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NASA will launch its Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, in 2023 to get a closer view of the Moon’s South Pole and evaluate the concentration of water as well as other potential resources on its surface. The space agency is undertaking the mission to understand if it is possible for human life to sustain there, by using locally available resources. The VIPER mobile robot, NASA said, is the first resource mapping mission on any other celestial body. 

NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services  (CLPS) will be providing the launch vehicle and lander for what’s going to be a 100-day mission. Similar to a golf cart, VIPER measures 5 feet by 5 feet and weighs 430 kilograms, said the agency. On its website, NASA said that the Moon rover will directly analyse the water ice on the surface and sub-surface of the celestial body. The VIPER will also evaluate the same at varying depths and temperatures within four main soil environments on the moon.  

The Lunar rover will transmit the data to Earth which will then be utilised in the creation of resource maps. It will also help scientists determine the location and concentration of frozen water on the Moon and varied forms such as ice crystals or molecules chemically bound to other materials. NASA said that VIPER’s findings will inform “future landing sites under the Artemis program by helping to determine locations where water and other resources can be harvested” to sustain humans over extended stays.

The agency added that the findings could be a game-changer, especially because it’s not possible to bring everything to the Moon, Mars, and beyond for long-term exploration. It will use the data that VIPER collects to determine where the water ice is most likely to be found and the easiest to access. This is going to be a critical step forward in NASA’s Artemis programme to establish a sustainable human presence on the surface of the Moon by 2028, the agency said.

NASA said satellites orbiting the Moon as part of the past missions have helped us understand that there is water ice on its surface. However, in order to use it one day, they have to learn more about it — up close and personal. “VIPER will roam the Moon using its three instruments and a 3.28-foot (1m) drill to detect and analyze various lunar soil environments at a range of depths and temperatures,” the agency said. “The rover will venture into permanently shadowed craters, some of the coldest spots in the solar system, where water ice reserves have endured for billions of years.”

There are challenges, too, of extreme temperature conditions, dynamic lighting, and complex terrain. The near real-time driving of the rover will also pose new engineering and design challenges to the team.

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Cosmic Survey Reveals Surge of Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies

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November 17, 2024

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Cosmic Survey Reveals Surge of Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies

A recent cosmic census has revealed an unexpected threefold rise in active black holes within dwarf galaxies, creating the most extensive database of intermediate-mass black holes recorded to date. This survey, conducted with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) at the Mayall Telescope in Arizona, identified over 2,500 black holes in dwarf galaxies—more than triple the previously estimated number. Led by University of Utah astronomer Ragadeepika Pucha, the research team discovered that around 2 per cent of the nearly 115,000 surveyed dwarf galaxies contain black holes actively consuming matter. Previously, only 0.5 per cent of these galaxies were believed to host such black holes.

Unveiling Middleweight Black Holes in the Cosmos

The survey has also increased the number of intermediate-mass black hole candidates—those with masses between 100 and one million times that of the sun. With almost 300 new middleweight candidates identified, the known population has quadrupled from just 70. These findings are important for understanding black hole evolution, as middleweight black holes are seen as a bridge between stellar-mass black holes, formed from collapsing stars, and supermassive black holes, which are often found at the centres of larger galaxies. According to Pucha, this newly documented group of black holes offers clues into how early black holes may have evolved through gradual cosmic mergers.

Insights into Galaxy and Black Hole Co-Evolution

The unprecedented increase in detected black holes brings fresh opportunities to study the connection between galaxies and the black holes within them. As Dr Stéphanie Juneau from NOIRLab, a co-author of the study, remarks, the discovery raises fundamental questions about the evolution of galaxies and their black holes. It remains unclear whether galaxies formed first, subsequently creating black holes, or if black holes seeded galaxy growth.

Future of Cosmic Exploration with DESI

DESI’s findings open new chapters in understanding galactic evolution. Expected to release more detailed findings in 2025, the DESI project has already mapped 1.5 million galaxies, creating a vast 3D map that enables astronomers to probe dimmer galaxies that previously eluded detailed study. Astrophysicist Mallory Molina of Vanderbilt University, though not directly involved in the study, noted the transformative impact of the data, highlighting DESI’s ability to detect numerous black holes, even with basic observational tools, suggesting the potential for further discoveries.

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New 3D Map of Local Hot Bubble Reveals Interstellar Tunnel to Superbubble

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November 17, 2024

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New 3D Map of Local Hot Bubble Reveals Interstellar Tunnel to Superbubble

Astronomers have crafted a detailed three-dimensional map of the Local Hot Bubble (LHB), a vast, low-density region surrounding our solar system. This bubble, filled with hot, X-ray-emitting gas, has been a subject of study since the 1970s, and recent data from the eROSITA All-Sky Survey has provided new insights into its structure and history. The eROSITA telescope, which operates as part of the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission, has allowed astronomers to view the bubble with unprecedented clarity by observing X-ray activity from outside Earth’s geocorona.

The new map reveals intriguing temperature variations within the LHB, attributed to stellar winds and supernova explosions. These phenomena cause certain regions of the bubble to expand, providing a more dynamic picture of its evolution. A particular discovery is the identification of an “escape tunnel” directed towards the constellation Centaurus. This tunnel may be a connection to another superbubble in the galaxy, formed by active young stars.

The History of the Local Hot Bubble

The presence of the LHB has been recognised for nearly five decades, and its origins are believed to be linked to supernova activity. Early studies of the bubble were hindered by interference from X-ray emissions within Earth’s atmosphere. However, the eROSITA telescope, launched in 2019, has now provided astronomers with the cleanest X-ray data of the bubble. Michael Yeung, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute, noted that the eRASS1 data, which was collected during a period of low solar wind activity, offers the most precise view of the X-ray sky to date.

The mapping of the Milky Way’s hemisphere into around 2,000 regions has revealed a temperature difference between the Galactic North and South, with the Northern hemisphere being cooler. This discovery hints at an internal temperature disparity within the LHB.

A New Interstellar Tunnel and Its Implications

Along withtemperature variations, the eROSITA data has revealed a previously unknown interstellar tunnel pointing towards the Centaurus constellation. This tunnel appears to connect the LHB with a hot gas corridor in the galaxy, suggesting a larger network of such tunnels across interstellar space.

The team also noted the presence of dense molecular clouds at the edges of the LHB, potentially a remnant of the bubble’s formation. Gabriele Ponti, an MPE scientist, emphasised that the solar system is located in the centre of this bubble, though the Sun entered the LHB only a few million years ago – a brief moment in the Sun’s 4.6-billion-year history.

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Greek Tomb Possibly Holds Alexander the Great’s Tunic, New Study Suggests

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November 17, 2024

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Greek Tomb Possibly Holds Alexander the Great's Tunic, New Study Suggests

A cloth fragment discovered in a royal tomb in Greece could be the remains of a tunic once worn by Alexander the Great, according to recent claims by Professor Emeritus Antonis Bartsiokas of Democritus University of Thrace. Found in a tomb near Vergina, a site historically tied to Macedonian royalty, this garment is now believed by Bartsiokas to have belonged not to Alexander’s father, Philip II, as previously thought, but to Alexander’s half-brother Philip III Arrhidaeus. Arrhidaeus assumed the title of king after Alexander’s death, though his capacity to rule was limited by a mental disability.

Debate Surrounding the Tomb’s Occupants and Origins

The discovery was published in Journal of Field Archaeology. The discovery of the garment was made in 1977 within a gold chest in a tomb traditionally associated with Philip II. However, Bartsiokas argues that this tomb actually houses the remains of Arrhidaeus and his wife, Eurydice, basing his conclusion on historical records, wall art in the tomb, and an analysis of the garment itself. The tunic, he asserts, may have originally belonged to Alexander but was passed down to Arrhidaeus upon Alexander’s death, symbolising continuity within the royal lineage. Testing by other scholars had previously shown that the cloth, dyed purple and containing layers of cotton and huntite, resembled garments worn by Persian kings, adding weight to Bartsiokas’ argument.

Scholars’ Mixed Responses to the Findings

Experts have responded with varied opinions on Bartsiokas’ claims. Senior researcher Hariclia Brecoulaki of Greece’s National Hellenic Research Foundation disputed Bartsiokas’ identification of the garment as a tunic, suggesting instead that it more closely resembles a scarf used to wrap bones. Additionally, Athanasia Kyriakou, director of the Vergina excavation project at Aristotle University, noted that Bartsiokas had not directly examined the materials and criticised the findings as speculative.

Other scholars provided cautious support. Professor Susan Rotroff, a classics scholar at Washington University in St. Louis, found Bartsiokas’ conclusions plausible, noting that the garment’s cotton fibres align with a timeline after Alexander’s Persian conquests. Richard Janko, a classical studies professor at the University of Michigan, described the research as intriguing but emphasised that the cotton may have reached Greece through trade routes accessible to Philip II.

The debate over the identity of the tomb’s occupants continues, but Bartsiokas’ hypothesis has spurred renewed discussion on the artefacts and their historical significance in connection with Alexander the Great.

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