[ music ]
>> Hello and welcome
to the 15th edition
of International Observe
the Moon Night.
This is a day each year that
we invite everyone on Earth
to observe the moon,
learn about the moon,
and celebrate the moon
in our arts and culture.
Hi, I'm James Tralie.
I'm a producer
at NASA Goddard.
>> Hi, I'm Andrea Jones,
and I am the public
engagement lead
of the Solar System
Exploration Division
here at NASA Goddard.
And I'm also the director
of International
Observe the Moon Night.
So we are so excited
that you are observing
the moon right now
with about a million people
around the world.
On all seven continents
people are observing with you.
We're so glad
that you're here.
And wherever
you're joining us from,
we'd love for you
to show us where you are
and how you
are observing the moon,
so you can share that with us
and with people
around the world
using the hashtag
#Observe the Moon
on your favorite
social media platform,
and you can share us photos
with us through
the Flickr group as well,
linked through our website.
moon.nasa.gov/observe.
And there we have
lots more program information
and resources as well.
>> Yeah, so International
Observe the Moon Night
is an annual event that
occurs usually in September
or October,
when the moon is around
the first quarter.
This is a great phase
for evening observing
with dramatic shadows
along the terminator.
And here's how some of
our friends around the world
are observing the moon.
[ indistinct chatter ]
[ speaking foreign language ]
>> Hi, I'm Matt, here at
the South Pole Telescope
celebrating the moon,
[ speaking foreign language ]
>> I'm focusing on the moon
because humans will be
expanding their area of activity
in the near future.
>> Hello, everyone!
We are [ indistinct ]
from South Africa.
>> And we are so excited
to be celebrating
the International Observe
the Moon Night with--
>> All: NASA!
>> Hi, I'm NASA astronaut
Tracy Dyson,
orbiting 260 miles
above the Earth
aboard the International
Space Station.
Tonight is time
to come together
to appreciate and observe
our shared moon.
We are blessed on the ISS
to be able to observe
the moon from space,
being situated over
the Earth's atmosphere.
It's quite a sight to behold.
The effect of the moon
is most dramatic for us
over large bodies of water.
When the moon is full,
it illuminates
the whole surface
of the Earth,
and the ocean glistens
with a beautiful soft glow.
Contrast that
with the new moon,
and the oceans are as black
as a starless universe.
It's almost as if
the Earth disappears.
It's crazy.
Wherever the moon is
in its phase,
when spotted,
you can hear someone
say from the cupola,
"come look at this moon."
So my crewmates and I
are excited
to contribute to work
that is a stepping stone toward
NASA's return to the moon
through the Artemis program.
Stay curious
and keep looking up.
>> Yes, so you just saw
how folks around the world
are observing the moon.
But Andrea, do you have any tips
for people to observe the moon
first with a telescope
if they have one?
>> Sure. So if you're
fortunate enough to have
access to a telescope,
there are some
wonderful features
to look for.
We have moon maps
that have lots of feature--
features identified.
But something you might
want to try is looking
along the terminator,
the line between day
and night on the moon.
It's the dawn and dusk line,
just like here on Earth.
And that's where the shadows
are the longest.
And so you can really see that
rugged lunar terrain pop out.
>> It's really special
to be able to do that.
Definitely encourage you
if you have a telescope,
but if you don't
have a telescope,
you can still participate
with the naked eye.
What are some things
you can look for
if you're just looking
at the moon?
>> Absolutely.
So if you're looking up,
and you see those dark areas
and those light areas,
those are the two
major types of rocks
that we find on the moon.
The highlands,
the lunar highlands,
the ancient rock,
they're kind of bright.
And the mare,
these floods of basalt
are darker.
So those are two things
you'll definitely see.
You might see some crater rays.
Tycho crater is visible,
and you can see some rays
emanating from this--
this little crater
that's fairly fresh.
And we know it's fairly fresh
because of those bright rays.
If you're not able
to go outside to observe,
you also can
do different things.
So right now you're
watching this broadcast.
Of course, we also have
telescope feeds
from around the world
on our website,
on our live streams page.
And you can really
be creative.
This is a moment that
we're excited to have
traditional observing,
but there's also the opportunity
to feel the moon,
with 3D prints
of the lunar surface.
You can taste the moon
a little bit.
You could make, you know,
moon phases out of
chocolate sandwich cookies
and try that out.
You can listen to the moon.
There's lots of moon songs.
Lots-- there's actually
some lunar data
that's sonified
that you can listen
to lunar data,
or you can, you know,
listen to your
favorite moon songs
or moon movies
or moon stories.
This is a time to celebrate
the moon in arts and culture.
And we really
encourage people
to be creative
with how they're
observing the moon today.
>> So to learn more
about how to observe
our moon,
we're joined by NASA
data visualizer Ernie Wright.
How's it going, Ernie?
Thanks so much for joining us.
>> It's going great.
I am very happy to be here.
>> Always good to bring you in
for nights like these
when we're looking at
our nearest celestial neighbor,
the moon.
What gets you excited
about looking at our moon?
>> Well, I mean,
International Observe
the Moon Night
is this time for everybody
to observe together.
But I always think
it's a good time to go out
and look at the moon.
I enjoy watching
the phases change.
It's like having a calendar
in the sky.
And I also enjoy,
because I have telescopes
and I'm an amateur astronomer,
I enjoy watching
the terrain change
as the shadows
play across it.
>> So this event always occurs
when we have a near
first quarter moon.
It's a little bit
of a bigger phase this year.
So what are you going
to be looking for tonight?
>> Yeah. So it's
a waxing gibbous phase,
which allows us to see
some things in the western
half of the moon
that we normally don't see
during this event.
I'll be looking
for Aristarchus plateau,
which is right
on the terminator,
that day/night line.
Because that throws,
a lot of the terrain
right there into relief.
Aristarchus plateau
is this sort of
diamond shaped
volcanic feature
that's lifted up above
the rest of the surface.
And you can really tell that
when the shadows are long
the way they are.
You'll also be able to see
more of Copernicus crater,
which is in
the middle of a mare,
but it's very bright,
and it has all these rays,
all these ejecta rays.
Just imagine the explosion
that happened
when that crater was formed
to throw stuff out
hundreds of kilometers
in every direction.
>> So, Ernie, today is a day
that a lot of people
will be maybe taking time
to observe the moon,
who knows,
perhaps for the first time,
like, really paying attention
to the moon at all.
And a lot of people
are going to be looking
through a telescope
for the first time.
We know that a lot
of people do that today.
So if you haven't
been paying attention
to this amazing,
beautiful world near us,
what are some things
that we should look for.
you know, just out
in our backyards?
And then can you talk
a little bit about
what that experience
might be like to look
through a telescope?
>> Through a telescope,
I think it will surprise
a lot of people
how amazing that view is.
When my kids
were in second grade,
I would take a telescope up
to the elementary school
during the day.
Because the third quarter moon
is visible in the western sky
and all the kids
would sort of line up
and look through.
It's a little difficult
to sort of aim your eye
right down the barrel
of the eyepiece,
so you may not see
something right away.
But I could always tell
when the kids
actually got lined up and saw,
it because they'd all go...
[ gasping ]
They would make faces,
they would gasp,
they would get excited.
They would start jumping
up and down.
So I think even the grown ups
will jump up and down
on the inside
when they look
through a telescope
for the first time
at the moon
and see how complicated
and uniquely beautiful
that surface is.
>> And we want to hear about
your first experience.
If this is your first time
looking through a telescope.
Be sure to share
that experience with us
using that hashtag,
#Observethemoon.
And while we observe
our nearest celestial neighbor
here from Earth,
we actually have one mission
up in space
getting an even closer look
at the moon.
>> Since its launch in 2009,
NASA's Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter
has been gathering
incredible amounts of data
about the moon.
This information has led to
many scientific discoveries
shedding light on the moon's
history, composition,
and potential
for future exploration.
One of the most heavily used
instruments on LRO
is its high resolution
camera system,
which is able to capture
incredibly detailed images
of the lunar surface.
By analyzing these images,
scientists have been able
to gain new insights
into the moon's geology
and its evolution.
For example,
LRO has provided new data
on how the lunar surface
changes as a result
of the formation
of impact craters.
During its years
orbiting the moon.
LRO's camera has captured
the immediate results
of meteorite impacts
on the surface,
such as scattered debris
and ejecta patterns
on the surface.
And since the moon lacks
an atmosphere,
these newly formed craters
remain essentially
untouched over many years,
allowing LRO
to continuously measure
and collect data on them.
This means scientists
can analyze a crater
formed a year ago
and use it to learn about
craters that formed
millions or billions
of years in the past,
giving us clues about
the moon's geologic history.
We can't replicate
this type of study
on Mars or on Earth,
since atmospheric
conditions like wind
are rapidly changing
the surface.
The moon is therefore
a unique environment
for learning about
our solar system.
Another major focus
of LRO's mission
has been the moon's south pole.
This region
is of particular interest
to scientists
because of the detection
of water,
which will be
a vital resource
for future missions
to the moon.
The data LRO has collected
allows scientists
to create detailed maps
of the South Pole,
leading to the discovery
of large regions
that appear to contain
significant amounts
of this water.
These discoveries
are important
because they could help
make future missions
to the moon more sustainable.
Instead of having to bring
all their own water with them,
astronauts could potentially
extract water
from the lunar soil
and use it for drinking,
cooking,
and even rocket fuel.
The Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter spacecraft
is also equipped
with a suite
of scientific instruments
that aid in exploration,
including a laser altimeter
called LOLA
that is able to measure
the precise elevation
of the lunar surface.
Using LOLA,
scientists have been able
to create
the most accurate map
of the moon's topography
to date,
as well as improved
lunar gravity models,
both of which will help
future exploration efforts.
Finally, data from LRO
has helped us
better understand
the composition
of the lunar surface,
shedding new light
on the moon's history.
The data has shown
that a wider range
of compositions
of volcanic rocks exist
on the lunar surface
than previously thought.
We have found
compositions of rocks
that are not part of
the Apollo sample collection,
and evidence
for volcanic activity
that may have occurred
only 50 million years ago.
That's 950 million years
after scientists
had previously thought
it ended.
This information
helps us piece together
a geologic history
of the moon
from just after its formation
to the present day,
information that will aid
in understanding future samples
collected by Artemis astronauts.
Thanks to the incredible data
gathered by the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter,
NASA and the scientific
community are making
incredible strides
in our understanding
of the moon.
With every new discovery,
we are one step closer
to unlocking the secrets
of our closest
celestial neighbor.
>> So you just saw some
of the ways in which NASA
observes the moon.
And so we're back here
with Ernie to learn more
about how data visualizers
like himself use these data
to create some incredible
visualizations of the moon.
So, Ernie, yeah,
so you get all this data
back from LRO.
I'm always curious to know
what your approach is
to kind of distill that down
into the beautiful imagery
that we see.
>> I feel so fortunate
to be working with LRO data,
because this
is the first time
that we have complete
global maps of the moon,
including the shape
of the surface.
And that's what gives you
those beautiful shadows.
And that's kind of--
the moon is
this very stark landscape.
And without the shadows,
you don't have
a whole lot to show.
But so I use all of these
maps of the surface shape
and the surface color,
and I put the sun
in the right place,
and I put the--
sometimes I put the camera
where the Earth is
so far away
with a big telephoto lens,
like I'm looking
through a telescope.
And really,
all I have to do
is point at the moon,
and there's so many
beautiful things to see there.
>> Yeah, the resolution
is crazy.
Can you give us kind of
a sense of scale,
like as per pixel resolution?
>> Yeah.
So the cameras on LRO,
there is a wide angle camera
that's 100 meters per pixel,
and there's a narrow
angle camera
that can get down to
half a meter or even better.
This is what is allowed us
to take pictures
of the landing sites
of the Apollo astronauts.
The descent stage
of those landers
is still there.
We can see--
we can't see the flags,
but we can see the shadows
of the flags cast,
and we can see their--
their footprints.
We can see the tracks
that they left,
and we can see
the rover tracks,
and we know exactly
where they went.
We can see the rover.
Apollo 15, 16, and 17
had a dune buggy that
allowed them to travel for--
for miles on the surface.
And the other really
important component for me
is the laser altimeter.
This is a laser that fires
shots at the surface
28 times a second.
and it has a clock in it
that can time how long
it takes that laser light
to leave the spacecraft,
hit the surface,
and come back again.
And we're talking about
fractions of nanoseconds,
but that tells you
exactly the height
of the surface
that they're firing at.
They've shot that laser
over 10 billion times.
And so we have maps
of the shape of the terrain
based on that
that are 60 meters per pixel
near the equator
and five meters per pixel
at the poles.
The advantage of
a polar orbiter like LRO
is that it goes over the pole
lots and lots of times,
and all of those tracks
are squished together,
so you get really high
resolution there.
And that's fortunate for us
because we kind of
want to land there
at the South Pole.
And so we know
the shape of that terrain
better than, you know,
any of the landing sites
in Apollo.
And it really helps
with the planning,
>> Your mention of
the South Pole, I mean,
we are doing a lot
to get ready to continue
exploring the moon.
We have been with LRO
for a long time now.
It's amazing how fantastic
and long lived
the spacecraft is going.
The little spacecraft
that could.
But we're also
learning a lot
with your visualizations.
They're stunning.
They're beautiful.
This is like my favorite meeting
is learning what Ernie
has created with this data
that's a little bit hard
to approach in raw format.
But we're also benefiting
as a science community
from your visualization.
So can you talk a little bit
about the types of mysteries
you're helping to solve,
the types of puzzles,
the types of challenges
that your work
is helping us overcome
as we're exploring the moon
and learning about it.
>> I always think of myself
as an artist with no talent.
And so what I try to do
is use the computer
as my sort of talent aid.
And my approach
has always been,
the more realistic
I can be in my rendering,
the closer I can get to
the beauty of nature.
This is something that
I don't have to work at.
It just comes out of
doing things that show
what it really looks like.
And so for, you know,
deciding where to land,
when we go back,
it's really important
to get that illumination right.
At the South Pole
the illumination is
just bizarre.
The sun is never more
than a degree and a half
above the surface.
And so you get these
gigantic long shadows
that are cast from mountains
that are over
100 kilometers away.
If your spacecraft
is powered with solar panels,
you kind of need to know
if you're going to be
in shadow or not.
So I think-- I hope that,
when I visualize
the illumination
at the South Pole,
it's helping to choose
the landing site
and plan how we do our EVAs
when the astronauts step out
and explore the surface.
Do they have to
walk through shadow?
Can we use earthshine to sort
of help in those situations?
What is the big difference
between summer and winter?
You wouldn't think that
the moon would have seasons
as extreme as the Earth's,
but if you're
at the South Pole,
it makes all the difference
whether the sun
is a degree and a half
above the horizon,
or a degree and a half below.
So that's what
I'm trying to do now,
is help people understand what
that lighting situation is.
>> Yeah. And also, I guess
this work we were talking about
is preparing
the next generation
of astronauts for Artemis.
What does that mean to you
that your work,
your data is being used
in this situation?
>> It's so cool.
I have been sent
pictures of astronauts
in training
who are looking
at my visualizations
and identifying features
on the surface
and understanding how,
you know, changes in lighting
make things, more difficult.
This is actually
something that,
during International
Observe the Moon Night,
you can see for yourself.
On the eastern side
of the moon,
you'll see that the craters
kind of disappear.
What you see
is the coloration.
But because there aren't
very many shadows there,
you can't tell
what the shapes are.
And so I think it's helpful
for the astronauts to see
what everything looks like
under different
lighting conditions
and how something that
on a map, you might say, oh,
I know exactly where that is.
But if you're--
if the illumination
is different,
you might not see it
that way at all.
And you have such
an incredible knowledge
of all the features
of the moon.
I was wondering
what is a feature on it
that kind of draws you back in
every single time you see it,
when you're looking
through this data?
>> Well, you know,
I've been staring at the moon
for 15 years now,
and you kind of have to--
so I like, unusual things
like Reiner Gamma,
which is this swirly feature.
It's not a crater.
It's not a--
it's not a shape on the surface.
It's a coloration
that we think is caused
by local magnetic fields.
That sort of a redistributing
dust particles
is a little bit like
the magnetic face
that you can kind of
draw mustaches with.
And that's happening
on the surface of the moon,
and we call those swirls,
but Reiner Gamma is
the most obvious one,
and you can see that through
an amateur telescope.
In an amateur telescope,
it looks like a little
figure eight that's drawn
on the face of the moon.
>> Yeah. It's amazing. You can
see these in real time.
I think of, like,
the Shoemaker-Levy 9
impact on Jupiter.
Is there anything that
you've been able to capture
in real time
with LRO here at the moon?
>> Yeah. LRO is detecting
a lot of meteor impacts.
And I mean, we say meteor.
That's kind of an Earth thing.
It's a-- the bright flash
in the atmosphere.
But there are also
these particles that
are hitting the moon
and small boulders.
And we have seen flashes
on the Earth that indicate
that an impact has occurred,
and LRO can fly over that later
and see a new crater.
And because it's
been there for 15 years,
it has older pictures
of that area.
And so we can kind of
do that two frame gif
of crater's there,
crater's not there.
And you can see
crater formation processes
that are happening right now.
In fact,
I was surprised to learn
that based on this, the--
they call it
the gardening rate.
This is how fast
the surface changes.
That rate is probably
100 times faster
than we thought it was.
This has implications
for the astronauts' footprints.
We thought they would
last a million years.
They may only last 10,000,
because there's still
so much activity
on the surface. Right?
>> It is really incredible.
LRO has helped us reshape
our understanding of
our nearest neighbor in space.
And, so much of your work
has helped us understand
what is going on.
And there is
a 15 year collection
of Ernie's work helping us
look at some of
the neatest highlights,
the greatest science results,
and all kinds
of beautiful areas that
we can observe on the moon.
>> And it's been such
a privilege to work
on that data
and actually see that happen
and see scientists see things
that they didn't see before.
It's this time capsule
of the formation and evolution
of the entire solar system.
So everything you learn
about the moon
tells you something
about where we came from,
where the Earth came from,
where the rest of
the solar system came from.
And to see that understanding
grow in real time
based on LRO's data
is really amazing.
>> And you've combined
all of this data into,
I think, in my opinion,
and probably everyone's opinion.
NASA's favorite video of yours,
which is this one set to
"Clair de Lune" by Debussy.
"Moonlight," it's a beautiful
visualization.
And we'll watch that now.
And I encourage you all
to just enjoy
and take this one in.
[ music ]
>> These data are not
only visually stunning,
but scientifically interesting
and important as well.
They're helping us
better understand
the lunar environment
and prepare for
future exploration.
>> And so while we study
the moon using missions
like the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter,
we also continue
to make new discoveries
from the samples
that astronauts brought back
from the Apollo program.
Here's how scientist
at NASA's Johnson Space Center
are analyzing this precious
collection of lunar material.
>> This is the only place
in the world
that you go work with
moon rocks on the scale
that we work with them
and handle them every day.
It's so exciting
that the astronauts
brought back the samples,
and they're here
at Johnson Space Center.
>> My name is
Andrea Beatrice Mosie.
I've been working here
at NASA
for 47 years.
> My name is Juliane Gross.
I'm the deputy curator
for the Apollo samples.
My job rocks, obviously.
>> On a daily basis,
I work with moon rocks.
There were six missions
that went to the moon
from 1969 to 1972.
And we brought back 842 pounds
of rocks, pebbles, and soil.
>> We're studying moon rocks
because we want to learn
about our own history.
I want to learn about
how Earth formed,
where life comes from.
Where is the water coming from?
And all that information
is lost on Earth.
We need to find that
someplace else
that hasn't changed,
so we can still find
that original information.
That's on the moon.
The moon doesn't have
any wind and water and rain.
The moon is
geologically inactive,
so nothing has changed.
It has recorded everything
since its formation.
So it has recorded
how the sun has changed
over time.
It recorded how much stuff
got delivered to the moon,
like, hit the moon over time.
We can look at the age
of these rocks
and then make assumptions
of, like, what was delivered
at what time.
So the moon is like
a time capsule
or a time machine.
We can go back in time
to look at it.
>> The moon rocks are stored
here at Johnson Space Center
in our pristine sample vault,
and our return sample vault.
We actually break the rocks,
document the samples,
find out exactly
what scientists or
the researchers looking for,
and we allocate
or send the samples
to them to do their research.
You cannot actually
touch the samples
with the bare hands.
If in fact I touch the samples
with my bare hands,
then I'm adding the oil
to the samples.
So when the researchers
actually do their analysis,
they're not researching
what was actually found
on the moon.
They're researching
what we have here on Earth.
We work in a clean room lab.
We have microscopes
that we keep covered
with a bag when we go out,
or you have data
that you're working on
in your data pack.
Everything we do here
is to protect the samples
from earthly environment.
You need to keep
the room clean.
When your parents tell you
to go and clean up your room,
just think about that.
I want to work in the lab
with the moon rocks.
I better learn how
to clean up this room.
>> All the Apollo samples
are special,
but they are not representative
for the rest of the moon.
So that's one of the reasons
why we are going
back to the moon
with the Artemis missions.
And we're going to go to
the south polar region.
The astronauts actually
got geology training
so that they could recognize
different rock type.
When we train the astronauts,
we want them to be able
to pick up rocks
that are representative
of that landing site.
But we also want them
to pick up rocks
that are very diverse,
so we really can
get a better idea
of what the geology is like
in that region.
Not just the landing sites,
but the overall region.
And that's why this is so fun,
because the Artemis astronauts
will learn from
the Apollo astronauts,
and they will learn from
the Apollo samples,
to prepare them
to go back to the moon
and pick up new samples
that are more representative.
>> I've been here for 47 years
because I actually
love what I do.
The samples from Apollo,
it sparked what we're doing now.
So we continue to do
that same research.
We continue with exploration.
And that is NASA's mission.
>> If you're interested
in becoming a processor
of moon rocks,
you should start studying now
Earth science and geology.
It's a good thing
to find a mentor.
There are also teachers
and counselors
that will assist you.
Don't be afraid
to reach out to them.
There's no dumb question.
So you need to be able
to open up,
ask the questions.
You need to be present.
But present does not mean
just being in the class.
Presence means participating,
asking the question,
doing your homework,
and doing all the things
that you need to do
to be successful.
>> No, I never thought that
I could work for NASA.
That-that was like--
NASA was just like a big,
shiny whoa.
Only, like, geniuses work there.
Right?
I was like, nah, I'm not-I'm not
good enough for that.
Now, here I am.
Don't listen to anybody
who tells you
you can't do things,
or you're not smart enough,
or, like, whatever.
Don't listen to them
because they're wrong.
Because what that really means
is that you haven't found
the right people to teach you
in the right way
that is good for you.
Don't give up.
Stay curious.
Ask questions.
Follow your heart.
Just keep trying and you will
eventually get there.
>> What's so exciting now
is that we are heading
back to the moon
with astronauts again
in the very near future.
>> Yeah, it's very, very soon.
In fact, actually,
just recently, in late 2022,
NASA launched the uncrewed
moon orbiting mission,
Artemis 1,
that officially marked a new
phase of lunar exploration.
This mission was the first
in a series of increasingly
complex missions that will
enable human exploration
at the moon,
and future missions to Mars.
It traveled 1.4 million miles
over 25 days,
10 hours and 53 minutes
to be precise.
And ventured thousands of miles
beyond the moon.
>> While engineers
and technicians
prepare for Artemis 2,
the first crewed mission
in the program,
scientists on the ground are
working to train our astronauts.
>> And we have one of those
scientists actually in studio
with us today.
This is Kelsey Young
from NASA Goddard.
Thank you so much
for joining us.
>> Thanks for having me.
>> Yeah, so you were involved
in quite a bit of
training recently.
Most recently in Iceland.
Could you talk a bit
about that for us?
>> Yeah, I'm so fortunate
to get to train
not only the astronauts,
but engineers,
flight controllers, operators
who are supporting Artemis.
But, most recently,
I was incredibly fortunate
to take place in training
our Artemis 2 crew,
who are, of course,
the next crew
to go to the moon.
They'll be traveling around
the far side and coming back.
So we had the prime crew
and the backup crew
out in the highlands of Iceland,
training them for their mission.
It's incredible.
>> That's a cool place to be.
>> I mean, just casually,
you know,
I'm gonna leave these things.
This is incredible.
>> I feel so fortunate.
And, uh, I think my favorite
part of the job
is all the amazing people
I get to work with.
It's incredible.
>> Yeah. so,
what are some of the science
that we're gonna be doing
during Artemis 2, specifically,
that we're gonna
get involved in?
>> So Artemis 2 is the next
mission out of the gate.
So we'll have astronauts
going to the moon,
going around the far side,
and coming back.
They'll get some great views
of the far side,
which human eyes don't
get to see a whole lot.
Not since Apollo has anyone
seen the far side of the moon.
So we're going to be asking
the astronauts to take pictures.
Of course.
We want that documented
since we all can't see it
back here on Earth.
And we want them to describe
what they're seeing.
So they'll be recording
their observations.
They'll be taking pictures.
They'll be annotating images
and maps of the moon.
And they'll all be doing that
around targets of interest
that us lunar scientists
and geologists care about
and are asking them to look at.
>> And so you're doing
this training in classrooms
and out in the field as well.
So you were just
out in the field with this,
uh, astronaut crew,
the Artemis 2 crew.
Can you tell us a little bit
what that was like?
>> It was amazing.
Yes, we do train them
in the classroom
and the field.
So they don't get out of
the classroom work, right,
to learn geology
and lunar science.
So we did have them
in the classroom first
and taught them a little bit
about the fundamentals
of lunar science,
lunar geography,
and also Iceland geology.
So they'd be prepared for
the rocks they would see
in the field.
And then they--
we traveled to Iceland.
So we, you know,
flew into Reykjavik
and traveled up
into the Highlands.
We had them looking at complex
field geologic problems
to kind of get their
geology brains working.
Teach them about how to think
about science in the field.
How to unravel geologic
problems and questions,
make good observations
and take good pictures,
so that when they're flying
around the far side of the moon,
they can do that for us.
>> So it's back to school
for everyone,
including the astronauts.
>> Absolutely, yeah.
>> And so what is
really striking, I think,
and what I didn't
really expect is that
this is not a new program.
We've been doing this
since Apollo,
training astronauts in geology.
>> Yes and, actually,
all the way back to Apollo,
they visited this exact site
with the Apollo crews,
and they said it was the most
lunar like of the sites
they visited during training.
So we have that feedback
from them of having
been to Iceland,
then flown to the moon
and made that comparison.
But since Apollo,
we have been training crews.
So we, again,
classroom training.
Can't get out of that.
And field training as well.
So they-- before they fly to
International Space Station,
astronauts train in geology
as well.
And we're building
a new program for Artemis.
And so, new classroom content,
new field content.
We have five field sites
that we're fleshing out
to take Artemis crews to.
Iceland being one of them.
So it's a really exciting,
new landscape of training.
And we have an incredibly
amazing and diverse
group of trainers
to provide them that classroom
and field training.
>> Artemis 2 is not actually
going to land on the moon.
And yet, this is part of
their training regime.
And can you explain why
that's still so important,
even if you're not gonna be
walking on the moon,
to understand
what it looks like
to be walking around
in that type of environment?
>> Yeah.
So for the same reason we train
International Space Station
astronauts in geology and,
you know, field science,
Earth science, is because
they're taking pictures
from orbit on the International
Space Station.
We want them to,
while they're taking
the pictures,
understand what those features
look like from the ground.
So they know
what's interesting.
They know what scientists
back on Earth are gonna
care about in those images.
They understand the processes
that are taking place.
By the same token,
we want our lunar astronauts
to be able to understand
the terrain that
they're flying over,
and imaging and describing.
And the best way to do that
is to get their hands
on the rocks.
So we have them
out in the field,
looking at those rocks,
looking at those landscapes,
describing them,
saying geology words out loud,
taking good pictures
and understanding
what makes a good picture.
It's all really valuable
training to, you know,
put scientist-trained brains
around the moon.
>> And, obviously,
we can't simulate
the moon exactly.
The gravity conditions,
all these other things.
But I feel like you do
a pretty good job.
Even down to, like,
the lighting conditions
and the equipment.
It seems like everyone's
gowned up almost in
what they be wearing when
they're at the South Pole.
It's often at night that
you do these activities, too.
>> Yeah, so the jet activities
that we do out in Arizona,
we do try to simulate
the really challenging
illumination environment
that we expect
at the lunar south pole.
So we get not just our crew
used to those conditions,
but our flight control teams
as well.
The teams supporting from Earth
that are gonna have to
provide that, you know,
safety, navigation,
science support, all from
Mission Control Houston.
So the jet simulations
really enable us
to really get comfortable
in that environment,
and test the hardware that
the astronauts are gonna
need to use to, you know,
light their path.
>> I'm also curious about
your role and how this training
affects your preparations
for Artemis 2.
So you will be on a mic,
able to talk with astronauts
as they're going
around the moon.
I mean, this is
just so exciting.
And how is this--
I mean, this is, of course,
relationship building
and trust building.
Is there anything particular
that you are still, um,
working on as you're preparing?
>> Yeah.
So my role for Artemis 2,
I'm the lunar science lead,
and I will be one of
our science officers
in mission control
during the mission.
So while I won't be
talking to the astronauts,
I will be talking to, like,
the flight director
and the CAPCOM
who are communicating
with the astronauts.
Speaking for lunar science
and geology,
I'm incredibly excited.
This is a new flight controller
position for Artemis,
and we're kind of the first
through the gate here.
We're so excited to be able
to integrate science
in this operational way
for Artemis
and for lunar science.
And this Eisen trip,
you hit the nail on the head.
It's so important for, you know,
building relationships.
Not only with the crew,
but we had flight controllers
out there.
We had a flight director
out there.
We had the chief
training officer
for the astronauts, which
she plays a critical role
in their journey to the moon.
And it was just a really
wonderful environment
to all learn together.
Not just about the science,
but about team building,
expeditionary skills,
team skills.
How to work in these,
you know, high fidelity
and operational environments.
And it really, you know,
really brought the team,
it really gelled the team
together to work through
adverse conditions.
It's cold, it's rainy,
it's foggy.
We're all tired.
How are you gonna function
and still, you know,
conduct science operations
in these environments?
That was one of the biggest
impacts of the trip.
>> Yeah.
There's so much preparation
that goes into this.
Could you kind of walk through,
I guess, the schedule
for the next couple of years
leading up to Artemis II,
Artemis III, and beyond?
>> Artemis II will go around
the far side of the moon,
and Artemis III will
land on the moon.
We have a lot of work to do.
The Artemis II crew has,
of course, a lot of work.
We will provide more
science training to them,
specifically about their
mission objectives.
And then, of course,
after the Artemis II mission,
we'll turn our eyes
to the surface of the moon.
We have a whole really
integrated training regimen
planned for the
Artemis III crew.
That includes pure science.
You know, classroom training
on lunar fundamentals,
lunar geography, geology,
field geology, and, of course,
field training.
But we also are integrated
with other operations teams,
specifically the EVA group,
or again, an acronym,
the Extravehicular
Activity Group.
So we're really joint with them
because a lot of the science
that the crew will be
conducting on the moon
is joint with EVA, right?
They'll be doing it
in their spacesuits,
out on the surface of the moon.
And so we really need to
speak each other's languages.
You know, as a science
flight controller,
I need to understand, you know,
the operational environment
they're in, the dangerous
environment they're in,
and what those constraints are.
And by the same token,
all of those other operators
need to understand the science
and why we're there,
why we're asking them to pick up
that 12th regolith sample
and take that third drive tube.
So we're really--
it's about language
and culture building.
>> And there's a lot of thought
that goes into even just
the design of simple tools,
like a hammer.
I remember talking with
our tools engineer before
about just the simplicity
of things that you think
you could just
pick up any hammer,
but everything has to be
very specialized
to that exact mission.
>> Scientists are
so high maintenance.
We have so many requirements.
Yes, we have to be able to
get the right type of sample
with minimizing contamination,
right?
'Cause you don't want the human
to contaminate the sample.
You don't want the samples
to contaminate each other.
'Cause then when you get that
back to the lab,
you wanna make sure you're-you
know what you're looking at.
And, again, it's about
building this culture
and common language.
We want the tools engineers
to understand why
scientists are saying,
hey, can you please
build in these requirements
when you think about
these tools?
And we do that through not
just meetings in the office,
but taking them into the field
and teaching them
about geology.
So, again, it's so much more
than training the astronauts.
It's really creating
this culture,
this shared language of lunar
science and exploration,
as an exploration team.
>> So as a member of
the Artemis team,
what is something you really
want people to know about,
To be excited about?
Something that is coming up
that-that people around
the world should be aware of.
>> I think one thing that often
people can find surprising,
in my experience,
is how much we have left
to learn about the moon.
It's, you know, the perception
that we went to six
different locations
on the equatorial near side
with the Apollo missions
and learned everything there
is to know about the moon
could not be further
from the truth.
We visited a very narrow
part of the moon.
The Artemis missions will
go to the lunar south pole.
This is a completely
different geologic
and geographic environment
than we visited with Apollo.
And one of my, I think,
my favorite, most inspiring
facts about what the crew
will be doing during Artemis
is we can learn about
our own planet
by visiting the moon.
Things that we can't learn
on our own planet.
Things that plate tectonics,
that oceans,
that vegetation have obscured
and long since erased
in our geologic record
are actually preserved
on the surface of the moon.
So by doing an EVA
and picking up samples
on an-on an Artemis mission,
we'll be learning things
about the history
of our own planet,
which I just find
incredibly inspiring.
>> Going to the moon to learn
about the Earth. Love it.
>> Yes, exactly. Yeah.
>> I think astronaut,
Jessica Watkins,
described in our interview
before as if like a space
traveler visited Earth,
saw Kansas, and was like,
all right, that's everything.
>> Check the box.
>> Yeah, that's everything.
There's so much more
to discover.
So I guess, what are you most
excited about discovering?
>> I-- my geologic background
when I was coming up
through graduate school
was impact cratering.
So that's a geologic process
that has just covered the moon.
Every step an Artemis astronaut
takes will be impacted
by impact craters.
So, I-- that's a process that's
near and dear to my heart.
And, specifically,
there is an extremely
large impact basin, uh,
near the south pole
of the moon.
The South Pole-Aitken Basin.
And constraining the age of
this basin will allow us
to anchor chronology,
the history of the entire
solar system.
So I am hungry for
that SPA sample, yeah.
>> Absolutely.
So much ahead,
So much ahead.
>> And in the meantime,
I guess while we're waiting
in the wings here,
we can be observing the moon.
So, today is International.
Observe the Moon Night.
What makes you so excited
about observing the moon?
>> Observing the moon--
I mean, the moon is something
that every human being on
Earth has a connection to,
and I find that
extremely inspiring.
I mean, for me,
astronauts are going there.
I'm spending my professional
life right now dedicated
to enabling that pursuit
of exploration, specifically
of our nearest
celestial neighbor.
That is extremely
inspiring to me.
But closer to home, you know,
it's a connection point.
It's something that
everybody can look at
and experience together,
which is why I love
International Observe the Moon
Night so deeply.
I have young children.
It's inspiring to know that
they will grow up learning
about this-this feature
that's so important to me,
but also so important
to people everywhere.
And it's just-- it's a day
where we can all share
this experience together.
>> Awesome.
Well, thank you so much
for taking the time.
Best of luck with all
the training going forward
for Artemis II, Artemis III,
and beyond.
And enjoy observing
the moon tonight.
>> Thanks for having me,
and you, too.
>> This past year has been
a big year for eclipses.
We had both an
annular eclipse,
when the moon passes
in front of the sun,
but does not completely
cover it,
leaving a glowing ring,
and a total solar eclipse
in early April of this year.
>> It's the heliophysics
big year, and I was actually
lucky enough to see
the annular eclipse, in person,
in Kerrville, Texas,
which was a pretty mind-blowing
experience to see live
as part of NASA's
coverage of the event.
And so, here are some
incredible highlights
from that awesome day.
>> Once in a lifetime
for all of us
to be experiencing this.
>> It's a "ball-luner" eclipse.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> Look at that. We're making
a cloud right here today.
>> Now that the annular
eclipse is here,
the fun has just begun.
So today is the official
launch of NASA's
heliophysics big year.
>> Folks, we are moments away
from the start of today's
annular eclipse.
>> That's going out
into deep space.
But these rockets--
>> There it goes.
>> It was just launched,
actually.
>> Perfect.
We'll have three launches
during the eclipse.
Studying that upper atmosphere,
ionosphere.
Kind of see what are
the impacts from the sun.
[ cheering ]
>> This is negative Doppler
shift due to the eclipse
passing overhead.
>> Four, three, two, one!
[ cheering ]
>> Tina, I thought
I'd have goosebumps,
but I'm literally shaking.
This is crazy.
>> I know.
>> It's about the community
and being communal.
And just the unity of
hearing everybody cheer.
The sun touches us all
in so many different ways.
And so, the heliophysics
big year is going to help us
kind of discover all the ways
the sun touches us
scientifically,
but in other ways as well.
>> We also witnessed
a total solar eclipse
across America on April 8th
of this year.
And I was there
to track this eclipse
with a huge crew of NASA
team members stationed
across the path of totality.
Andrea, it was
a mind-blowing experience
to see that live,
and it's one that actually
is not going to happen again
here in the United States
for a very long time,
unfortunately.
Not until the 2040's.
So if you missed out on that,
or if you found yourself
off the path of totality,
here's what it looked like.
>> Welcome to live coverage
of the celestial event
of the year,
the total solar eclipse.
Today, NASA and the
Great Lakes Science Center
is hosting this free outdoor
event for the community
to experience
the total solar eclipse.
We will follow the moon's shadow
as it races across
North America.
>> We're live from the Kerrville
Eclipse Festival.
>> We are at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway.
>> Things are looking
absolutely fabulous.
>> We are here at Niagara Falls.
>> Crowds are piling
into the stadium.
>> The solar corona is
gonna look very cool today.
It's gonna look cooler
than it did last time.
>> You guys ready
for an eclipse?
[ cheering ]
>> Four, three, two, one...
>> Here we go!
>> Wow.
Look at that.
Fantastic.
>> Oh, my God, it's gorgeous.
>> Oh, my God.
>> I think we're very fortunate
to be here at this
special vantage point
to see such a special event.
>> Oh, my gosh,
that is gorgeous.
>> So we hope you were
able to participate
in this year's eclipse.
However, if you weren't,
don't worry.
NASA has plenty of amazing
citizen science projects
for you to get involved with.
Including...
>> Yeah, we have one right up
on our website today
called MoonDiff.
So this is a program
where you can help NASA
identify new impact craters
that have been forming
on the moon
over the past 15 years,
through Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter data,
and also just different changes
to the lunar surface.
What is happening?
What should we be tracking?
What can we learn
about our dynamic moon?
>> And, yeah, so if you
weren't satisfied with just
one day of International
Observe the Moon Night
and you want to get
involved with us
beyond just tonight,
what are some ways that
people can get in touch,
I guess, share things,
share their photos from today
and beyond?
>> Certainly there's lots
of places to share.
>> Today, we're tracking
#ObserveTheMoon on lots of
social media platforms.
So I hope you're
sharing with us
how you're observing the moon
and finding out
what people are doing
around the world right now.
And throughout the year,
keep in touch with us
on NASA moon social media
and also our website,
science.nasa.gov/moon.
>> So there's plenty of ways
for you to get involved
with these citizen
science projects,
but we actually have
a crew of four NASA astronauts
preparing to make the trek
to the moon to conduct
new science experiments
and observations
with the upcoming Artemis II
and Artemis III missions.
So, let's meet our crew.
[ music ]
>> I'm Christina Koch.
I'm a mission specialist.
>> I'm Jeremy Hansen,
I'm a mission specialist.
>> I'm Victor Glover.
I'm the pilot.
>> I'm Reed Wiseman.
I'm the commander for
the Artemis II mission
to the moon.
>> To the moon.
[ music ]
>> When I was young,
I had a poster of
the Earthrise picture.
The famous picture that was
taken on Apollo 8.
And the fact that it was
a human behind the lens
that made that picture
so profound and changed
how we all thought of
our own home was
so amazing to me.
The moon is not just
a symbol of thinking about
our place in the universe.
It's not just a
symbol of exploration.
It's actually a beacon
for science.
It's a beacon for understanding
where we came from.
>> You know,
pushing ourselves to explore
is just core to who we are.
It's a part of being a human.
That's our nature.
We go out there
and we explore
to learn about where we are,
why we are.
Understanding the big questions
about our place
in the universe.
The exploration we're doing
is the first few steps
on the path of
getting humans to Mars.
>> The Artemis campaign
of missions have set
such an ambitious goal
for humanity that's
inspiring contributions
from around the globe.
Not just one nation is
inspired and moved by this,
but nations from around
the globe are coming together.
When I look at the Artemis II
crew with Victor,
Christina and Jeremy,
they want to go do this mission.
They are keenly driven.
They are humble to a fault.
It is so cool to be around them.
Artemis II
is a huge mission,
but I hope we will look back
and realize that this was
one tiny step
in humans on Mars
and a sustained
presence on the moon.
>> Engines starting.
>> Artemis II will be NASA's
first crewed flight test of the
Space Launch System Rocket...
>> ... and Orion Spacecraft
around the moon...
>> ... to verify today's
capabilities for humans
to explore deep space...
>> ... and pave the way
for NASA's long-term human
and scientific presence...
>> ... on the lunar surface.
>> We are ready.
>> We are going...
>> ... to the moon...
>> ... for all humanity.
>> all: We are Artemis.
>> So I actually recently
had the chance to visit
Mehdi Benna from NASA Goddard
in his lab
to learn a bit more
about his lunar environment
monitoring station, or LEMS.
Let's hear a bit more
about that.
I'm joined today
by Mehdi Benna
from NASA Goddard.
Thanks so much
for joining us.
>> Hey, nice having you.
>> So, first of all,
tell us where we are.
What is this lab?
>> So you are here in, uh,
one of the labs, uh,
in the Planetary Environment
Laboratory at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center.
An environment where
we specialize in mostly
building mass spectrometers,
but also other other
types of instruments.
And instruments like
this one right here.
So could you walk us through
what this is exactly here?
>> So, this is an
engineering model.
A Lunar Environment
Monitoring Station,
or LEMS.
So LEMS has been recently
selected to be
one of the three instruments
that will be carried
by the Artemis III missions.
>> And you told me before
that this is basically
like a spacecraft
that you can deploy by hand
with the astronauts.
How are they going to actually
deploy this on the surface?
>> Yeah. So this is,
as you can see,
this is about the size
of a carry on suitcase.
And so what you don't see here,
it will ultimately
have handles.
It will be part of the starship
that carries the astronauts'--
all the payloads the astronauts
need for the moon.
When the astronauts
get to the surface,
they will take it off
a storage area
and will carry it by handle
to the surface of the moon.
And will deploy it.
Will-will drop it
on the surface
and-and do all the actions
that allows it
to come alive,
which we call deployments.
>> And what's great about
this, too,
is the science will continue
long after astronauts
have left the moon, right?
How long will this last
and continue to take data?
>> The Artemis mission
on the surface will not last
more than a few days,
but we designed the LEMS
to be autonomous and to--
so it can continue operating
well after Artemis III crew, uh,
has left the surface.
>> And we hear about earthquakes
all the time here on Earth.
We have seismic networks
around the globe,
but now we're gonna be able
to detect moonquakes.
So, first of all,
what is a moon quake,
and how are we gonna be able
to detect with the LEMs?
>> That's right.
So, like on Earth, when, uh,
ground motions
are called earthquake,
ground motion on the moon
is called moonquake.
And-and the origin of
the ground motion on the moon
is slightly different
from that of Earth.
On Earth is dominated
by tectonic, uh, movements.
On the moon, there is
other-other sources
for those, uh, quakes,
mostly tidal effects.
Basically, as the moon
and the Earth rotate
around the sun,
the-the moon gets squished,
like, a little bit.
And that creates
a lot of stress.
And on the surface,
we can have thermal quakes
due to a transition
between day and night.
As the moon
rotate around itself,
we can have impact quakes
due to asteroids
and micro meteoroids
hitting the surface
of the moon.
And so, we want to basically
listen to all these noises
because they tell us a lot
about the structure
of the crust of the moon,
but also tell us a lot
about the constituents
deep inside, uh,
the lunar interior.
>> That's fantastic.
And, I guess,
how will this data
help Artemis astronauts
or any future astronauts
that go to the moon?
>> As you know,
the-the goal of the Artemis
program is not just to
return to the moon,
but is actually to build
permanent settlement
on the moon.
And so, as soon as you're
gonna start building habitats,
a large structure,
you really want to assess
the seismicity of the-of the-
of the location
you are building all these--
making these investment in.
And so, putting LEMS 4
ahead of the big push
to build these structures
would be very useful,
because we will collect
the seismic data that
will show whether
that site is suitable
for long-term,
basically construction
of habitats,
and will be safe
for the astronauts to--
basically,
to-to stay in the area
for a long period of time.
>> It is International
Observe the Moon Night.
So you mentioned
when we were first talking
that you observe the moon
every single day.
What do you love
about the moon?
Why do you observe it?
What brings you back
every day to look at it?
>> Well, um, as-as most of--
as everybody else,
I look at the moon
because it's beautiful.
It's just-it's a beautiful
celestial body.
It's one of the
only celestial bodies
that we can actually look at
and distinguish features.
Planets are just dots
with the naked eye.
But the moon is there
for everybody to look at
and admire.
And-and-and I don't think
anybody that can look
at the moon can look at it
without being intrigued by
what-what that surface
is telling us,
and what the-- what secrets
that environment holds.
So I grew up with the same
curiosities, and I still have
the same curiosities today.
And so, every night,
there is a beautiful moon
up in the sky.
I naturally find my head
looking up there
and-and-and still wonder.
>> Best of luck with LEMS
for Artemis III and beyond.
And back to you in the studio.
>> So thank you so much
for joining us for
International Observe
the Moon Night.
And keep an eye out
for next year's event,
which will be...
>> October 4th of 2025.
So we have a few more days
going on right now.
This is-- September 14th
is the official date,
but people will keep observing
for a little while.
Over the next few days,
you will be joining
a million people
around the world.
All over right now,
observing,
learning about the moon,
celebrating the moon together.
So thank you for
being a part of this.
We hope that
you visit our website,
moon.nasa.gov/observe,
to learn more and share
how you are observing
the moon right now.
See what other people
are doing around the world
on your favorite
social media platform,
using #ObserveTheMoon
as a hashtag,
and also check out
our Flickr gallery.
We have a lot of really
wonderful pictures coming in,
showing people
observing the moon
around the world.
>> Yeah, and we hope
to see you.
Mark your calendars
for next year.
October 4th, 2025
for the 16th edition
of International
Observe the Moon Night.
But for now,
have a wonderful night
and we hope you enjoy
your experience
observing the moon.