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Major Moons
We have completed reconnaissance missions to all eight of the planets, and will soon perform surveys of two dwarf planets, Ceres and Pluto. Among the most compelling targets for future flagship missions are the solar system's moons. Can we use Phobos as a base from which to tele-operate Mars missions? Is there prebiotic chemistry or even life within the buried oceans of Europa, Ganymede, or Enceladus, or in the methane-ethane rivers and lakes on Titan? What could we learn about the Kuiper belt by studying Neptune's captured moon Triton? What could human explorers do on our own Moon using technology developed over the last 40 years?
These questions drive interest in future missions among scientists, but it's an uphill battle to sell decisionmakers on the value of expensive missions to objects that are "only" moons. For us to capitalize on the successes of our reconnaissance missions, it is essential to educate the public about the reasons that other worlds' moons are so exciting, and that they are worlds every bit as worthy of study as the planets.
Recent Blog Entries about our Moon, Phobos, Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, Titan, and Triton
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2011/03/22 04:40 CDT
Last week, Zibi Turtle and Jason Perry and a dozen other coauthors published a paper in Science discussing evidence for rain on Titan.
Posted by Emily Martin on 2010/08/16 01:42 CDT
In response to Emily's entry about finally getting her hands on a subscription to the planetary science journal Icarus, I thought I would report on an article from the most recent issue: Geology of the Selk crater region on Titan from Cassini VIMS observations, by Jason Soderblom and 11 other scientists.
My arduous journey to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera images
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2010/04/02 02:41 CDT
My arduous journey to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera images
Pretty picture: An unexplained chain of elliptical craters on the Moon
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2010/04/02 02:41 CDT
Pretty picture: An unexplained chain of elliptical craters on the Moon
Lunokhod found on the Moon -- and on Earth, too
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2010/03/17 12:26 CDT
Yesterday I posted a bit of a Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter camera image showing the tracks of the Russian Lunokhod 2 rover. Today, I can post for you an image showing the rover's final resting place
Two more awesome pictures from the Enceladus flyby
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2009/11/22 05:54 CST
Prepare for your jaw to hit the floor when you see these pictures of Enceladus
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2009/11/21 10:26 CST
Opportunity's poking at Marquette Island; Cassini's catching dancing moons
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2009/11/18 04:58 CST
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