- Industry: Astronomy
- Number of terms: 6727
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Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD) is an educational site sharing the latest research by NASA-sponsored scientists on meteorites, asteroids, planets, moons, and other materials in our Solar System. The website is supported by the Cosmochemistry Program of NASA's Science Mission ...
U. S. Mission to study Jupiter's atmosphere, moons, and magnetosphere. The Galileo spacecraft was carried into space and released in 1989 by the shuttle Atlantis. It used its own rocket booster to leave Earth orbit. The Galileo spacecraft arrived at Jupiter in 1995 and completed its two-year primary mission before going on to explore Europa. The 14-year mission ended in 2003. Project Galileo website.
Industry:Astronomy
U. S. Mission launched in August, 2001 to observe and collect solar wind samples and return them to Earth. Sample collections were obtained at the L1 point, approximately one million miles from Earth where the gravities of Earth and Sun are balanced. The sample capsule landed back on Earth in September, 2004 in an unexpected crash after its deceleration sensor failed and the parachutes did not open. Nevertheless, solar wind samples were recovered, cleaned, and stored successfully and are now being studied meticulously. Genesis Mission webpage.
Industry:Astronomy
The geologic history of Earth's Moon has been divided into five broad time periods, or systems. From oldest to youngest, these are pre-Nectarian, Nectarian, Imbrian, Eratosthenian, and Copernican. These systems are defined by the number of impact craters on the ground surface (more craters = older surface) correlated to the absolute ages determined for the lunar rock samples returned to Earth by the U. S. Apollo missions and unpiloted Soviet Luna missions. The Copernican system extends from 1. 1 billion years ago to the present day.
Industry:Astronomy
U. S. Mission to Mars, composed of two spacecraft, launched in 1975. Viking 1 and Viking 2 both consisted of an orbiter and a lander. Primary mission objectives were to obtain high resolution images of the Martian surface, characterize the structure and composition of the atmosphere and surface, and search for evidence of life. Viking Mission website from the National Space Science Data Center.
Industry:Astronomy
Water movement due to differences in the density of the water from place to place usually caused by changes in the amount of material held in suspension or changes in temperature or variations in salinity.
Industry:Astronomy
The growth of planets from smaller objects by impact, one impact at a time. After formation, planets are said to have "accreted" from small objects.
Industry:Astronomy
A deviation from the common rule, type, or form; something abnormal or inconsistent.
Industry:Astronomy
An iron-oxide mineral (Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) that may be the cause of the red color on Mars. Courser-grained gray hematite has the same chemical formula as the red variety, but a different crystalline structure. The deposits of gray hematite found in the Terra Meridiani region of Mars may suggest that water once circulated through the region's rock layers.
Industry:Astronomy
A sensor for measuring temperature. It consists of two dissimilar metals, joined together at one end, which produce a small voltage proportional to the temperature.
Industry:Astronomy
