it was easier to see deer and other animals and successfully hunt in the darkness. The moon will appear full for three days, from Saturday morning to Tuesday morning, according to NASA.
South Korea's young men are fighting back against feminism
As feminist issues come to the fore in deeply patriarchal South Korea, there's a growing discontent among young men that they're being left behind. With each court victory, the disquiet among men, especially young men, began to build. End of old masculinityFor 62 years, South Korean men have been forced to join the army. Despite the lack of political parties targeting young men, Moon Sung-ho, from Dang Dang We, is not discouraged. He points to how young men are struggling to buy their own homes, or even pay for dates.
Rare full moon on Friday the 13th
Onlookers will be able to catch a glimpse of a rare full moon on Friday the 13th. The next full Moon will be early Saturday morning, Sept. 14, 2019. The Moon will appear full for about three days centered around this time, from Thursday night through Sunday morning, NASA reports. The last time the U.S. had a Friday the 13th full moon was on Oct. 13, 2000, experts say. So while keeping an eye out for werewolves, goblins and ghosts, check out the full moon!
NASA remixes Ariana Grande song to promote moon mission
(CNN) - NASA is relying on a bit of star power to educate youth about space and promote its upcoming mission to the moon. Interns for the US space agency remixed Ariana Grande's "NASA," and rewrote the lyrics to promote NASA's work. Back to lunar orbit there is still more to uncover." "Through the agency's Artemis lunar exploration program, we will use innovative new technologies and systems to explore more of the Moon than ever before," the agency added. One of the key features of the program is sustainable space exploration with reusable spacecraft and architecture, which could later take humans to Mars.
NASA details Artemis moon missions
NASA has dubbed this path back to the moon Artemis, after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology. NASA is calling this the Artemis program in honor of Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology, the goddess of the Moon. Other factors of the design represent the Earth, the moon and our trajectory from the moon to Mars. Currently, the focus is on the moon, but NASA sees these concepts as workable for a Mars mission, as well. Astronauts will launch on Artemis 2, and the first woman and next man to walk on the moon will launch on Artemis 3.