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China Makes History Again: Chang'e-6 Returns with Groundbreaking Moon Samples

In a remarkable achievement, China has successfully collected samples from the far side of the moon, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. The Chang'e-6 mission, launched on May 3, touched down in the Apollo crater within the vast South Pole-Aitken basin on June 1. During its brief but productive stay, the spacecraft gathered approximately 2 kilograms of lunar material using a scoop and drill. The samples, now stored in an ascent vehicle, are expected to return to Earth on June 25, landing in Inner Mongolia. This historic achievement not only demonstrates China's space program prowess but also provides scientists with a unique opportunity to unravel the mysteries of the moon's formation and evolution.   Achievements: - *First-ever samples from the far side*: Chang'e-6 successfully collects lunar material from the moon's less-explored hemisphere. - *Second successful farside landing*: China builds on its 2019 achievement with...
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A detail look at Gliese 12b: A new earth like planet

Gliese 12 b represents one of the best targets to study whether Earth-size planets orbiting cool stars can retain their atmospheres, a crucial step to advance our understanding of habitability on planets across our galaxy," said Shishir Dholakia, who is a doctoral student at the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland and lead author of the study.
For the discovery, Gliese 12 b was first identified by NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) with follow-up observations performed by a combination of space- and ground-based observatories, including CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite), MINERVA-Australis, SPECULOOS (Search for habitable Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars), and Purple Mountain Observatory, and additional TESS observations. In the end, the researchers found Gliese 12 b had an orbital period of approximately 12.7 days, a radius almost exactly that of Earth, and a potential surface temperature of approximately 107°F (42°C).
"It is thought that Earth's and Venus's first atmospheres were stripped away and then replenished by volcanic outgassing and bombardments from residual material in the solar system,” said Larissa Palethorpe, a doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London and a co-author on the study. "The Earth is habitable, but Venus is not due to its complete loss of water. Because Gliese 12 b is between Earth and Venus in temperature, its atmosphere could teach us a lot about the habitability pathways planets take as they develop."

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