Oct 21 - Ice at the Moon's South Pole

October 21 Ice at the Moon's South Pole by:

Deep and shadowed Shackleton Crater, near the moon’s south pole, is one location where scientists have found deposits of water ice. The ice is expected to reveal insights about our moon's history, and the history of our solar system. And it may be useful to future moon explorers. Image via NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. Read more.

What's the source of the ice at the moon's south pole? We tend to think of the moon as a dusty, bone-dry place, and, for the most part, that's true. But the moon does have ice, in particular at its south pole, hidden in shadowed craters. Just how the ice got there has been a bit of a mystery, but now a new study suggests it might have various sources, both ancient and more recent. Read more. New cracks in Pine Island Glacier are getting longer The new rifts appeared soon after last year’s major calving of iceberg B46, which is about 3 times the size of New York's Manhattan island. Satellite monitoring suggests a new iceberg of similar proportions soon will be calved. Read more. Tiny stature of extinct 'Hobbit' thanks to fast evolution The tiny human species survived until about 18,000 years ago, later than any human species other than our own. New research suggests the so-called Hobbit evolved its small size remarkably quickly while living on an isolated Indonesian island. Read more.

EarthSky lunar calendars are back in stock We're guaranteed to sell out, get one while you can! Your support means the world to us and allows us to keep going. Purchase here.

Keep watching … Orionid meteors late night until dawn The Orionid meteor shower is peaking now. Best morning may be Tuesday! Try watching on Wednesday morning, too. Watch out for that bright moon. It'll drown all but the brightest meteors in its glare. Try standing in the shadow of a barn or hill. Read more.

Clouds over Iceland View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Pamela Roberson was in Iceland in September. She caught this image with her iPhone and wrote: "There are few bridges and one ring road circumnavigating Iceland; ferries take you to the NW peninsula, wildest and windiest part of a wild and windy land. I have never seen such a cathedral of clouds." Thank you, Pamela! Submit your photo to EarthSky here! Did a friend forward EarthSkyNews to you? Click here to get your own subscription!

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