Scientists might have, for the first time, discovered an exomoon, a body similar to our Moon, but way beyond our solar system. NASA officially confirmed in September this year that it had, to date, found a whopping 6,000 exoplanets. But exomoons only existed in theory, and none had ever been found. However, some astronomers now claim that they might have stumbled across the first exomoon. The candidate in contention to be officially declared the first exomoon resides 133 light-years from Earth and orbits HD 206893 B, a Jupiter-like exoplanet. The researchers used a new approach to identify any exomoons near this planet. They repurposed high-precision astrometry, a mathematical approach to mapping out stellar distance, to check for moons. And they seem to have tasted success.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/nasa-wanted-to-blast-a-hydrogen-bomb-on-the-moon-in-1950s-here-s-why-it-did-not-1764598076559">NASA wanted to nuke the Moon in 1950s out of jealousy. Here's why it did not</a>&nbsp;While the planet is equal to the mass of 28 Jupiters, its exomoon is around 0.4 Jupiter masses. This is around the size of seven Neptunes put together, the scientists said. This makes it an exomoon of monstrous proportions. The paper submitted by a group of astronomers led by Quentin Kral of the Paris Observatory in France is currently available as a preprint. It still needs to be checked and verified by other astronomers. Even though their finding still needs to be confirmed by the wider community, they believe that astrometry will emerge as a promising method to detect exomoons.Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3iatlas-spewed-pristine-material-as-ice-volcanoes-erupted-near-the-sun-spanish-scientists-find-1764653508419"> 3I/ATLAS spewed pristine material as ice volcanoes erupted near the Sun, Spanish scientists find</a><h2>Why are exomoons hard to find?</h2> Scientists have often come across bodies that they thought were exomoons, only to be disappointed. Exomoons are much smaller than their planets, based on how things work in our solar system. Discovering verified exoplanets itself is a task, since confirmation is based on rigorous and multiple checks. According to NASA, there are nearly 8,000 exoplanets waiting for official status. On the cosmological scale, exoplanets are already considered extremely small. Since exomoons are even smaller, detecting them has been nearly impossible. The study adds that "there is no definition of what an exomoon is, and some ambiguity remains as to whether it may include, for instance, binary planets."The researchers added that this exomoon candidate has "a tentative nature" and needs further confirmation using GRAVITY data. If all goes well and the measurements stick, we might soon have out very first exomoon. &nbsp;

A group of astronomers claim they have found the first exomoon in the universe. While we know about around 6,000 exoplanets, an exomoon has never been found. That might soon change if the latest finding is confirmed by other astronomers. 

Scientists might have, for the first time, discovered an exomoon, a body similar to our Moon, but way beyond our solar system. NASA officially confirmed in September this year that it had, to date, found a whopping 6,000 exoplanets. But exomoons only existed in theory, and none had ever been found. However, some astronomers now claim that they might have stumbled across the first exomoon. The candidate in contention to be officially declared the first exomoon resides 133 light-years from Earth and orbits HD 206893 B, a Jupiter-like exoplanet. The researchers used a new approach to identify any exomoons near this planet. They repurposed high-precision astrometry, a mathematical approach to mapping out stellar distance, to check for moons. And they seem to have tasted success. Also Read: NASA wanted to nuke the Moon in 1950s out of jealousy. Here's why it did not While the planet is equal to the mass of 28 Jupiters, its exomoon is around 0.4 Jupiter masses. This is around the size of seven Neptunes put together, the scientists said. This makes it an exomoon of monstrous proportions. The paper submitted by a group of astronomers led by Quentin Kral of the Paris Observatory in France is currently available as a preprint. It still needs to be checked and verified by other astronomers. Even though their finding still needs to be confirmed by the wider community, they believe that astrometry will emerge as a promising method to detect exomoons. Also Read: 3I/ATLAS spewed pristine material as ice volcanoes erupted near the Sun, Spanish scientists find Why are exomoons hard to find? Scientists have often come across bodies that they thought were exomoons, only to be disappointed. Exomoons are much smaller than their planets, based on how things work in our solar system. Discovering verified exoplanets itself is a task, since confirmation is based on rigorous and multiple checks. According to NASA, there are nearly 8,000 exoplanets waiting for official status. On the cosmological scale, exoplanets are already considered extremely small. Since exomoons are even smaller, detecting them has been nearly impossible. The study adds that "there is no definition of what an exomoon is, and some ambiguity remains as to whether it may include, for instance, binary planets." The researchers added that this exomoon candidate has "a tentative nature" and needs further confirmation using GRAVITY data. If all goes well and the measurements stick, we might soon have out very first exomoon.

A group of astronomers claim they have found the first exomoon in the universe. While we know about around 6,000 exoplanets, an exomoon has never been found. That might soon change if the latest finding is confirmed by other astronomers.&nbsp;

133 light-years away, astronomers may have spotted a ‘monster’ exomoon for the first time

NASA and several other space agencies are today vying to land humans again on the Moon. But, do you know there was a time when the Americans planned to nuke our lunar satellite? This might sound like science fiction, but it was a very real plot aimed at denting Soviet space agendas. According to documents, as part of the top-secret Project A119, the US wanted to bomb the Moon way before Neil Armstrong landed there. In the 1950s, the USSR was moving closer to landing its first astronauts on the Moon. For the US, that would have meant a huge loss. So, it thought of carving a huge crater on the Moon with the hydrogen bomb, way more powerful than the atomic bomb.Also Read: <a href="Scientist thinks red giant star with a weird spin feasted on its own planet">Scientist thinks red giant star with a weird spin feasted on its own planet</a><h2>NASA wanted to create a flash of light on the Moon</h2>The US thought of the terrifying plan so that it could mark its territory on the Moon if Russian astronauts got too close to their goal. On October 4, 1957, the USSR launched the first-ever satellite into space, Sputnik 1. The US got jittery, so scientist Leonard Reiffel joined hands with the Air Force and made reports between May 1958 and January 1959 about the feasibility of plans to bomb the Moon. NASA wanted to detonate the hydrogen bomb right on the Moon’s Terminator Line, the border between the light and dark sides of the Moon, since this would create a flash of light visible to everyone on Earth.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/believe-it-or-not-uranus-initial-name-was-quite-controversial-and-so-it-was-renamed-1764238501728">Believe it or not, Uranus' initial name was quite controversial, and so it was renamed</a>&nbsp;This action and achievement would prove to everyone, especially the Soviet Union, that the US had the technology that would put it in the pole position in wars, and no one should take them lightly. Thankfully, NASA did not go ahead with the plan to nuke the Moon because the Air Force was scared the action could impact Earth as well. "Project A119 was one of several ideas that were floated for an exciting response to Sputnik," Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science and nuclear technology, told the BBC. According to him, one of the plans even included shooting down Sputnik-1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

NASA planned to detonate a hydrogen bomb on the Moon in the 1950s. This was part of its competition with the Soviet Union as both nations aimed to land a man on the Moon. The latter had launched the first satellite from Earth in 1957, but NASA was still not there.

NASA and several other space agencies are today vying to land humans again on the Moon. But, do you know there was a time when the Americans planned to nuke our lunar satellite? This might sound like science fiction, but it was a very real plot aimed at denting Soviet space agendas. According to documents, as part of the top-secret Project A119, the US wanted to bomb the Moon way before Neil Armstrong landed there. In the 1950s, the USSR was moving closer to landing its first astronauts on the Moon. For the US, that would have meant a huge loss. So, it thought of carving a huge crater on the Moon with the hydrogen bomb, way more powerful than the atomic bomb. Also Read: Scientist thinks red giant star with a weird spin feasted on its own planet NASA wanted to create a flash of light on the Moon The US thought of the terrifying plan so that it could mark its territory on the Moon if Russian astronauts got too close to their goal. On October 4, 1957, the USSR launched the first-ever satellite into space, Sputnik 1. The US got jittery, so scientist Leonard Reiffel joined hands with the Air Force and made reports between May 1958 and January 1959 about the feasibility of plans to bomb the Moon. NASA wanted to detonate the hydrogen bomb right on the Moon’s Terminator Line, the border between the light and dark sides of the Moon, since this would create a flash of light visible to everyone on Earth. Also Read: Believe it or not, Uranus' initial name was quite controversial, and so it was renamed This action and achievement would prove to everyone, especially the Soviet Union, that the US had the technology that would put it in the pole position in wars, and no one should take them lightly. Thankfully, NASA did not go ahead with the plan to nuke the Moon because the Air Force was scared the action could impact Earth as well. "Project A119 was one of several ideas that were floated for an exciting response to Sputnik," Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science and nuclear technology, told the BBC. According to him, one of the plans even included shooting down Sputnik-1.

NASA planned to detonate a hydrogen bomb on the Moon in the 1950s. This was part of its competition with the Soviet Union as both nations aimed to land a man on the Moon. The latter had launched the first satellite from Earth in 1957, but NASA was still not there.

NASA wanted to nuke the Moon in 1950s out of jealousy. Here's why it did not

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday announced that it has&nbsp;picked US-based rocket builder Firefly Aerospace for an important $112 million contract. The NASA contract is for the delivery of multiple lunar payloads to the far side of the moon in 2026. It is part of NASA's efforts to put humans on the moon.

As per the Firefly Aerospace website, this is the second task the firm has won under NASA's&nbsp;Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.

Watch |&nbsp;Artemis I Explained: NASA's first mission to land humans on the moon after 50 years

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To fulfill its contractual obligations, Firefly, as per the company website, will use its "Blue Ghost spacecraft in a two-stage configuration to first place a satellite into lunar orbit and then deliver two research payloads on the far side of the Moon."

"This mission will debut Firefly’s unique two-stage Blue Ghost spacecraft, offering NASA and other customers multiple deployment options as we collectively build the infrastructure for ongoing lunar operations and planetary exploration," said the rocket maker in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/understanding-the-dark-ages-of-universe-from-far-side-of-the-moon-571754">Unravelling the 'Dark Ages' of our universe from far side of the moon</a>

As per Reuters, NASA had previously handed a similar contract worth $73 million to spacecraft software firm Draper last year. The award was for the delivery of science and technology payloads to the far side of the moon in 2025.

The US space agency is attempting to take humanity to the moon through its Artemis program's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which is undertaking a crucial step before humanity lands on the moon.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/mission-to-moon-how-us-and-japan-plan-to-once-again-send-humans-to-the-lunar-surface-481528">Mission to Moon: How US and Japan plan to once again send humans to the lunar surface</a>

CLPS is an effort to deploy privately built lunar landers to study the moon's surface before humans set a foot on the celestial object.&nbsp;

Humanity may make it to the moon in the next few years. Multiple countries, including the United States and China, have undertaken missions to achieve this feat.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday announced that it has picked US-based rocket builder Firefly Aerospace for an important $112 million contract.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday announced that it has picked US-based rocket builder Firefly Aerospace for an important $112 million contract. The NASA contract is for the delivery of multiple lunar payloads to the far side of the moon in 2026. It is part of NASA's efforts to put humans on the moon. As per the Firefly Aerospace website, this is the second task the firm has won under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Watch | Artemis I Explained: NASA's first mission to land humans on the moon after 50 years To fulfill its contractual obligations, Firefly, as per the company website, will use its "Blue Ghost spacecraft in a two-stage configuration to first place a satellite into lunar orbit and then deliver two research payloads on the far side of the Moon." "This mission will debut Firefly’s unique two-stage Blue Ghost spacecraft, offering NASA and other customers multiple deployment options as we collectively build the infrastructure for ongoing lunar operations and planetary exploration," said the rocket maker in a statement. Also read | Unravelling the 'Dark Ages' of our universe from far side of the moon As per Reuters, NASA had previously handed a similar contract worth $73 million to spacecraft software firm Draper last year. The award was for the delivery of science and technology payloads to the far side of the moon in 2025. The US space agency is attempting to take humanity to the moon through its Artemis program's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which is undertaking a crucial step before humanity lands on the moon. Also read | Mission to Moon: How US and Japan plan to once again send humans to the lunar surface CLPS is an effort to deploy privately built lunar landers to study the moon's surface before humans set a foot on the celestial object. Humanity may make it to the moon in the next few years. Multiple countries, including the United States and China, have undertaken missions to achieve this feat. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NASA awards Firefly Aerospace $112mn contract to deliver crucial payloads to far side of moon

NASA released its first digital, interactive graphic novel Saturday to commemorate National Comic Book Day. "First Woman: NASA’s Promise for Humanity" envisions the story of Callie Rodriguez, the first woman to explore the Moon.

NASA wants to send a woman on Moon by 2024, Elon Musk sparks new race with his Mars mission

NASA said on Tuesday that eight nations have signed the international agreement for Moon exploration called the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-led-united-states-to-secretly-draft-artemis-accords-pact-for-moon-mining-297300">Artemis Accords</a>.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-picks-four-us-small-businesses-to-build-artemis-lunar-tech-311891">Also Read:&nbsp;</a><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/nasa-picks-four-us-small-businesses-to-build-artemis-lunar-tech-311891" hreflang="en">NASA picks four US small businesses to build Artemis lunar tech</a>

The US space agency aims to humans to the Moon and beyond by 2024. The signatories include the United States, UAE, Canada, Japan, Australia, Italy, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom.

"Artemis will be the broadest and most diverse international human space exploration program in history, and the Artemis Accords are the vehicle that will establish this singular global coalition," Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator said, adding,"What we’re trying to do is establish norms of behaviour that every nation can agree to."

The accord seeks to create international space law by establishing "safety zones" in order to prevent countries from getting involved in conflicts in outer space.

Last year, US Vice President Mike Pence had directed NASA to send humans to the Moon by 2024. The US space agency intends to first send a robotic rover to the Moon before sending humans.

"With today's signing, we are uniting with our partners to explore the Moon and are establishing vital principles that will create a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space for all of humanity to enjoy," Bridenstine asserted.

According to the agreement, the members would have to adhere to peaceful exploration and create hardware which can be used operated&nbsp;by other member nation ensuring transparency.

Russia said it was unlikely to join the group, with China excluded from the agreement.

NASA said on Tuesday that eight nations have signed the international agreement for Moon exploration called the Artemis Accords. Also Read: NASA picks four US small businesses to build Artemis lunar tech The US space agency aims to humans to the Moon and beyond by 2024.

NASA said on Tuesday that eight nations have signed the international agreement for Moon exploration called the Artemis Accords. Also Read: NASA picks four US small businesses to build Artemis lunar tech The US space agency aims to humans to the Moon and beyond by 2024. The signatories include the United States, UAE, Canada, Japan, Australia, Italy, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. "Artemis will be the broadest and most diverse international human space exploration program in history, and the Artemis Accords are the vehicle that will establish this singular global coalition," Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator said, adding,"What we’re trying to do is establish norms of behaviour that every nation can agree to." The accord seeks to create international space law by establishing "safety zones" in order to prevent countries from getting involved in conflicts in outer space. Last year, US Vice President Mike Pence had directed NASA to send humans to the Moon by 2024. The US space agency intends to first send a robotic rover to the Moon before sending humans. "With today's signing, we are uniting with our partners to explore the Moon and are establishing vital principles that will create a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space for all of humanity to enjoy," Bridenstine asserted. According to the agreement, the members would have to adhere to peaceful exploration and create hardware which can be used operated by other member nation ensuring transparency. Russia said it was unlikely to join the group, with China excluded from the agreement.

Eight nations sign NASA'S space coalition mission under Artemis Accords

NASA is planning to return to the moon by 2024 and wants someone to design a new toilet that works in lunar gravity. WION's Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: NASA will pay you to design a toilet for Moon

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