SETI Institute scientist Pascal Lee’s research has revealed that there may be lunar lava tube skylights near the moon’s polar regions. If confirmed, these skylights could provide access to water for future manned missions to the moon in its Philolaus Crater. These would be the first of their kind discovered on the moon. Additional research will be needed to better understand whether or not the holes at the bottom of the crater are indeed lava tube skylights.
- SETI.org: Possible Lava Tube Skylights Discovered Near the North Pole of the Moon
- Inquisitr: Lava Tubes Found Near Moon’s North Pole Might Have Skylights Leading to Hidden Water
- Outer Places: Lava Tubes on the Moon Could Contain Water for Astronauts
- Space.com: Lunar Fountain? Accessible Ice Could Lurk in Moon’s Lava Tubes
- Digital Trends: Lunar Lava Tubes May Provide Access to Vast Polar Ice Reservoirs on the Moon
- Pop Culture: NASA Finds What Could Be Perfect Spot for Moon Colony
- Netral News: NASA Discovers Water Access Hole on the Moon
- International Business Times: Newly-Found Pits Under Moon’s Surface May Prove Huge Ice Reservoirs
- Daily Mail: The Perfect Spot for a Lunar Colony? NASA Finds Lava Tubes Near the Moon’s North Pole that Could Act as Shelter for Astronauts and Lead to Hidden Water
- Newsmax: Researchers: Holes in Moon’s Surface Indicate Hidden Tunnels Below
- I4U News: Scientists May Have Discovered Lava Tubes Near the North Pole of the Moon
- New York Post: These Bizarre Holes Could Reveal Hidden Tunnels on the Moon
- Science Examiner: Weird Holes on the Surface at ‘Lunar Poles’ Might Lead to Hidden Ice Tunnels
The SETI Institute’s summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program applications for 2018 will close on February 1. 2018 will mark the 13th year that the SETI Institute’s REU program has hosted students who will be paired with SETI Institute research scientists for a ten-week summer internship program, June 17, 2018 – August 25, 2018. Funded by the National Science Foundation, projects span the field of astrobiology including microbiology, planetary geology, observational astronomy, and, of course, SETI.
- SETI.org: Applications for the Research Experience for Undergraduates at the SETI Institute Are Now Open
- Humboldt State Now: Real-World Experience by Exploring the Universe
Unistellar received the 2018 Innovation Award at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Using a specialized imaging technology, theeVscope offers unprecedented views of the night sky to amateur astronomers. It will also include a “campaign mode” allowing researchers to request observations from different parts of the world that can be shared. The SETI Institute and Unistellar have partnered to implement this data-sharing aspect of theeVscope.
- SETI.org: Unistellar to Receive 2018 CES Innovation Award for Smart, Powerful Crowd-Funded Consumer Telescope
- Tidbits: CES 2018: Eureka Park Wraps Up CES
Even during the busy holiday season, the work of the SETI Institute pushed forward. Scientists and researchers published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at scientific conferences and other professional events, and marked milestones in their research. In addition, they worked hard to share their learning with the public, through articles and interviews with the popular press, through pubic talks, and through the SETI Institute’s website, social media channels, and our radio show and podcast, Big Picture Science.
Download the whole December 2017 activity report.
Last week’s encore presentation of Geology is Destiny read Earth’s history in rocks. This week, the DIY Spaceflight encore ponders the possibilities of building CubeSats in your basement.
Last week SETI Institute Senior Astronomer and Institute Fellow shared his thoughts on UFOs and the recent revelation that the Pentagon had been involved in UFO research.
All past Facebook Live videos can be seen on the SETI Institute’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SETIInstitute/.
- Novato Space Museum: February 5, Novato, CA Mars Day featuring Pascal Lee and a screening of Passage to Mars
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: February 5, Mountain View, CA Dinner meeting with Jill Tarter
- Rencontre du Vietnam on Exoplanetary Science: February 25 – March 2, Quy Nohn, Vietnam Franck Marchis will present
- Osher Life Long Learning Institute: March 2, Berkeley Institute Seth Shostak and Margaret Race to discuss Big Trends in Astronomy
- World’s Fair Nano: March 10-11, San Francisco, CA Seth Shostak will be a featured speaker
- California Academy of Sciences: April 12, 2018 Seth Shostak to participate in the monthly Nightlife talk
- Palo Alto Jewish Community Center, May 2, Palo Alto, CA Seth Shostak to of offer SETI Talk presentation
- Association of Computer Professionals in Education: May 4, Welches OR Seth Shostak to participate in annual conference
- The Villages: May 8, San Jose, CA Seth Shostak to offer talk about SETI
