©
CLEP/Planetary
Society
What has
Chang’ed?
When exploring the lunar
surface, the hardware of landers
and rovers is at constant risk
ofdeteriorating due to intense
cosmic radiation.
On Earth, we make use of
the atmosphere to block out
the harmful waves, but for
robotic explorers such as China’s
Chang’e-4 – currently exploring
the far side of the Moon – rovers
are given a nap to protect them
from the intense lunar midday.The star that
once shined
so bright
Hubble was once again on
form as it captured another
magnificent sight from the
depths of the universe. This
time, it snapped some stellar
fireworks as the enormous,
unstable star known as Eta
Carinae continues to expel its
contents into the cosmos.
The double-star system Eta
Carinae has been oozing hot gas
and dust since the 1840s. In fact,
when it first erupted, it was the
second-brightest star in the night
sky for a decade. These days
though, it is not as noticeable in
the night sky – but Hubble did
a marvellous job in capturing its
colourful contrast in vibrant and
energetic ultraviolet.© NASA/ESALAUNCH PAD
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