2011 DREAM NEWS
Solar Storms Could 'Sandblast' the Moon Dec. 6, 2011
Solar storms and associated Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) can significantly erode the lunar surface according to a new set of computer simulations by NASA scientists. In addition to removing a surprisingly large amount of material from the lunar surface, this could be a major method of atmospheric loss for planets like Mars that are unprotected by a global magnetic field.
The research is being led by Rosemary Killen at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., as part of the Dynamic Response of the Environment At the Moon (DREAM) team within the NASA Lunar Science Institute. See http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/dream-cme.html.
Mystery of the Lunar Ionosphere Nov. 16, 2011
For 40 years, scientists have wondered how a Moon without air could have an electrically charged layer called an ionosphere. The answer? The moon, like Pig-Pen in Charlie Brown, is shrouded in a layer of dust. DREAM's Tim Stubbs describes this new surface -plasma-dust connection in a new Science@NASA web feature. See http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/14nov_lunarionosphere/.
Lunar, Dust, Atmosphere, and Plasma 2010 Workshop publishes it special issue papers Oct. 11, 2011
Research papers from the LDAP 2010 workshop are now published online in Planetary and Space Science. See http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00320633. DREAM investigators head-up 5 of the 14 studies presented, with topics ranging from the lunar plasma environment to fracturing of aggregated dust.
DREAM releases 2D simulations of the solar wind flowing into a shadowed lunar crater Sept. 19, 2011
DREAM team members Mike Zimmerman, Bill Farrell, Tim Stubbs, Jasper Halekas, and Telana Jackson recently performed two-dimensional computer simulations of plasma "mini-wake" formation in polar lunar craters.
International Observe the Moon Night set for October 8, 2011 Sept 9, 2011
Welcome to International Observe the Moon Night! The 2011 event is on October 8th. On this site you will find information and downloads to help you plan your event or participate in an event: http://observethemoonnight.org/.. Goddard Space Flight Center will also host an event for that evening, see http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/events/observe-the-moon.html. Anyone of any age who is excited about the Moon is welcome to attend!
DREAM supporting the ongoing DRATS effort Sept 1, 2011
Desert Research And Technology Studies (D-RATS) kicks off an exciting new year of field testing. The crew is back in action, testing communication scenarios for near-Earth asteroids, and two new instruments from Goddard: ExPED and VAPoR. DREAM collaborator Jack Bleacher is a key geology team member of the DRATS field campaign, and is featured in the web article found at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=108274941. DREAM co-i Telana Jackson is engaged in getting the ExPED electrostatic sensing system integrated onto the equipment.
Lunar Swirls Workshop Without Walls Sept 1, 2011
Date: Wed, 2011-09-07 08:30 - 15:00
Swirls are among the most puzzling features on the surface of the Moon. The NLSI is hosting an informal one day Workshop without Walls on lunar swirls using NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) remote communications tools. The swirls. bright, looping patterns are unlike anything seen in the solar system. The origin of the lunar swirls has been discussed for many years, but a universally accepted explanation for their formation remains elusive. Current space missions are returning new views of the lunar swirls, at resolutions and wavelengths never before considered. The workshop brings together magnetoplasma, geology/geochem, and remote sensing investigators for a shared discussion. For more information on the workshop see http://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/events/lunar-swirls-workshop-without-walls.
DREAM Lunar and Planetary Science Academy internship summer program August 10, 2011
Several members of the DREAM team served as mentors this summer to interns who were at GSFC to take part in the Lunar and Planetary Science Academy (LPSA) Read More....
DREAM Lunar Extreme Workshops wraps up a spectacular week June 24, 2011
A group of DREAM investigators along with students from Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Seton Keough High School and undergraduates participating in the Lunar Planetary Space Academy attended a 3-1/2 day workshop on the effect a solar storm could have on the Moon.
Team at Seton Keough to explore final frontier June 8, 2011
Five graduating seniors from Seton Keough High School and their teacher will spend four days in June exploring the moon without leaving Maryland.
The team of Sarah Baer, Sara Caton, Emily Montoya, Rebecca Stevick and Jessica Sweitzer, along with teacher William Mason, will participate in NASA's Dream Lunar Extreme Workshop at the Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt.
Upcomong Deadline - LunGradCon 2011 May 23, 2011
If you've already submitted an abstract for the NASA Lunar Science Forum, it's not to late to do so for LunGradCon 2011, too!
NGLSE Workshop registration May 19, 2011
The Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers (NGLSE) group is now accepting applications for its upcoming workshop on Monday, July 18 prior to the NASA Lunar Science Forum at Ames Research Center. The day-long workshop will feature media training by Emmy Award winner George Merlis, a former executive producer of Good Morning America, the CBS Morning News, and Entertainment Tonight. Media training was identified as a topic of interest to NGLSE members in a recent survey. In addition to media training, participants will have the opportunity to meet and network with their peers and established members of the lunar community.
Dr. Andrew Poppe, future DREAM/UCB postdoc, wins AGU Outstanding Student Paper Award May 9, 2011
Dr. Andrew Poppe of the University of Colorado was the recent recipient of AGU.s Outstanding Student Paper Award at the December 2010 meeting for his work on simulating the lunar dayside photoelectron plasma sheath. This June, Andrew is joining the DREAM team as a post doc at UCB.
Read More....
DREAM participates in MarylandDay 2011 May 5, 2011
This past weekend a team of DREAM investigators participated in the annual Maryland Day, highlighting the exciting activities going on at the University of Maryland.
DREAM's Program Year 2 Annual Report Now Online March 3, 2011
On March 1 2011, DREAM submitted its annual report to NLSI-central at ARC. It features a description of its >30 individual tasks, a set of clear theme convergence points, successful ongoing cross-LSI collaborations, a list of its 23 publications, and a list of its over 70 conference presentations. The pdf version can be downloaded at Annual Report PDF
Moon Neutral Hydrogen Enigma Solved February 25, 2011
A nearly 40-year-old scientific conundrum has been solved with the discovery of how hydrogen escapes the lunar surface. Protons from the solar wind hit the moon and interact with the moon's surface to form hydrogen, but scientists hadn't known how they managed to zoom out again.
Waiter, There's Metal in My Moon Water February 17, 2011
Bring a filter if you plan on drinking water from the moon. Water ice recently discovered in dust at the bottom of a crater near the moon's south pole is accompanied by metallic elements like mercury, magnesium, calcium, and even a bit of silver. Now you can add sodium to the mix, according to Dr. Rosemary Killen of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md
Read More....Apollo-era measurements yield a 2D map of the lunar dust exosphere January 28, 2011
DREAM members Dave Glenar, Tim Stubbs and Rich Vondrak, along with collaborator J. McCoy, reanalyzed measurements of excess light found in Apollo 15 coronal photographs taken near orbital sunset (surface sunrise), and attributed to forward scattering of sunlight by lunar exospheric dust grains. From this re-analysis, the team derived a new model of the extent of the lofted dust with applications for the LADEE mission.
2010 DREAM News
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- Curator: Evan McGarry
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