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Moon

Scientists say a giant impact knocked off the raw ingredients for the moon off the primitive molten Earth and into orbit.

Related Topics: Earth, Apollo Program, Moon Phases 

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A pilot boat passes the rising Harvest Moon on September 20, 2021 off Swanpool Beach, Falmouth, England.

Harvest Moon 2021 offers stunning views to skywatchers around the globe (photos)

By Tereza Pultarova

Stargazers across the globe celebrated this year's magical Harvest Moon, which marked the end of the summer season just two days before the autumnal equinox.

A data visualization showing the mountainous area west of Nobile Crater and the smaller craters that litter its rim at the moon’s south pole. The Nobile region — the landing site for NASA’s ice-hunting VIPER rover — features areas permanently covered in shadow as well as areas that are bathed in sunlight most of the time.

NASA unveils landing site on the moon for ice-hunting VIPER rover

By Mike Wall

The ice-hunting Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) will land just west of Nobile Crater, which sits near the moon's south pole, NASA officials announced today (Sept. 20).

Fireworks on Sept. 19, 2021, mark the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, in Wuxi, China.

What is the Moon Festival? A scholar of Chinese religions explains.

By Mario Poceski

With the arrival of September and hints of cooler temperatures also comes one of most important traditional festivals in the Chinese calendar.

The Harvest Moon of Oct. 1, 2020

How frequent is the full Harvest Moon?

By Joe Rao

The Harvest Moon is always the full moon closest to the time of the autumnal equinox.

An artist's depiction of the VIPER rover at work on the lunar surface.

NASA to reveal moon landing site for ice-lunar rover today. Here's how to follow it live.

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA will hold a press conference Monday as part of its Artemis program.

Astrophotographer Anthony Lynch sent in this photo of the Harvest Moon, September 2013, taken at Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland.

Harvest Moon 2021: When and how to see September's full moon

By Jesse Emspak

The full moon of September 2021 also carries the title of the Harvest Moon for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Chang'e 5 return capsule at its landing site in Inner Mongolia, China, on Dec. 17, 2020.

China moon rock studies include fusion energy analysis, volcanic history

By Andrew Jones

Several science institutions in China are now studying rocks collected from the moon by the Chang'e 5 mission for research that includes evaluating the material as a potential source of fusion power.

Jupiter, Saturn and the half moon, as seen from New York City looking south on the night of Sept. 16, 2021.

The moon will visit Saturn and Jupiter this week in skywatching doubleheader

By Joe Rao

It's an excellent week to go skywatching as the moon creeps up to the two largest planets in our solar system.

Artist's illustration of an Artemis astronaut stepping onto the surface of the moon.

NASA awards $146 million for human moon lander development

By Mike Wall

NASA is awarding a total of $146 million to five American companies to aid the development of crewed moon landers, agency officials announced Tuesday (Sept. 14).

Spaceflight Inc. will ferry a payload for GeoJump and Orbit Fab, an in-space refueling payload, on a lunar flyby as part of the Intuitive Machines robotic lunar landing mission in late 2022. This diagram shows the location of Spaceflight's Sherpa-ES transfer vehicle to carry the payloads.

Spaceflight Inc. unveils rideshare payloads for lunar flyby on private moon lander mission in 2022

By Elizabeth Howell

We now know which companies hitch a ride to the moon with Spaceflight Inc. as part of a robotic lunar landing mission by Intuitive Machines in 2022.

Testing at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama: Boeing is used to constructing space stations, as the company is the prime contractor for the International Space Stationand has developed multiple elements on the orbiting complex. The company will use this "heritage" knowledge in their own module, which includes some areas that can be isolated for payloads that need to be operated in different cabin atmospheres. Boeing also plans to optimize the available volume, although the statement did not specify how.

NASA's Gateway moon-orbiting space station explained in pictures

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA's planned Gateway space station will house astronauts in lunar orbit.

See the crescent moon form a triangle with Venus and the bright star Spica in the evening sky on Sept. 9, 2021.

See the moon form a triangle with Venus and Spica tonight

By Joe Rao

Thursday evening (Sept. 9) will bring a lovely celestial display involving the two brightest objects in the nighttime sky.

How to photograph the moon: The eclipsed moon seen through trees

How to photograph the moon using a camera: techniques, kit, and settings

By Damian Peach

These are the techniques, times and tools you'll need to photograph the moon using a camera.

Mercury and Venus will appear low in the western sky 30 minutes after sunset on Sept. 5, 2021 during September's new moon. The bright star Spica will be visible below and to the left of Venus.

How to see Venus shine with bright star Spica tonight and maybe spot Mercury, too

By Tariq Malik

Venus and the bright star Spica will shine in the evening sky tonight (Sept. 5). Mercury is visible, too.

The new moon arrives Sunday (Sept. 6) at 8:52 p.m. EDT (0052 Sept. 7 GMT).

September new moon 2021: See Mercury and Venus in the moonless sky

By Jesse Emspak

The new moon arrives on Monday (Sept. 6), and over the next two days makes a close pass to Mercury and then Venus.

A photo of a nearly full moon. The image was taken one day prior to the supermoon, or a moon that appears larger due to being the closest to Earth in its orbit.

2021 Full Moon Calendar

By Kimberly Hickok

The full moon happens about once a month. Find out when.

nasa's artemis program

How NASA's Artemis moon landing with astronauts works

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA Administrator BIll Nelson presents Lunar Outpost CEO Justin Cyrus with a check for 10 cents.

NASA just cut a 10-cent check to kick-start moon mining tech

By Chelsea Gohd

NASA has cut a 10 cent check to space startup Lunar Outpost in the first-ever payment to a company to mine the moon.

Before Apollo, many lunar landing schemes were proposed that could have changed history

America's forgotten plans to reach the moon

By Nigel Watson, All About Space magazine

Before Apollo, many ingenious lunar landing schemes were proposed that could have changed history.

The U.S. Space Force logo.

'Guardians wanted!' US Space Force unveils new recruitment video

By Elizabeth Howell

The U.S. Space Force is seeking more recruits to address future military challenges of spaceflight. Yes, there's an ad for it.