Latest news with #Earth-moon
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Can You Drink Saturn's Rings?
It's certainly possible to consume water sourced from the icy rings of Saturn, but doing so safely may require extra steps In November 2024 I was interviewed for a marvelous NPR podcast called Living On Earth about my latest popular science book, Under Alien Skies. While prepping for the show, one of the producers asked me a question that was so deceptively simple, so wonderfully succinct, and came from such an odd direction that I was immediately enamored with it. Can you drink Saturn's rings? After pausing for a moment to savor the question, I replied with one of my favorite responses as a scientist and science communicator: 'I don't know. But I'll try to find out.' [Sign up for Today in Science, a free daily newsletter] So I did. And to my delight, the nuanced answer I found is another personal favorite: Yes! But no. Kinda. It depends. I love this sort of answer because it arises when the science behind a seemingly easy question is very much not so simple. So please grab a frosty glass of (locally sourced) ice water, sit back and let me explain. Saturn's rings were likely first seen by Galileo in 1610. His telescope was fairly low-quality compared with modern equipment. And through its optics, all he could see were a pair of blobs, one on each side of the planet's visible face; he referred to them as Saturn's 'ears.' It wasn't until a few decades later that astronomers realized these 'ears' were actually a planet-encircling ring. Much was still unclear, but one thing was certain: the ring couldn't be solid. The speed at which an object orbits a planet depends on its distance from that world, and Saturn's ring was so wide that the inner edge would orbit much more rapidly than its outer edge, which would shear anything solid apart. Astronomers came up with a variety of different ideas for the structure, including a series of solid ringlets or even a liquid. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that the great Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell proved none of these would be stable and instead proposed what we now know to be true: the structure around Saturn was made of countless small particles, which were far too tiny to be seen individually from Earth. Further, these small objects form not just one ring but several, and these major rings are designated by letters in order of their discovery. The A ring is the outermost bright ring. Just interior to it is the bright and broad B ring, which contains most of the entire ring system's mass. Interior to that is the darker C ring, which leads down to the faint D ring that extends almost to the upper atmosphere of Saturn itself. In total these rings stretch across nearly 275,000 kilometers—two thirds of the Earth-moon distance! Despite their immense sprawl, the rings are almost impossibly flat, in many places just about 10 meters thick. Seen exactly edge-on, they look like a narrow line cutting across the planet. But what are they made of? Observations over the centuries have revealed that the main constituent of the rings is startlingly simple: water ice! Good ol' frozen H2O is extremely common in the outer solar system and makes up most of many moons and other small bodies there. In fact, in situ observations performed by the Cassini spacecraft—which orbited Saturn for more than a dozen years—showed that in some places the rings were made of almost perfectly pure water ice. Even better, most of the ring bits are a few centimeters across or smaller—the size of ice cubes, so they're already conveniently packaged. Sounds great! All you need to do then is scoop up some chunks, warm them—a lot (the average temperature of the rings is about –190 degrees Celsius)—and have yourself a nice, refreshing sip. But not so fast. This is where it gets more complicated. The spectra of the rings also show that they aren't made of absolutely pure ice. There's other material in the rings, and even though we're typically talking about contamination of less than 1 percent by mass, it's not clear what this stuff is. Scientists' best guess is that it comes from the impacts of micrometeorites, tiny particles whizzing around the outer solar system. This material is therefore likely composed of silicates (that is, rocks) or abundant metals, namely iron. Neither of these will harm you, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends no more than 0.3 milligram of iron per liter of potable water (to avoid a metallic taste). You'd better run a magnet over your ring water before you drink it—and you should probably filter out any silicate sediments while you're at it. On the other hand, the rings' spectra suggest the presence of some unknown carbon-based contaminants as well. One likely candidate would be complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic compounds, or PAHs, which are relatively prevalent in space; many giant stars blow out PAH-laced winds as they die. One molecule that is commonly present in PAHs is cyanonaphthalene, which is considered carcinogenic. (It's unclear, though, how much exposure poses risks to humans—or, for that matter, whether this specific molecule actually exists in the rings.) It's best to be cautious and avoid these potential contaminants by picking your rings carefully. The abundance of water ice is highest in the outer A and middle B rings, for example, whereas the C and D rings appear to be the most contaminated. So, generally speaking, it'd probably be better to opt for ice from A or B while skipping C and D entirely. There could also be other ices in the rings, too, including frozen methane and carbon dioxide. Methane should bubble out when the ice is liquefied, and of course CO2 is what makes carbonated beverages fizzy. That might actually add a fun kick to drinking from the rings! There are other rings, too, outside the major ones we've already mentioned. For example, Saturn's icy moon Enceladus boasts dozens of geysers that blast liquid water from its interior out into space. This material forms a faint, fuzzy ring (the E ring) that, again, is mostly water ice but also contains small amounts of silicates—and noxious ammonia—so I wouldn't recommend it. Still, all in all, it looks like—if carefully curated and cleaned—Saturn's rings are indeed drinkable! How much water is there in the rings, then? The total mass of the rings is about 1.5 × 1019 kilograms, which, correcting for the density of ice and the removal of contaminants, should yield about 10 quintillion liters of water—enough to keep every human on Earth well hydrated for more than a million years. Eventually, if and when humans start to ply the interplanetary space-lanes, they'll need extraterrestrial sources of water because lifting it from Earth is difficult and expensive. Saturn's rings might someday become a popular rest stop. And, oh my, what a view visitors would have as they filled up! My thanks to my friend and outer solar system giant planet astronomer Heidi Hammel for her help with this article and to El Wilson for asking me this terrific question! Solve the daily Crossword
Scientific American
5 days ago
- Science
- Scientific American
Can You Drink Saturn's Rings?
In November 2024 I was interviewed for a marvelous NPR podcast called Living On Earth about my latest popular science book, Under Alien Skies. While prepping for the show, one of the producers asked me a question that was so deceptively simple, so wonderfully succinct, and came from such an odd direction that I was immediately enamored with it. Can you drink Saturn's rings? After pausing for a moment to savor the question, I replied with one of my favorite responses as a scientist and science communicator: 'I don't know. But I'll try to find out.' On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. So I did. And to my delight, the nuanced answer I found is another personal favorite: Yes! But no. Kinda. It depends. I love this sort of answer because it arises when the science behind a seemingly easy question is very much not so simple. So please grab a frosty glass of (locally sourced) ice water, sit back and let me explain. Saturn's rings were likely first seen by Galileo in 1610. His telescope was fairly low-quality compared with modern equipment. And through its optics, all he could see were a pair of blobs, one on each side of the planet's visible face; he referred to them as Saturn's 'ears.' It wasn't until a few decades later that astronomers realized these 'ears' were actually a planet-encircling ring. Much was still unclear, but one thing was certain: the ring couldn't be solid. The speed at which an object orbits a planet depends on its distance from that world, and Saturn's ring was so wide that the inner edge would orbit much more rapidly than its outer edge, which would shear anything solid apart. Astronomers came up with a variety of different ideas for the structure, including a series of solid ringlets or even a liquid. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that the great Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell proved none of these would be stable and instead proposed what we now know to be true: the structure around Saturn was made of countless small particles, which were far too tiny to be seen individually from Earth. Further, these small objects form not just one ring but several, and these major rings are designated by letters in order of their discovery. The A ring is the outermost bright ring. Just interior to it is the bright and broad B ring, which contains most of the entire ring system's mass. Interior to that is the darker C ring, which leads down to the faint D ring that extends almost to the upper atmosphere of Saturn itself. In total these rings stretch across nearly 275,000 kilometers—two thirds of the Earth-moon distance! Despite their immense sprawl, the rings are almost impossibly flat, in many places just about 10 meters thick. Seen exactly edge-on, they look like a narrow line cutting across the planet. But what are they made of? Observations over the centuries have revealed that the main constituent of the rings is startlingly simple: water ice! Good ol' frozen H 2 O is extremely common in the outer solar system and makes up most of many moons and other small bodies there. In fact, in situ observations performed by the Cassini spacecraft— which orbited Saturn for more than a dozen years — showed that in some places the rings were made of almost perfectly pure water ice. Even better, most of the ring bits are a few centimeters across or smaller—the size of ice cubes, so they're already conveniently packaged. Sounds great! All you need to do then is scoop up some chunks, warm them—a lot (the average temperature of the rings is about –190 degrees Celsius)—and have yourself a nice, refreshing sip. But not so fast. This is where it gets more complicated. The spectra of the rings also show that they aren't made of absolutely pure ice. There's other material in the rings, and even though we're typically talking about contamination of less than 1 percent by mass, it's not clear what this stuff is. Scientists' best guess is that it comes from the impacts of micrometeorites, tiny particles whizzing around the outer solar system. This material is therefore likely composed of silicates (that is, rocks) or abundant metals, namely iron. Neither of these will harm you, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends no more than 0.3 milligram of iron per liter of potable water (to avoid a metallic taste). You'd better run a magnet over your ring water before you drink it—and you should probably filter out any silicate sediments while you're at it. On the other hand, the rings' spectra suggest the presence of some unknown carbon-based contaminants as well. One likely candidate would be complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic compounds, or PAHs, which are relatively prevalent in space; many giant stars blow out PAH-laced winds as they die. One molecule that is commonly present in PAHs is cyanonaphthalene, which is considered carcinogenic. (It's unclear, though, how much exposure poses risks to humans —or, for that matter, whether this specific molecule actually exists in the rings.) It's best to be cautious and avoid these potential contaminants by picking your rings carefully. The abundance of water ice is highest in the outer A and middle B rings, for example, whereas the C and D rings appear to be the most contaminated. So, generally speaking, it'd probably be better to opt for ice from A or B while skipping C and D entirely. There could also be other ices in the rings, too, including frozen methane and carbon dioxide. Methane should bubble out when the ice is liquefied, and of course CO 2 is what makes carbonated beverages fizzy. That might actually add a fun kick to drinking from the rings! There are other rings, too, outside the major ones we've already mentioned. For example, Saturn's icy moon Enceladus boasts dozens of geysers that blast liquid water from its interior out into space. This material forms a faint, fuzzy ring (the E ring) that, again, is mostly water ice but also contains small amounts of silicates—and noxious ammonia—so I wouldn't recommend it. Still, all in all, it looks like— if carefully curated and cleaned —Saturn's rings are indeed drinkable! How much water is there in the rings, then? The total mass of the rings is about 1.5 × 10 19 kilograms, which, correcting for the density of ice and the removal of contaminants, should yield about 10 quintillion liters of water—enough to keep every human on Earth well hydrated for more than a million years. Eventually, if and when humans start to ply the interplanetary space-lanes, they'll need extraterrestrial sources of water because lifting it from Earth is difficult and expensive. Saturn's rings might someday become a popular rest stop. And, oh my, what a view visitors would have as they filled up!
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Chinese scientists set record with daytime laser ranging to Moon satellite 130,000 kilometers away
Source: China Daily Chinese scientists have made a groundbreaking achievement in space exploration by successfully conducting satellite lasers ranging in the Earth-moon space during the day, overcoming the strong daylight interference. According to Li Yuqiang, a researcher at Yunnan Observatories, the research team successfully beamed a laser to the Tiandu-1 satellite , approximately 130,000 kilometers away from the Earth, and captured the return signal using a newly upgraded near-infrared lunar laser ranging system of an 1.2 meter telescope. This achievement enhances navigation and positioning capabilities in the Earth-moon space, supporting future deep-space exploration projects. China's groundbreaking daytime laser signal to Tiandu-1 satellite This experiment, conducted on April 26-27, marked the first-ever daytime Earth-to-moon laser-ranging trial. According to , China's Deep Space Exploration Laboratory successfully fired a precision laser from Earth to the Tiandu-1 satellite, approximately 130,000 kilometers away, with the signal returning despite strong sunlight interference. Researchers at the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , said, it marks a significant breakthrough in precise deep-space orbit measurement. Previously, limited to night time due to sunlight interference, the technology achieved centimeter-level accuracy, setting a new standard for future space operations. This advancement is seen as a significant step toward China's planned crewed lunar mission by 2030. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Breakthrough by China This accomplishment in laser ranging will improve the lunar missions of China, and exploration of deep space, through precise orbital measurements and communications. This achievement of this experiment also displays China's progress in lunar navigation and space communications, providing us with the opportunity to carry out more accurate and frequent missions to the Moon and beyond. Also read | Unique rare Earth elements unveiled on an underwater island; here's what it means for the future
The Star
08-06-2025
- Science
- The Star
Is China's Tiandu-1 first to enter resonant Earth-moon orbit? US raises doubts
China's Tiandu-1 satellite has entered a critical fuel-efficient orbit that synchronises with the motion of the Earth and moon, but claims that it is the first spacecraft to achieve the feat have been challenged by US and Canadian experts. The 3:1 resonant orbit – in which Tiandu-1 completes three loops of the Earth for every circuit made by the moon – is seen as a breakthrough for lunar infrastructure, including a BeiDou-like guidance system that will be needed for interplanetary exploration. Developer Deep Space Exploration Laboratory said that 'the Tiandu-1 navigation test satellite successfully carried out a key manoeuvre at perigee [the point in orbit when it is closest to Earth] on May 22 and precisely transitioned into a 3:1 Earth-moon resonant orbit'. 'This made Tiandu-1 the first spacecraft to enter a round-trip 3:1 Earth-moon resonant trajectory,' according to a statement on the website of the laboratory based in Hefei, Anhui province in central China. 'Its flight data will provide support for advancing technologies such as orbit maintenance, control, and autonomous navigation in complex gravitational environments.' Experts in the US and Canada immediately challenged the claim, pointing to Nasa's 15-year-old Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) probe that entered a near-identical orbit in 2011, where it continues to operate. Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer and space historian, and Canada-based amateur stargazer Scott Tilley both said it was debatable whether Tiandu-1 could lay claim to the title, with the IBEX craft's achievement of near 3:1 resonance. 'Yes, indeed Tiandu-1 has entered a 3:1 resonance orbit. Whether it's the first is launched in 2008 uses a similar orbit,' Tilley said. According to McDowell, the advantage of resonant orbits is that they allow a spacecraft to operate far from Earth while avoiding the unpredictable, chaotic motion caused by frequent lunar fly-bys. 'The resonance provides stability,' he said. In a 3:1 resonance, the 61kg (135lb) Tiandu-1 – which launched alongside the Queqiao-2 lunar relay satellite last year – completes each petal of its three-lobed orbit around the Earth roughly every nine days – the same amount of time it takes the moon to complete one. In April, state news agency Xinhua reported that China's DRO-B satellite had departed lunar orbit, after helping to establish the 'world's first three-satellite constellation in cislunar space', and entered an Earth-moon resonant orbit. DRO-B, a 277kg Chinese satellite that was salvaged after being stranded in the wrong orbit due to a launch mishap last year, is currently in a 3:2 Earth-moon resonant orbit, according to Tilley, who is best known for helping Nasa to find its long-lost IMAGE satellite in 2018. The Canadian amateur astronomer, who tracks satellites in his spare time, said he noticed that DRO-B had vanished from its known lunar orbit more than a month ago and began searching for it. Using graphics and research papers, Tilley modelled a 3:2 resonance orbit – one that tours the gravitational balance points between Earth and the moon known as L3, L4, and L5. After an exhaustive search, he spotted DRO-B in such an orbit. DRO-B completes three circles around Earth in the time it takes the moon to complete two. The satellite traces a broad, triangular loop with lobes near the L3, L4, and L5 points, which it swings past roughly every 18 days. 'DRO-B is not transmitting all the time like it used to, and it's likely [to be] having minor power issues as its solar panel supports were damaged during the launch mishap,' Tilley said. He added that DRO-B's orbit was especially notable because this specific class of 3:2 resonance orbit had never been used before. 'Japan's Hiten lunar probe did visit some of these points, but didn't use a 3:2 resonance orbit.' According to Tilley, China's use of these orbits seemed to be all about testing navigation-related technologies. 'Having a system that covers the entire Earth-moon system for orbital determination and positioning would be very helpful,' he said. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Elevators could soon take astronauts to the moon, study reveals
A groundbreaking study by researchers from the University of Cambridge and Columbia University proposes a futuristic but feasible method for lunar travel : space elevators . Rather than relying on expensive, fuel-hungry rockets, this new approach envisions a thin, ultra-strong cable stretching from the moon to Earth's orbit. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This "spaceline" could dramatically reduce mission costs and energy consumption, potentially making travel to the moon as routine as launching satellites today. Using existing materials like carbon-based polymers, scientists believe such an elevator could become operational within decades, revolutionizing the way humans explore space. How the lunar elevator would work Unlike a traditional Earth-based space elevator, which would require materials that don't yet exist, the moon-based design minimizes gravitational tension. Anchored on the moon and extending to Earth's geostationary orbit, the cable would let spacecraft dock and move along it without heavy fuel. Lower costs, higher access Launching payloads via the spaceline could reduce fuel needs by up to two-thirds, slashing the cost of space missions. This would make frequent lunar expeditions, scientific missions, and commercial projects far more feasible. Lower operational costs could encourage international cooperation and even private investment in lunar exploration. The elevator might serve as a long-term, reusable asset rather than a one-time rocket launch. The Lagrange point advantage The elevator would pass through the Earth-moon Lagrange point, a stable gravity-neutral zone ideal for space infrastructure. Scientists view it as the perfect site for building orbital labs, telescopes, and staging grounds for interplanetary missions. Its unique environment reduces collision risks with debris and enables long-term maintenance of sensitive scientific instruments. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A gateway to permanent space presence If built, the spaceline could enable a sustainable human presence in space by simplifying travel between Earth, the moon, and key orbital locations. Lunar bases, research stations, and space factories could all become part of daily operations. It marks a shift from one-off moon landings to a long-term presence beyond Earth, paving the way for humanity's deeper reach into the solar system.
