Scienceblog

A well-known stop-motion sheep is set to depart for the moon from Mossy Bottom Farm. A spot has been reserved for Shaun, the main character from the animated television series "Shaun the Sheep," on NASA's Artemis 1 mission, which is scheduled to launch later this month. On NASA's unmanned Orion spacecraft, the particularly cunning Shropshire lamb will travel far beyond the moon before returning to Earth in a little over a month. Shaun was included in the Artemis 1 Official Flight Kit(opens in new tab) thanks to the European Space Agency (ESA), which also constructed the mission's power-supplying service module. David Parker, ESA's director for human and robotic exploration, said in a statement(opens in new tab) issued on Tuesday that "this is an exciting time for Shaun and for us at ESA" (Aug. 2). Although it might be a modest step for a human, it's a great stride for lambkind, and we're fuzzy very delighted that he's been chosen for the ...

The coin was produced by one of the most tranquil Roman emperors. A bronze coin from one of the Roman Empire's most tranquil periods was found on the bottom by archaeologists diving off the coast of Israel in the Mediterranean Sea. The Roman goddess of the moon Luna (Greek: Selene) is seen on one side of the coin, underneath which is a crab, the astrological symbol for cancer. The crew discovered the approximately 1,850-year-old bronze coin while searching in Haifa, Israel. According to Jacob Sharvit, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority's (IAA) Maritime Archaeology Unit, "This is the first time such a coin has been recovered off Israel's shore." Between A.D. 138 and 161, during the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius, the coin was struck. According to Britannica, Emperor Hadrian attempted to exterminate the Jews and Romanize the populace in the province of Judaea during his reign. Antoninus Pius succeeded him (opens in new tab). For instance, according to Britann...

Both objects will go far outside the lunar orbit. This weekend, two asteroids the size of skyscrapers are speeding toward Earth. One will make its closest approach on Friday, July 29, while the other will pass by on Saturday (July 30). NASA estimates that the first asteroid, 2016 CZ31, will come by at a speed of 34,560 mph (55,618 km/h) on Friday about 7 p.m. ET (23:00 GMT). The asteroid, which is roughly as wide as a 40-story skyscraper is tall, is thought to be 400 feet (122 meters) across at its widest point. The asteroid will pass around 1,740,000 miles (2,800,000 kilometers) from Earth, or more than seven times the typical distance between Earth and the moon, safely avoiding our planet. The next near encounter of this space rock with Earth is expected for January 2028, according to NASA. A second, bigger asteroid will pass by Earth on Saturday, albeit it will be further away. At its widest visible point, that asteroid, 2013 CU83, is roughly 600 feet (183 meters) across. It will pa...

The Spanish aquaculture business Nueva Pescanova has been prompted by escalating demand in the world cephalopod market to move ahead with its ambitions to launch the first octopus farm sometime in 2019. The project's supporters assert that the breeding initiatives would provide local jobs while reducing the strain on overburdened fisheries. Environmentalists, zoologists, and ethicists aren't persuaded and warn that there are many good reasons not to cultivate octopuses. In theory, octopus farms make sense since many species that are often consumed can reproduce a lot, gain weight fast, and reach maturity in a year or two. However, the notion of octopus aquaculture comes with a long list of expenses and issues. They prefer to consume live prey since they are finicky eaters, especially when young. Octopuses don't perform well in captivity either since they can become hostile to the point of self-mutilation when confined with one another. In addition, octopuses are known escap...