NASA – The Correspondent

NASA: First Person On Mars Likely To Be A Woman

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 09:59:45 +0000

The first person on Mars is ‘likely to be a woman’, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has said. “It’s likely to be a woman, the first next person on the Moon. It’s also true that the first person on Mars is likely to be a woman,” CNN cited Bridenstine as saying on a science and technology radio talk show “Science Friday”.

The NASA administrator did not identify a specific person but said women are at the forefront of the agency’s upcoming plans. NASA will also have its first all-female spacewalk at the end of the month when astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will get to float around in space. The spacewalk will last about seven hours, according to the US space agency.

“So these are great days. We have the first all-female spacewalk happening this month at the end of March, which is, of course, National Women’s Month,” Bridenstine said.

Both McClain and Koch were part of the 2013 astronaut class, half of which were women. They came from the second largest applicant pool NASA has ever received — more than 6,100. The most recent class of flight directors was also 50 per cent women, NASA said.

NASA has come a long way since 1978 when the first six women joined NASA’s astronaut corps. Currently, women comprise 34 per cent of its active astronauts, according to the agency. “NASA is committed to making sure we have a broad and diverse set of talent and we’re looking forward to the first woman on the moon,” Bridenstine said.

With inputs from news agencies.

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NASA: Today’s Hunger moon To Be 583 Km Closer To Us

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:51:23 +0000

A super snow moon, mid-winter moon or the hunger moon will cross the skies on Tuesday, February 19. The full moon today will be closer to earth, will be larger, brighter and will definitely command attention in the sky. When the moon is full and at its perigee and is the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Earth is called Supermoon. This week’s perigee will be about 362 miles (583 kilometers) closer to us than last month’s supermoon. The subsequent full moon in March will also be a “supermoon”. Two and four full moons can be classified as “supermoons” in a given year.

Why winter moon called “Snow Moon” and ‘Hunger Moon”

According to NASA, the term “snow moon” is the historic name given to the second full moon of winter by certain Native American tribes in the US. It is called the snow moon due to typical snowfall during this time of year. Heavy snowfall is also the reason for its alternative name the “hunger moon.”

Snow Moon Timings

The moon will reach its full peak on February 19, 2019, at 10:54 am EST or around 9:30 pm IST. The snow moon is visible to most in the US at that time.

Last month, Super Blood Wolf Moon was seen on January 20 and 21 when the moon took a reddish glow from refracted light. Sky-watchers across the entire Western Hemisphere were able to see the eclipse.

Next super moon

The next full moon will be on March 20, and while it is also going to be a supermoon” it will not be as big as the super snow moon.

with inputs from news agencies.

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