To bring astronauts back from Mars, the oxidizer needed for the return launch will have to be produced directly on the planet. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researchers have developed a small plasma reactor for this purpose that splits carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere. That part of the process is already working well. The harder task is capturing the oxygen before it recombines with the other reaction products.

Artist’s illustration of a possible residential base on Mars together with other surface facilities. Credit: NASA

Tons of Oxidizer

Crewed missions to Mars are planned in the coming decades by NASA and China, Universe Today notes. In rockets that use liquid oxygen, the oxidizer accounts for most of the mass loaded into the tanks. According to agency estimates, launching an ascent vehicle carrying four astronauts from the Martian surface would require about 25 tons of oxygen. Transporting that much from Earth would significantly increase the mass of the entire mission.

Real-world experience so far has been far more modest. Using the MOXIE instrument aboard the Perseverance rover, 16 runs were carried out between 2021 and 2023, producing a total of 122 grams of oxygen. The amount required is roughly two hundred thousand times greater.

Cold Plasma

MIT graduate student Lanie McKinney led the development under the supervision of Associate Professor Carmen Guerra-García, according to MIT News. In her small reactor, CO2 molecules, which make up almost the entire Martian atmosphere, were split by cold plasma into oxygen and carbon monoxide.

In this state of matter, energy is transferred mainly to the electrons, while the remaining particles stay relatively cool. This makes it possible to break chemical bonds without heating the system to about 800°C, as is required by the MOXIE instrument.

The device is a nanosecond repetitively pulsed dielectric barrier discharge system, or NRP-DBD. Its tube is filled with beads. Lanie McKinney studied how the material used for this packing affects the splitting process. A description of the work has not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed journal; the results are currently known only from the researcher’s university profile.

Separating the Oxygen

According to Lanie McKinney, the splitting stage has been made to work very well. The challenge begins afterward. The output is a mixture. As long as oxygen remains close to carbon monoxide, some of it recombines with it to form CO2 again.

To prevent this, the researcher combined the reactor with a membrane that selectively allows oxygen to pass through. Such a membrane is intended to remove the gas from the reaction zone faster than it can react again.

It is still unclear how the chemically active plasma environment will affect the membrane itself, because the combination of the two systems has not yet been studied in depth. Lanie McKinney acknowledged that the team does not know for certain what result to expect.

Recycling Waste and Lunar Bricks

Outside her dissertation work, Lanie McKinney participated in NASA competitions as part of the student Space Resources Workshop group. The CERBERUZ team, which she co-led, won the second phase of the LunaRecycle Challenge and received $775,000. The award was given for a system that grinds mixed waste into powder for casting spare parts and producing filament for 3D printing.

Another project carried out as part of an academic course brought engineers and architects together. They looked for a way to protect lunar habitats from radiation using only local resources. Their solution was regolith bricks that could be cast and stacked without mortar or any other binding material.

• Posted in News, Science, Tech

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The oldest meteorites still contain organic matter with oxygen that it acquired before asteroids had even formed. The source of the oxygen was most likely water in the young Solar System. In the most primitive samples, interaction with liquid inside these bodies over billions of years barely changed its isotopic composition. Geochemists at Harvard University reached this conclusion after measuring the ratio of the three oxygen isotopes in the organic material with high precision. The result helps determine where this material formed and also sheds light on the origin of the reference line scientists use to compare the composition of primitive minerals.

Interior section of a carbonaceous chondrite containing organic matter from the early Solar System. Credit: Mikhail Petaev (Harvard University). Source: EurekAlert

Seven Meteorites with the Same Signature

The isotopic composition of the organic matter turned out to be almost identical in seven carbonaceous chondrites from different chemical groups. These are stony meteorites that have not melted since the formation of the Solar System and contain up to 4% carbon by mass. The studied samples included members of the CI, CM, and CR classes, as well as the rare Bells and Tarda meteorites.

The deviation in the proportion of oxygen-18 from the terrestrial standard fell within a narrow range of 10.4 to 12.3 per mille. If the organic matter had exchanged atoms with water inside asteroids for a long time, the authors calculated that this value would have ranged from 27 to 58 per mille.

The results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The first author, Daniel Crocker, and co-author David Johnston work in Harvard University’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

A Reference Line Called into Question

Oxygen atoms occur in three forms with masses of 16, 17, and 18, known as isotopes. On Earth, the ratios between them change according to a constant rule, so all terrestrial samples line up along a single line on a graph. The oldest minerals in meteorites fall along a different trend. This difference is explained by the mixing of two oxygen reservoirs with different proportions of the lightest isotope in the young Solar System.

A 520-gram fragment of the Allende meteorite. This carbonaceous chondrite fell in Mexico on February 8, 1969. Credit: H. Raab. Source: Wikipedia

This pattern was first described in 1977 using samples from the Allende meteorite and was called the Carbonaceous Chondrite Anhydrous Mineral line, or CCAM. Other variants were proposed later. Some scientists considered CCAM merely a copy of the original line that had later been shifted by secondary processes, such as exchange with water. The organic matter from all seven samples studied fell on or near this line. If secondary processes had really shifted the line, the minerals and organic matter would have had to end up by chance in the same place on the graph, which the authors consider unlikely.

An Unexpected Effect of Heating

Organic matter from six meteorites that had experienced thermal effects inside their parent bodies or during impacts showed a different isotopic composition. The proportions of oxygen-17 and oxygen-18 decreased, even though the loss of volatile substances and exchange of atoms with the surrounding environment usually increase them.

To test this, organic matter from the Mighei meteorite was kept in a vacuum for one hour at 500 and 600°C. This chondrite fell in 1889 near the village of Migiia in what is now Mykolaiv Region. In the study, it served as a sample of primitive organic matter that had not previously undergone strong heating.

After the experiment, the composition of the sample shifted in the same way as in naturally heated chondrites. It is likely that before thermal alteration, the organic matter in all of the meteorites studied had the same heavy-oxygen content.

The Cold Outskirts of the Protoplanetary Disk

The authors concluded that the organic matter acquired its oxygen during its own synthesis, before it became incorporated into asteroids. The source was probably water depleted in the lightest isotope. Enrichment in nitrogen-15 and deuterium, or heavy hydrogen, points to a cold environment exposed to intense radiation. Such conditions, as Interesting Engineering writes, existed in the icy outskirts of the young Solar System.

Artist’s illustration of a protoplanetary disk

The authors explain the identical composition of samples from different meteorites in two possible ways. Either a single reservoir of organic matter spread throughout the outer part of the disk, or the same chemical process occurred everywhere within it.

An Answer Through Models

If carbonaceous chondrites delivered most of Earth’s volatile substances, then this organic matter became a major source of carbon and nitrogen for the young planet, the authors argue. These elements later helped make Earth suitable for life.

The two possible origins of the organic matter will now be tested using models of protoplanetary-disk chemistry. Scientists will also need to explain why the oxygen in meteoritic material is compositionally close to terrestrial oxygen, while our star, according to solar-wind measurements, is enriched in oxygen-16.

• Posted in News, Science

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UFO or drone? Strange object lights up Tehran sky 50 years after famous sighting

Tehran is once again looking up at a mysterious object in the night sky — almost 50 years after the Iranian capital became the centre of one of the world's most talked-about UFO sightings.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show a brightly lit object hovering or moving slowly over Tehran.

The footage has triggered a familiar question: UFO, drone, aircraft — or something far less mysterious? For now, there is no clear answer.

Iranian authorities have not publicly identified what was captured in the videos.

TEHRAN'S 1976 UFO MYSTERY

The timing has added another layer to the intrigue. The new footage appeared almost 50 years after a documented aerial incident over Tehran on September 19, 1976.

That case began with reports from residents in the Shemiran area who said they had seen a strange, bright object in the sky.

A declassified US government report later recorded the account of the Imperial Iranian Air Force and the response by two F-4 Phantom fighter jets.

According to the report, the first F-4 lost its instrumentation and communications as it approached the object. The systems reportedly returned after the pilot turned away. A second F-4 was then sent to investigate and acquired the object on radar.

The second crew reported another unusual development when a smaller object appeared to separate from the main one. The pilot attempted to engage it, but the aircraft's weapons-control system and communications reportedly failed at that moment.

The 1976 encounter was subsequently documented in US government records and remains one of the better-known historical UFO cases involving military aircraft.

SOCIAL MEDIA THEORIES

Some social media users suggested that the lights could be from a military drone or multiple drones flying together, while others speculated that the object could be an aircraft or some form of unidentified aerial phenomenon. None of these theories has been independently confirmed.

The footage also prompted a wave of humorous reactions online, with suggestions ranging from Aladdin's flying carpet to Chinese LED lights.

“From the colours of this UFO, I think this must be a flying object of a female Alien. Just see, how beautifully she has decorated her interstellar spaceship with amazingly colourful lights,” one person wrote.

Another joked, “The aliens are here to broker peace between Trump and Iran.”

A third commenter had a more practical question: “Why are aliens using cheap RGB lights?”

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Mystery object spotted over Iran sparks buzz over US 'Black Manta' spy jet

Was it a UFO, drone or something else entirely? A mysterious object spotted over Iran amid its conflict with the US has sparked fresh speculation about America's shadowy aircraft - the 'Black Manta'.

US Black Manta Iran

Written By: Abhishek De

Amid renewed fighting between the US and Iran, a mysterious object with bright, multi-coloured lights was seen hovering over Tehran this week. It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. The sighting has now revived speculation about a highly secretive US aircraft, allegedly called the TR-3B 'Black Manta'. While the US has never acknowledged it, there have been previous sightings of a large, dark triangular object moving quietly at low altitudes - similar to what was seen over Iran.

The mysterious object was first spotted gliding through the sky near the Azadegan Expressway in Tehran on September 20. The visuals show a large, crescent-shaped aircraft with multi-coloured lights. On September 21, another video emerged showing a strange cluster of lights moving across the skies in Iran's Zahedan.

DRONE OR MYSTERIOUS 'BLACK MANTA'?

The sudden appearance of the mysterious objects has sparked a wave of theories. Some suggested it was an illuminated kite. But not all were convinced, considering the huge size of the object.

Others suggested that it could be a mystery drone or even an extraterrestrial object. So far, the Iranian military or government has remained tight-lipped on the sightings.

A section of experts have revived an even more intriguing theory - the enigmatic 'Black Manta' aircraft. However, there is no public evidence to confirm the existence of such a jet. Its existence is purely speculative. Despite this, the 'Black Manta' legend refuses to die.

What has given fresh momentum to the 'Black Manta' theory is Donald Trump's recent claim that the US has "weapons that nobody has ever seen before" and that are known "only to a select few". The US President made the remarks while threatening to "wipe out" Iran.

Against this backdrop, the mysterious sightings over Iran have once again brought the alleged 'Black Manta' into focus.

WHAT IS THE TR-3B 'BLACK MANTA'?

Over the decades, witnesses have described it as a black, triangle-shaped UFO with a bright central light that hovers and departs with unnerving suddenness. There have been odd satellite silhouettes that match the dimensions of the 'Black Manta ', but there has been no definitive proof of its existence.

The world got a glimpse of it in 2021, when Iranian media shared an image of a triangle-shaped object on board a US aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea. A report by the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency speculated that it could actually be the top-secret TR-3 'Black Manta'.

Conspiracy theorists believe the supersonic stealth spy jet flies using anti-gravity technology. While having no gravity is impossible, its effects can be reduced or countered in various ways.

According to a report in Medium, one theory suggests that the jet uses nuclear energy to create high-pressure plasma, which creates an anti-gravity field around it.

The 'Black Manta' is also speculated to have special thrust systems that allow it to quickly change speed, direction and position. Moreover, plasma produced through nuclear reactions can reduce an aircraft's radar signature.

This is believed to make the aircraft harder to detect, making it capable of flying long distances.

While there have been independent investigations into the mysterious sightings, the most detailed one was conducted by the National Institute of Discovery Science (NIDS). The Las Vegas-based research group conducted an extensive investigation into sightings of black, triangle-like objects.

Before it was disbanded in 2004, the NIDS collected more than 150 reports from the US, Canada and Europe.

It concluded that the object appeared to be an "extremely silent" aircraft and could quickly accelerate from a hovering position using powerful nuclear-based technology. It suggested that the primary function of the 'Black Manta' was intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

However, these claims have never been independently confirmed. The mysterious 'Black Manta' may remain part of aviation folklore.

But if we look at history, there have been instances of US aircraft flying in secrecy for years before being acknowledged by Washington. The most popular being the F-117 Nighthawk, whose distinctive triangular outline generated much intrigue in the late 1980s.

The Nighthawk, believed to be the world's first operational stealth aircraft, was spotted several times since 1983, but was not publicly acknowledged until 1988.

THE 1976 UFO SIGHTING OVER IRAN

The latest videos have also brought back memories of a popular UFO sighting over Tehran in 1976. On September 19, 1976, Iranian authorities reported seeing a bright object in the sky. While Iran sent F-4 fighter jets to probe the sighting, the identity of the object was never established.

Several years later, a pilot of one of the F-4s recounted that the object appeared to launch multiple glowing orbs that allegedly circled his plane. The 1976 incident also found its way into US government records. However, the details are sketchy.

For now, the latest sightings over Iran remain unexplained. There is no evidence that the object was the alleged 'Black Manta', or even that such an aircraft exists. But history has shown that some of America's most secretive aircraft have remained hidden from public view for years. The 'Black Manta', for now, remains an aircraft of mystery.

{ https://www.indiatoday.in/ }

Space Rocks Carry Hundreds of Thousands of Complex Organic Molecules—and We Just Photographed Them

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A mysterious object hovering over Tehran, Iran, has been captured on video, sparking speculation about what was actually seen in the night sky. 

The footage was reportedly recorded on Sunday by a witness on the Azadegan Highway in Tehran at around 7:30 p.m. local time. The object appeared to hover above the city, displaying several bright, colorful lights and a shape that some viewers described as unusual or even distinctly V-shaped. 

Some suggested that the lights could have been part of an elaborate drone, arguing that the unusual colors and patterns were more consistent with a human-made aircraft than with a conventional UFO. Others proposed a much simpler explanation: could the mysterious lights have been a kite carrying LEDs? 

Rep. Tim Burchett reveals that it could be a secret U.S. weapons system that mimic Alien Technology. He noted that reports of unusual objects seem to be appearing with increasing frequency. 

For now, there is no confirmed evidence establishing whether the Tehran object was a UFO, a drone, balloons, or a kite or something else entirely.

Rep. Tim Burchett Reveals Viral ‘UFO’ Spotted Over Iran Could Be Secret U.S. Weapons System That Mimic Alien Technology

"It's legit. It's something up there. It's just, what is it? We're seeing more and more of this stuff..."

"They're always V-shaped. I always have a hard time… pic.twitter.com/hKYxyfUPlP

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 21, 2026

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EXCLUSIVE - The chilling threat to Americans floating over their heads... as insiders reveal how the next world war will actually take shape

By CHRIS MELORE, US DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR and JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT and ELINA SHIRAZI, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER

After a string of mysterious rocket launches by SpaceX this month, the US military has finally confirmed what many suspected: space-based weapons have been placed into Earth's orbit.

The unprecedented announcement came after SpaceX would only say that they were carrying top-secret payloads for the US Space Force, launching a pair of rockets from their California base in less than a week.

Now, the top uniformed officer in America's newest military branch, USSF Chief of Space Operations General Douglas Schiess, has told the Daily Mail that space has quietly become a secret battlefield - and the US is in a struggle with other superpowers to control it.

Schiess said: 'Space is both a battlefield and the backbone of our Joint Force. 

'We face determined and credible adversaries who are building and fielding counterspace systems at incredible speeds to directly target the United States' space advantage.'

'Let me be clear: Today, Guardians [Space Force personnel] operate on-orbit weapons that can defend the Joint Force against space-enabled attacks.'

On September 16, SpaceX launched a classified payload into orbit for the US Space Force, which is charged with defending the country's satellites and communications systems

A Space Force spokesperson specifically singled out Russia and China, claiming that both nations had been testing weapons for use in space for the last two decades.

While the Pentagon has not revealed what the September 2026 rocket launches were carrying for the Space Force, the White House has already made it clear that one of the military's goals is building President Donald Trump's 'Golden Dome' - a giant net of sensors and missile-interceptor satellites around the globe.

On September 14, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made the shock announcement that those interceptors had already gone from the development phase to 'flight-ready hardware' in less than a year.

Speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Meink said the US was prepared to deal with 'evolving threats' but did not elaborate on the weapon's offensive capabilities or when it was put into orbit.

Space Force was created in 2019 with the main mission of protecting satellites used for communications, navigation and surveillance.

However, a military spokesperson told the Daily Mail the US is facing increased threats that could originate from hostile satellites in Earth orbit - comparing the vast vacuum just miles above Earth's surface to an actual battle zone.

'The US has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007. Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain,' they said.

'Acknowledging our readiness to protect and defend against adversary use of space weapons deters aggression. The space domain is contested, and we must be able to secure our nation's interests in space - that is why the Space Force was established as the sixth military service.'

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed the US military placed weapons in orbit above Earth

President Trump has wants a 'Golden Dome' missile defense system by the end of the decade

Pictured: A hypothetical scenario showing how the US 'Golden Dome' system would activate and prevent a nuclear attack on America

The source did not reveal what the new weapons placed in orbit were capable of, when they were launched into space or how these systems operate. 

Five years ago, the Russian military showed how lethal its space-based satellites could be, successfully testing a hit-to-kill anti-satellite missile in 2021.

The device obliterated a defunct, Soviet-era spy satellite launched in 1982, sparking condemnation from around the world.

It is believed that the Golden Dome, which the White House wants completed by the end of the decade, will consist of sensors and tracking satellites, ground and sea-based missile platforms and a planned 'constellation' of space-based interceptors.

Similar to the defense missile used by Israel, the 'dome' would act like a layered shield meant to detect and shoot down missiles and other airborne attacks on the American homeland.

The interceptors in space would sit in orbit and, if used, try to ram an enemy missile early in flight before it can drop warheads or decoys.

Besides the interceptors, Golden Dome is also expected to feature sensor and enemy tracking platforms sitting in orbit.

Those satellites would watch for missile launches from foreign nations or other adversaries, follow the threat across the sky and feed targeting data to the interceptors on land, at sea or in space.

Officials want them there because a missile can appear with only minutes of warning, and space is the only place that can see almost the entire surface of the Earth at one time.

While the Pentagon has not revealed the specifics of these new systems moving into the 'flight-ready' status, lawmakers in Washington have already done the math on how many interceptors will need to be launched to complete Trump's plan.

A so-called 'golden dome' would help protect the United States from outer space

The US has deployed a space weapon in the Earth's orbit for the first time, its air force said

According to a May 2026 report from the Congressional Budget Office, the US would need approximately 7,800 interceptor satellites in low Earth orbit to effectively defend the country.

That estimate came from an assessment of what it would take to stop ten long-range missiles, possibly nuclear-capable ICBMs, which were fired at America at the same time.

The CBO report also laid out a jaw-dropping $1.2 trillion price tag for the Golden Dome. This would cover the development, deployment and operation of these satellites for the next 20 years.

There is one type of weapon that the US has agreed to not launch into space - nuclear missiles or other weapons of mass destruction. These typically include chemical and biological weapons.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which the US signed and ratified, states that countries may not place nuclear devices or other similar weapons into Earth orbit, on the Moon or elsewhere in outer space.

However, that does not ban conventional weapons, signal jammers, missile interceptors or military satellites. 

There are more than 110 'states parties' - meaning countries which are legally bound to obey it - that have signed the agreement over the years.

US lawmakers have raised concerns Russia wants a nuclear anti-satellite weapon in space

All major countries which have ventured into space are parties, including Russia and China.

Despite that, US lawmakers, including Republican Mike Turner, the former head of the House intelligence committee, have claimed that Russia is prepared to violate that agreement and take the space arms race nuclear.

In 2024, Turner demanded that the Biden Administration declassify all intelligence on a 'serious national security threat' that was believed to involve Russian President Vladimir Putin seeking to deploy a nuclear anti-satellite weapon in space.

Moscow denied the claim. Putin said Russia opposed nuclear weapons in space, and then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said there were 'no such projects.'

{ https://www.dailymail.com/news/index.html }

It might sound like the plot of a bonkers sci–fi film, but the world has now witnessed the very first human vs robot boxing match.

Influencer Frankie Lapenna stepped into the ring last Friday to take on a 6ft–tall humanoid robot with a worrying resemblance to the Terminator.

The event took place in San Francisco, hosted by the robot fighting company REK, which controlled the robot remotely.

While Mr Lapenna made a valiant effort, the fight didn't end well for him.

As the influencer stepped into the ring wearing a helmet and protective pads, his visibly nervous coach said: 'I'm scared for you, man.'

The fight started with Mr Lapenna actually landing a few solid punches that rock the lumbering robot's head back and sent it stumbling.

But humanity's hopes didn't hold out for long as the robot soon countered with a devastating flurry of kicks that sent him flying across the cage.

However, although it might not look that way in the clip, REK says that Mr Lapenna actually won the fight and went on to tackle an even bigger bot later the same evening.

Influencer Frankie Lapenna stepped into the ring last Friday to take on a 6ft–tall humanoid robot with a worrying resemblance to the Terminator

Cix Liv, CEO of REK, told the Daily Mail that hosting human vs robot fights was not something the company originally planned to get into.

The San Francisco–based firm's main business is staging fights between remote–controlled robots, like a real–life version of the film Real Steel.

However, when Mr Lapenna reached out about two months ago saying he wanted to get into the ring himself, the opportunity seemed too good to turn down.

'When he reached out to us, he said he didn't want to wear any protective clothing,' Mr Liv told the Daily Mail.

'But we told him that he had to, and when he saw what the robot could do, he actually said that he needed more.'

REK described the event as its first human-versus-humanoid robot fight.

In the fights, Mr Lapenna wore motorcycle gear to shield him from the worst of the blows and spiked boxing gloves to cushion his hands.

On social media, fans were terrified by the footage of a robot pummelling a human to the floor.

On Instagram, one commenter wrote: 'Didn't we have, like, 6 movies explaining why this is a bad idea?

REK, the company hosting the fight, says that Frankie wore motorcycle protective gear and spiked boxing gloves so that he could stand a chance of surviving the robot's attacks 

'This could've been a Black Mirror episode,' chimed in another.

While one bluntly wrote: 'Stop. Teaching. Them. To. Fight.'

Across the entire evening, the influencer actually took on three robots, starting with a tiny Unitree G1 and working his way up to face two of the hulking six–foot bots seen in the viral clip.

Those large robots are adapted versions of the ENGINEAI T800, which weighs up to 187lb (85kg) and costs $40,500 (£30,332).

Although they are not specifically built for fighting, their powerful limbs make an extremely powerful base for a robotic warrior.

Mr Liv says: 'We have like 500 try–hard men emailing us saying they're going to fight the robot, but they don't realise that it's like trying to punch a metal wall.'

While the average adult can kick with about 650lb (294kg) of force, REK says its large robots deliver 850lb (385kg) of force with their blows.

Although it can't be seen in this teaser clip, Mr Liv says that the influencer actually 'defeated' the massive bot seen kicking him around the ring.

The 'Terminator' robot was just one of three bots that the influencer took on that night, with each round seeing the human fighter sent flying by kicks 

Mr Lapenna apparently managed to unbalance the bot and send it tumbling into the wall, where it seized up and 'ripped its head off'.

Mr Liv says he doesn't want to give away the results of the next fight, which will be released in a video tomorrow, but cautions that things didn't go so well for the human fighter.

Despite that, the only real damage sustained by Mr Lapenna is a self–inflicted hand injury that came from 'punching metal', and the influencer was otherwise unhurt.

Watch the video here:

The unusual showdown quickly attracted attention on social media, with users speculating about whether human-controlled robots could eventually become part of professional combat sports.

Mr Liv says that the company had never considered hosting human fights long term and added that this was always intended to be 'a stunt'.

But with so many people already begging to get in the ring, he says: 'We'll have to do it again.'

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‘UFOs and God’ movie: Why the year’s most unsettling film isn’t just about aliens

Scientists in California say that if Venus once had a moon of its own, the planet would inevitably have “eaten” it. The moon would have gradually lost angular momentum, eventually ending with a fall onto the planet’s surface. However, no traces of such an event have yet been found.

Venus. Source: www.skyatnightmagazine.com

A Moon of Venus

Recently, people on Earth were able to watch the Moon “eat” Venus. Of course, this was only an illusion caused by the fact that the two objects happened to line up from Earth’s point of view. However, as phys.org reports, scientists from the University of California, Riverside suggest that Venus may once have had a moon of its own, which it later consumed. A paper on the subject has been published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Astronomers have long been puzzled by the question of why Venus, which is very similar to Earth in mass and size and lies right next to us, has nothing comparable to the Moon. The new paper proposes looking for the answer in what is happening to our own moon.

Earth’s Moon is thought to have formed shortly after a large body collided with the very young planet. Some of the debris gathered in orbit, much closer to the surface than the Moon is today. Since then, the “jewel of the night” has been moving very slowly away from us.

This happens because Earth itself rotates around its axis much faster than the Moon orbits it. It is known that the Moon transferred its rotational momentum until its rotation became synchronized, so that it always faces us with the same side. But the reverse is also true: Earth very slowly transfers part of its daily rotational momentum to the Moon, causing it to gradually move farther away.

Venus “Ate Its Moon”

For Earth, one possible scenario for losing the Moon would be for it to escape the planet’s gravitational influence. For Venus, however, the new study suggests the opposite. Venus rotates around its own axis extremely slowly, once every 243 Earth days. If it had a moon, that moon would orbit the planet in a much shorter period than this. Instead of gaining angular momentum, the moon would lose it.

As a result, the orbital period of a hypothetical Venusian moon would continue to shrink until the moon eventually crashed into the planet. Scientists carried out computer simulations with different moons, first for Earth to verify that they always move outward, and then for Venus, where they consistently fell toward the planet. The more massive the moon, the sooner the collision occurred.

Doubts and Implications

The idea is elegant and plausible, and the study’s authors suggest that our neighboring planet may indeed have had a moon in the past. However, there are no signs that such a moon ever existed, and most scientists doubt that Venus could ever have had anything massive in orbit.

The problem is that if Earth’s large Moon originated from a giant impact, then something similar would also have had to happen to Venus early in the history of the Solar System. Two such events within a single planetary system would be quite a coincidence.

Nevertheless, the new study is important. It shows that large moons orbiting slowly rotating planets are doomed eventually to fall onto them. This matters when considering what we should expect from Earth-like planets orbiting other stars.

As for the absence of impact traces on Venus, the explanation may be that the planet’s entire surface underwent a major resurfacing event in the relatively recent past, around a billion years ago. So even if such an event was caused by the fall of a moon, no traces would remain — just as no remnants remain of the oceans in which life may once have existed.

• Posted in News, Science

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