TECHNOLOGY
Knowing where the dust is and where it is headed in the solar system, for example, could help mitigate hazards for future human exploration, including dust particles damaging spacecraft or harming astronauts.
The Moon is engulfed in a permanent but lopsided dust cloud made up of tiny dust grains, scientists say. Astronomers said the dust cloud increases in density when annual events like the Geminids meteor shower spew shooting stars.
The cloud is made up primarily of tiny dust grains kicked up from the Moon's surface by the impact of high-speed, interplanetary dust particles, said University of Colorado Boulder physics Professor Mihaly Horanyi.
A single dust particle from a comet striking the Moon's surface lofts thousands of smaller dust specks into the airless environment, and the lunar cloud is maintained by regular impacts from such particles, said Horanyi.
The cloud was discovered using data from NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, or LADEE, which launched in September 2013 and orbited the Moon for about six months.
A detector on board called the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) designed and built by CU-Boulder charted more than 140,000 impacts during the six-month mission.
Horanyi said the first hints of a cloud of dust around the Moon came in the late 1960s when NASA cameras aboard unmanned Moon landers captured a bright glow during lunar sunsets.
Several years later, Apollo astronauts orbiting the Moon reported a significant glow above the lunar surface when approaching sunrise, a phenomenon which was brighter than what the Sun alone should have been able to generate at that location.
Since the new findings don't square with the Apollo reports of a thicker, higher dust cloud, conditions back then may have been somewhat different, said Horanyi.
The dust on the Moon - which is dark and sticky and regularly dirtied the suits of moonwalking astronauts - was created over several billion years as interplanetary dust particles incessantly pounded the rocky lunar surface.
Knowledge of the dusty environments in space has practical applications, said Horanyi.
Knowing where the dust is and where it is headed in the solar system, for example, could help mitigate hazards for future human exploration, including dust particles damaging spacecraft or harming astronauts.
The Geminid meteor showers occur each December when Earth plows through a cloud of debris from an oddball object called Phaethon, which some astronomers describe as a cross between an asteroid and a comet.
"When these 'beams' we see from meteors at night hit the moon at the right time and place, we see the cloud density above the Moon skyrocket for a few days," said Horanyi.
The study was published in the journal Nature.
IND vs NZ, 2nd Test Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs New Zealand match
How To Prepare For The UPSC CSE 2025 Exam?
'India supports dialogue and diplomacy, not war': PM Modi at BRICS Summit
This woman lost in Dubai's desert orders camel via Uber, netizens say 'your camel has arrived'
Good news for Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Paytm gets NPCI nod to..., shares surge over 7%
Fan requests Rohit Sharma to deliver her message to Virat Kohli, here's how Indian captain responded
Rajkummar Rao recalls being scammed in Delhi during struggle days: 'The man had...'
Robbers pose as customers in jewellery shop, what owner did next will leave you shocked
Maharashtra Elections 2024: NCP releases 1st list of 38 candidates; Ajit Pawar to contest from…
Japanese Shah Rukh Khan leaves Bollywood Badshah's fan impressed, social media says...
Will KL Rahul be retained by LSG ahead of IPL Auction? New report provides BIG update, it says...
'Wayanad will have two MPs': Rahul Gandhi after Priyanka files nomination for bypolls
I Want To Talk teaser: Abhishek Bachchan announces his next with Shoojit Sircar, to release on...
Diwali 2024: When is Deepawali, October 31 or November 1? Check dates, mahurat timings and more
JEE Main 2025 exam date to release TODAY: Know how to register, check exam calendar HERE
Jhalmuri fever hits London: Video of British man selling Kolkata-style street food goes viral, watch
SC slams Centre as Delhi air worsens, calls environment laws...
Ex-cricketer suggests replacing KL Rahul with THIS batsman for 2nd Test vs NZ, he is…
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee smashes bottle, hurls it towards Chair in row over Waqf meet
Know how Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani's children Isha Ambani and Akash Ambani got their names
Family finds venomous snakes under their bed, what happened next will leave you in shock
This company's Vice President gets fired after raise and bonus, reason will leave you shocked
Mukesh Ambani-led Jio Financial eyes JVs with Allianz SE in insurance sector
IMD's BIG update: Cyclone Dana forms over Bay of Bengal, to cross Odisha-Bengal coasts on...
This company gifts cars as Diwali bonus, calls its employees celebrities, is owned by…
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan skips her family gathering
When Ratan Tata opened up about his parents separation, first love and childhood, he said...
Blow to Mukesh Ambani ahead of Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani's birthday, Reliance stocks...
Saudi Arabia's futuristic megacity project Neom a big threat to migratory birds? Experts say...
Apple CEO Tim Cook didn’t know about this iPhone feature, left speechless, know here
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio offers superhit Diwali plan, unlimited 5G internet for just Rs...
Bengaluru Rains: Schools closed, WFH advisory for private companies as IMD issues yellow alert
Israel confirms killing of Hashem Safieddine, presumed successor of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah
Big move by Anil Ambani, his company to invest Rs 10000 crore to set up India's largest...
Meet Indian genius, who was born in small town, today leads AI innovations of Google, she is...
Woman stays at luxury resort worth Rs 3 lakh for free, claims she used...
Delhi AQI update: Air quality worsens to 'very poor' level at 349, becomes 'severe' in these areas
PM Modi to hold bilateral talks with Xi Jinping at BRICS Summit today
Odisha, West Bengal brace for Cyclone Dana: How was it named and what it means?
POCSO case: Mumbai Police ask Ekta Kapoor, her mother to appear for questioning tomorrow
Watch: Can you identify all the actors in this clip from 1991?
Priyanka Gandhi to file nomination for Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll today
Meet woman, whose father used to sell milk, cracked UPSC exam with AIR 62 to become...
Delhi: No water supply in Capital for 12 hours on Friday due to…; check list of affected areas
Salman Khan resumes shooting for Sikandar amid death threats from Lawrence Bishnoi
India, Pakistan extend Kartarpur Sahib corridor agreement for five years
DNA TV Show: What is BRICS currency? Is it possible to introduce it today?
IPL 2025: Three-time IPL champion set to join Gujarat Titans as batting coach - Reports
PM Modi, Xi Jinping to hold bilateral meet on sidelines of BRICS Summit on Oct 23, first in 5 years
New Himalayan snake species named after Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio, it will be called…
Cyclone Dana: Schools closed in West Bengal, Odisha for 4 days from...
Delhi govt to provide special assistance of Rs 5000 monthly to...
Rape-accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein diagnosed with bone marrow cancer
IND vs NZ: Sarfaraz Khan or KL Rahul; Who will find a spot in 2nd Test? India coach says…
Mumbai Police interrogates Ekta Kapoor, her mother Shobha Kapoor in case under POCSO act
Mukesh Ambani may team up with govt to sell food products through...
Bengaluru: Several feared trapped as under-construction building collapses
Best Cheap VPS Hosting Providers: Top Picks for Hosting Under USD 10
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal set to raise Rs 8500 crore, says it is meant to...