Tag: Planetary Science
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NASA’s MRO Hits 100,000 Photos of Mars with HiRISE Milestone
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Reaches a Landmark Milestone The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has achieved a remarkable milestone, underscoring the enduring value of long-term orbital science. NASA announced that its HiRISE camera – the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment – has now captured the 100,000th image of the surface of Mars. This achievement highlights decades…
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NASA Mars Probe HiRISE Reaches 100,000th Photo Milestone
HiRISE Nets 100,000 Mars Images: A Milestone for Modern Planetary Science The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), NASA’s long-serving scout circling the Red Planet, has achieved a landmark: its camera, HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment), has captured its 100,000th image of Mars. The milestone, announced by NASA on Tuesday, underscores the mission’s longevity, the power…
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NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captures 100,000th HiRISE photo of the Red Planet
Milestone for a Mercilessly Precise Explorer The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), NASA’s long-running scout in orbit around the Red Planet, has reached a milestone that underscores the mission’s enduring impact: its HiRISE camera has captured 100,000 images of Mars. Announced by NASA on Tuesday, December 16, the achievement marks more than a decade of high-resolution…
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Carruthers observatory returns first ultraviolet views of Earth and Moon
First Ultraviolet Images Mark a Milestone for Carruthers Geocorona Observatory NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory has delivered its inaugural ultraviolet images from space, offering new perspectives on Earth and its companion, the Moon. The mission represents a significant milestone in ultraviolet (UV) astronomy and planetary science, confirming that the spacecraft systems and UV instruments are functioning…
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MAVEN Goes Silent at Mars: NASA’s Orbiters Face Unexpected Spin
NASA’s MAVEN Goes Quiet at Mars MAVEN, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution orbiter, has fallen silent in the red planet’s orbit. NASA confirmed on Monday that the spacecraft has not answered ground signals since December 4, despite a concerted effort by engineers to reestablish contact. The update marks a troubling turn for a mission…
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MAVEN Silent at Mars: NASA’s Orbiters in Trouble Today
NASA’s MAVEN Goes Quiet at Mars NASA reports that the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft has been silent since December 4, with ground teams unable to establish a reliable link. The episode follows a period of repeated attempts to hail the orbiter, suggesting there may be technical issues affecting MAVEN’s communications and attitude…
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Rare lunar impact flash captured from Ireland: First video from AOP
Historic lunar flash captured from Irish skies A groundbreaking moment in planetary science has emerged as astronomers reveal what is believed to be the first video recording of a lunar impact flash captured from the island of Ireland. The footage, recorded by Andrew Marshall-Lee, a final-year PhD student at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP),…
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Closest Approach: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Nears Earth on Dec. 19
What is 3I/ATLAS? Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS, one of the few confirmed visitors from outside our solar system, was first spotted by the ATLAS survey in July. Unlike typical comets that originate from sources within the Sun’s neighborhood, 3I/ATLAS carries material from another star system, offering a rare chance to study cosmic rubble that formed far…
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NASA Tests Drones in Death Valley: Photo of the Day for December 15, 2025
NASA Drones in Death Valley: A Mars-Ready Testbed For decades, NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California have relied on the Mojave Desert’s harsh, arid landscapes to emulate the extreme environments found on Mars. On December 15, 2025, a compelling “photo of the day” captured in Death Valley spotlights a new chapter…
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NASA tests drones in Death Valley: Photo of the Day for Dec. 15, 2025
NASA pushes drone tech in one of Earth’s harshest laboratories In a striking display of engineering and planetary science, NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) continue to rely on Death Valley to test how unmanned aerial systems perform in extreme environments. The harsh, sun-scorched landscape of the Mojave Desert, and Death Valley in particular,…