Category: 7. Science

We’ve been talking about sending a radio telescope to the far side of the Moon for awhile now. Now that reality is one step closer with the completion of the design and construction phase of the Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment-Night (LuSEE-Night) radio telescope project. This milestone marks a major step in the development of the system, which is planned to launch on a lunar lander in 2026.

Any radio telescope on the far side of the Moon will have plenty of advantages over any radio telescopes within sight of Earth, since the lunar far side is the one place in the solar system that isn’t ever affected by radio noise coming from the Earth itself. That isolation allows it to search for faint signals from the early universe, such as the coveted “Dark Ages” signal that emanates from when the universe was only 380,000 years old, before planets and stars were formed.

Radio interference from Earth typically drowns out the Dark Ages signal, which is why a radio telescope on the far side of the Moon, which is protected from that interference by the Moon’s mass, is so appealing. Unfortunately, that also means any equipment sent there has to contend with the harsh environment on the lunar surface, which includes not only massive amounts of radiation, but massive temperature swings of over 300 C.

Fraser discusses why a far-side lunar telescope would be so useful.

Those temperature swings also happen over the course of weeks, with the 14 days of night dropping the temperature on the far side to -173 C, while during the 14 day lunar day it can get as high as 173 C. That day/night cycle also means that, if the system is using solar panels, it must be able to power itself for at least two weeks without being recharged – which, in practical terms means it has to have a massive battery.

Battery selection was just one part of the component selection and design process that went into this step of the project. Most of the component selections were handled by three different institutions – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which handled the antenna design and its pointing mechanism, UC Berkeley Space Studies Laboratory, which handled thermal management and also served as the integrator on the project, and Brookhaven National Laboratory, which was responsible for the electronics design as well as the spectrometer, which is the key component in breaking the radio signals into their constituent parts so they can be studied.

As with all projects, there were engineering constraints put into place – with one of the most important being a weight restriction. LuSEE-Night had to weigh no more than 128 kg in order to fit on the Blue Ghost lunar lander it was intended to go to the Moon on. It might not be a huge surprise, but a large chunk of that weight was dedicated to the battery, which itself weighed in at a massive 50 kg. The reality of current battery physics requires one that large two last the entire system through two weeks of no recharging.

Far discusses more generally what’s on the far side of the Moon.

Even with that battery constraint, the rest of the system actually came in under its weight budget, with some of the components, like the power supplies and radio communication equipment, being selectable off the shelf. However, one sub-system that was not just available off the shelf was the thermal management system. UC Berkeley designed a combination heat pip that transfers the heat generated both by solar radiation and by operation of the telescope’s instruments to a radiator which uses radiation to transfer the heat into space. A series of thermal switches helps control the internal temperature of the system as well, turns sub-systems on and off as necessary to ensure thermal stability.

That could be one of the biggest challenges to one of LuSEE-Night’s primary objectives that sets it apart from other potential far-side radio telescopes – it wants to collect data 100% of the time. This involves a complex melding of thermal and power management, and still gives the operators the ability to switch collection operations off at any time.

In fact, collecting Dark Age data is actually the secondary mission for LuSEE-Night – it is primarily meant as a technology demonstration mission to prove that radio telescopes can last on the far side of the Moon, and viably collect data for more than a few days, which has never been done before. The plan is currently to have LuSEE-Night collect data for over two years on the lunar surface. If it does that, it will be considered a success, and will pave the way for ever more powerful radio telescopes at the hellish haven on the far side of the Moon.

Learn More:

BNL / Phys.org – Scientists and engineers craft radio telescope bound for the moon

UT – Astronomers are Working to Put a Radio Telescope on the Far Side of the Moon by 2025

UT – A Radio Telescope on the Moon Could Help Us Understand the First 50 Million Years of the Universe

UT – A Lunar Telescope that Could Explore the Cosmic Dark Ages

It’s almost time for summer’s meteor shower duet.

The Southern Delta Aquariid and the Alpha Capricornid meteor showers peak at the same time – in the early morning of July 30.

Without too much interference from moonlight – the waxing moon will be only about a quarter full – the meteors should appear bright and clear in regions away from city lights.

With each shower expected to produce up to a dozen visible meteors per hour under dark skies, the doubleheader means the total number of meteors “do add up,” said Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium program coordinator at the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.

“Look for flashes of light in the night sky,” he said, adding that both are “very nice classic meteor showers.”

The Alpha Capricornids – produced by slower–moving meteors – may have tails that linger slightly longer in the sky, said Nick Moskovitz of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S.

Viewing of each shower lasts through Aug. 12.

As the Earth orbits the sun, several times a year it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids.

The source of the Delta Aquariids is debris from comet 96P/Machholz. The Alpha Capricornids stem from the comet 169P/NEAT.

When these fast–moving space rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up.

Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail – the end of a “shooting star.”

You don’t need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights.

The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky.

Competing sources of light – such as a bright moon or artificial glow – are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities.

And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren’t checking your phone.

The next major meteor shower, the Perseids, peaks in mid August.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

In a wide-ranging Genomic Press Interview published today in Brain Medicine, Dr. David R. Rubinow recounts the serendipitous path that led him to overturn decades of medical assumptions about hormone-related mood disorders in women.

The interview reveals how a chance phone call accepting a fellowship position he had initially rejected set Dr. Rubinow on a trajectory that would fundamentally change how medicine understands and treats reproductive mood disorders. His discovery that women with conditions like premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), postpartum depression, and perimenopausal depression have completely normal hormone levels challenged the prevailing wisdom of an entire field.

The power of saying yes

“I called him right back and said that I would be grateful to accept his invitation,” Dr. Rubinow recalls of the moment that changed his career trajectory. That decision to work with Dr. Bob Post at the National Institute of Mental Health launched a 27-year career at NIH that would validate the experiences of millions of women whose hormone-related mood symptoms had been dismissed or misunderstood.

Through meticulous research involving blinded hormone manipulation studies, Dr. Rubinow and colleague Dr. Peter Schmidt identified what they termed “differential sensitivity” – the phenomenon where susceptible women respond differently to normal hormonal fluctuations. This breakthrough shifted treatment approaches from attempting to normalize hormone levels to targeting the abnormal response mechanisms themselves.

From bench to bedside

The practical impact of Dr. Rubinow’s work materialized when his insights contributed to developing brexanolone (Zulresso), the first FDA-approved medication specifically for postpartum depression. Unlike traditional antidepressants, this neurosteroid treatment directly addresses the differential sensitivity mechanisms his research had uncovered.

In the interview, Dr. Rubinow shares how his background in philosophy and history unexpectedly prepared him for scientific discovery. “What I enjoyed in those two areas were the discipline of questioning in philosophy and the opportunity for creative linking of ideas in history,” he explains. This interdisciplinary thinking enabled him to identify novel connections that yielded significant physiological insights.

Building legacy through leadership

After establishing himself as a researcher, Dr. Rubinow brought his vision to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006, serving as Chair of Psychiatry until 2019. During his tenure, he founded the UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders, established (with Samantha Meltzer-Brody) the nation’s first peripartum psychiatry inpatient unit, and created (with Susan Girdler) the first NIH-sponsored fellowship in women’s mood disorders.

The interview also reveals Dr. Rubinow’s parallel passions for music and woodworking, offering glimpses into the person behind the scientific achievements. His philosophy of “bringing the chisel when sent for the hammer” – inherited from his grandfather – reflects the thoughtful, comprehensive approach that characterized his research career.

Recognition and reflection

A member of the National Academy of Medicine since 2012 and past president of both the Society of Biological Psychiatry and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Dr. Rubinow has authored over 400 scientific publications. Yet in the interview, he attributes much of his success to serendipity and being open to unexpected opportunities.

His work has particular relevance as awareness of women’s mental health continues to grow. By establishing reproductive psychiatry as a legitimate subspecialty with evidence-based treatments, Dr. Rubinow’s research has provided hope and validation for women whose experiences were previously marginalized in medical settings.

Dr. David R. Rubinow’s Genomic Press interview is part of a larger series called Innovators & Ideas that highlights the people behind today’s most influential scientific breakthroughs. Each interview in the series offers a blend of cutting-edge research and personal reflections, providing readers with a comprehensive view of the scientists shaping the future. By combining a focus on professional achievements with personal insights, this interview style invites a richer narrative that both engages and educates readers. This format provides an ideal starting point for profiles that explore the scientist’s impact on the field, while also touching on broader human themes. More information on the research leaders and rising stars featured in our Innovators & Ideas – Genomic Press Interview series can be found in our publications website: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/.

Before the launch of NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover in 2020, AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) completed an 18-month mad dash to build a helicopter for the mission that could fly five times during a 30day mission. When Ingenuity arrived at Mars, it stunned even its creators with its capabilities, eventually making 72 flights over three years to explore the Red Planet.

So what if NASA sent six larger, more capable copters next time?

AV and NASA JPL have developed a new mission concept called Skyfall that could deploy a fleet of sensor-equipped Mars helicopters directly from space, potentially as soon as 2028. 

What now? After Ingenuity, AV turned to what came next. Initially, engineers focused on a version of the aircraft to support Mars Sample Return, with the helicopter designed to snag tubes of Martian rock and dust and then return these samples to an ascent vehicle.

When MSR was cancelled, however, the team wasn’t ready to give up. Their conversations with planetary scientists led them to conclude that helicopters made great regional explorers, covering more ground than rovers, but with more precision than an orbiter.

In collaboration with JPL, the company developed a remarkable concept: Fly six of its helicopters to Mars, and deploy them from a descent vehicle without any lander at all. 

What it will take: AV is confident it can deliver vehicles that cost less than the $85M spent on Ingenuity; Will Pomerantz, the head of AV’s space business, says the Skyfall copters would cost less than the spacecraft required to launch them. That leaves three challenges:

• NASA needs to choose the mission in time to get development underway, ahead of the 2028 Mars transit window.
• AV and JPL need to work out the physics of deploying the helicopters from a space vehicle entering the Martian atmosphere, which is an area where AV has gained some expertise on Earth.
• JPL needs to complete a comms payload for the helicopters that can talk to overhead orbiters, since there will be no lander or rover to act as a relay.

Fit to size: The mission is intended to suit the political and practical realities of the Trump administration’s chaotic space policy environment. Skyfall “is fast, and it is dirt cheap, by Mars standards,” Pomerantz told Payload. The mission also directly supports future human missions that Trump’s NASA is pushing for. 

“Skyfall is a human precursor mission—it will do killer science—but the raison d’être of Skyfall is, let’s make it easier and safer and faster for humans to get there,” Pomerantz told Payload, 

AV envisions the copters gathering high-resolution data at potential landing sites, so the machines can “feed that information back to NASA, make it open to industry for the SpaceXs and Blue Origins and everyone else in the world, let them pick their landing sites, [and] let them ingest that data into their EDL software,” Pomerantz said.

– Advertisement –

– Advertisement –

– Advertisement –

WASHINGTON, Jul 29 (WAM/APP): A significant breakthrough by Pennsylvania State University researchers, led by Victor Pasko, has provided the first quantitative explanation for precisely how lightning initiates. This groundbreaking work has revealed the powerful chain reaction that triggers lightning.

In the study published on Monday in the Journal of Geophysical Research, the authors described how they determined strong electric fields in thunderclouds accelerate electrons that crash into molecules like nitrogen and oxygen, producing X-rays and initiating a deluge of additional electrons and high-energy photons, the perfect storm from which lightning bolts are born.

“Our findings provide the first precise, quantitative explanation for how lightning initiates in nature,” Pasko said. “It connects the dots between X-rays, electric fields and the physics of electron avalanches.”

The team used mathematical modelling to confirm and explain field observations of photoelectric phenomena in Earth’s atmosphere – when relativistic energy electrons, which are seeded by cosmic rays entering the atmosphere from outer space, multiply in thunderstorm electric fields and emit brief high-energy photon bursts. This phenomenon, known as a terrestrial gamma-ray flash, comprises the invisible, naturally occurring bursts of X-rays and accompanying radio emissions.

“By simulating conditions with our model that replicated the conditions observed in the field, we offered a complete explanation for the X-rays and radio emissions that are present within thunderclouds,” Pasko said. “We demonstrated how electrons, accelerated by strong electric fields in thunderclouds, produce X-rays as they collide with air molecules like nitrogen and oxygen, and create an avalanche of electrons that produce high-energy photons that initiate lightning.”

Zaid Pervez, a doctoral student in electrical engineering, used the model to match field observations – collected by other research groups using ground-based sensors, satellites and high-altitude spy planes – to the conditions in the simulated thunderclouds.

“We explained how photoelectric events occur, what conditions need to be in thunderclouds to initiate the cascade of electrons, and what is causing the wide variety of radio signals that we observe in clouds all prior to a lightning strike,” Pervez said.

“To confirm our explanation on lightning initiation, I compared our results to previous modelling, observation studies and my own work on a type of lightning called compact intercloud discharges, which usually occur in small, localized regions in thunderclouds.”

Published by Pasko and his collaborators in 2023, the model, Photoelectric Feedback Discharge, simulates physical conditions in which a lightning bolt is likely to originate. The equations used to create the model are available in the paper for other researchers to use in their own work.

In addition to uncovering lightning initiation, the researchers explained why terrestrial gamma-ray flashes are often produced without flashes of light and radio bursts, which are familiar signatures of lightning during stormy weather.

“In our modelling, the high-energy X-rays produced by relativistic electron avalanches generate new seed electrons driven by the photoelectric effect in air, rapidly amplifying these avalanches,” Pasko said.

He added, “In addition to being produced in very compact volumes, this runaway chain reaction can occur with highly variable strength, often leading to detectable levels of X-rays, while accompanied by very weak optical and radio emissions. This explains why these gamma-ray flashes can emerge from source regions that appear optically dim and radio silent.”

Despite how Ross’ paleontology career is treated by his companions in Friends, there’s something special about finding the remains of creatures that lived millions if not billions of years before us. In fact, humanity’s interest in paleontology isn’t a modern development. Ancient Romans were just as fascinated by fossils.

According to the ancient Roman historian Suetonius, Emperor Augustus established the first known paleontological museum at his villa on the island of Capri, where he showcased the bones of ancient “giants” and “monsters.” While paleontologists have yet to uncover such fantastical remains, a study published Thursday in the journal Science describes something that, in my opinion, is even more special—an ancient Roman amulet crafted from the fossil of a critter that lived between 453 and 460 million years ago.

The researchers claim that the artifact “represents the first documented trilobite in the Roman world and the earliest known reference to this fossil group—and the intentional manipulation of a trilobite specimen—in all of classical antiquity,” they wrote in the study. Trilobites are a group of marine arthropods that existed between 521 and 251 million years ago. It’s also the “third trilobite in the global archaeological record to have been collected and used by people over a thousand years ago,” they added.

The rare artifact came to light in a Roman settlement in northwestern Spain called A Cibdá of Armea that existed from the first to the third century CE. The researchers suggest that the fossil itself originated in shale outcrops over 267 miles (430 kilometers) away from the Roman settlement. The trilobite likely reached the settlement via trade or as the property of someone from central Lusitania (a Roman province in Spain) moving to the region.

Either way, someone clearly altered the fossil. “The Armea trilobite fragment unquestionably shows evidence of anthropic work, particularly on the underside and left side of the piece,” the researchers explained. “These marks do not affect the upper surface, which displays the characteristic articulated segments of a trilobite’s dorsal exoskeleton. It seems clear that the person who modified the stone intended to leave that natural surface untouched, while simultaneously adapting the fossil to its new function.”

According to the study, the modified fossil could have functioned as a game token, a part of a necklace or bracelet, a banded pendant on a metallic mount, or simply an object people carried in their bag or pocket. Regardless of how the trilobite was fashioned, it was likely kept for supernatural, propitiatory, or medicinal purposes and abandoned between the first and third centuries CE.

“It is plausible to consider that the Armea trilobite may have been perceived to hold magical and protective powers for its wearer, as is the case with fossils or even trilobites in other well-known archaeological contexts,” the researchers wrote. Coincidentally, archaeologists found the trilobite next to a bronze coin of Augustus.

The discovery is a testament to the fact that humanity’s curiosity for that which came before us is a universal trait that transcends cultures, borders, and even time itself. It stands as a reassuring reminder, especially in times like these—when the only thing everyone seems to agree on is our many differences.