WhyCosmo

  For decades, scientists believed volcanic activity on the Moon ceased around 2 billion years ago . However, surprising new findings suggest that volcanoes on the Moon may have been active much more recently than we thought— just 120 million years ago! Credit:  NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University This shocking discovery comes from analyzing lunar rock and soil samples brought back to Earth by China's Chang'e 5 mission. The samples collected from the Moon's Oceanus Procellarum region revealed volcanic droplets that were much younger than expected. These findings were recently published in the journal Science and have caused quite a stir in the scientific community. But how did volcanic activity on the Moon last this long? The answer may lie beneath the lunar surface. Some areas of the Moon's interior might have been enriched with heat-producing radioactive elements. These elements could have fueled volcanic eruptions long after most of the Moon's surface had coole...

  Decades-old Radar Images Reveal Fresh Lava Flows For years, scientists believed Venus was geologically dead, but new evidence suggests that active volcanoes may be common on this second planet from the sun. This groundbreaking discovery emerged from a careful review of photos taken over 30 years ago. "This definitely is another step in the path to understanding Venus as a living, breathing world," says Paul Byrne, a planetary scientist at Washington University in St. Louis. The slopes of Sif Mons, a large volcano on Venus, show signs of relatively recent lava flows (above arrow, highlighted in red). A NASA spacecraft that orbited Venus took this image in the early 1990s. Key Findings: Venus is nearly Earth-sized, and its core might be as hot as Earth's, which could drive volcanic activity. Between 1990 and 1992, NASA's Magellan spacecraft captured radar images of Venus. Recently, researchers found evidence of volcanic activity in these images. The study uncovered tw...

  New satellite images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter have unveiled the most detailed views of a gigantic ravine on Mars. Named A ganippe Fossa , this dark " scar " stretches across the Red Planet's surface, presenting a fascinating geological feature that rivals some of Earth's most iconic landmarks. Aganippe Fossa, a massive graben , spans approximately 375 miles (600 kilometers), making it longer than the Grand Canyon . This " ditch-like groove with steep walls " was first noticed in 1930 but was officially named only in 1976. The newly released photos, taken on December 13, 2023, provide an unprecedented look at this mysterious Martian feature. The giant "scar," known as Aganippe Fossa, is around 375 miles long from end to end.   (Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin) The Birth of a Martian Scar This scar was likely formed millions of years ago due to extreme volcanic activity. A massive blob of magma beneath the nearby...