NASA said it will hold a major event to announce an “exciting new discovery” of the moon.
The space agency did not disclose details about the discovery, but said it “contributes to NASA’s efforts to identify the moon in support of deep space exploration.”
She also said the discovery came from the Stratosphere Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or Sophia.
Sophia is a modified Boeing 747 that flies higher than most of the atmosphere, allowing its 9-foot compact telescope to get a clear view of our solar system and the wider universe. The plane is able to capture more than 99 percent of the water vapor in the atmosphere, which usually blocks our view of space.
And NASA indicated in its announcement that the telescope tools located in the center of the flying observatory collect infrared light, which means that it can “capture a phenomenon that is impossible to see with visible light.”
NASA’s notice of the event pointed strongly to the Artemis program, which hopes to send the first woman and next man to the moon in 2024, hoping to use it as a base for launching missions to Mars from the 1930s. They will be the first to set foot on the moon since 1972.
The briefing will be attended by Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist with the Directorate of Exploration and Human Operations Mission at NASA Headquarters, indicating that this discovery applies at least to space agency plans to travel to and live on the Moon.
In addition to Dr. Bleacher, Paul Hertz, Director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters will attend the event. Casey Honiball, postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; Nassim Rangwala, Project Scientist for the Sophia Mission.
And NASA said the event will take place at midday ET, or 5 PM ET in the UK, on Monday, October 26. The audio will be streamed live on their website.
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