2 posts published by Steve Hurley during September 2025| Explaining Science
Solar sails are the only method of spacecraft propulsion in which no fuel is needed. Until recently spacecraft powered by solar sails were the stuff of science fiction. However, following the success of the Japanese spacecraft IKAROS in 2010 the crowd-funded Light Sail 2 spacecraft in 2019 and NASA’s ACS3 in 2024, spacecraft powered by… Continue reading Solar Sails: Fuel-Free Space Travel→| Explaining Science
Many people think that the whole of the Moon’s far side is entirely hidden from view. This isn’t quite true. There is a region around the boundary between the near and far sides which is sometimes …| Explaining Science
A friend of mine recently asked me whether it was possible to have a lunar-stationary orbit. This would be the equivalent of a geostationary orbit, but around the Moon rather than the Earth. …| Explaining Science
We’re all familiar with specifying a location by its latitude and longitude, but I thought it would be interesting to write a post about latitude and longitude on other bodies in the Solar System. Locations on the surface of the Moon are given a latitude and longitude just like they are on Earth. The Lunar… Continue reading Latitude and Longitude on the Moon and the Planets→| Explaining Science
The night of 12/13 August will be the peak of the Perseids, one of the most famous prolific meteor showers. Meteors (also known as shooting stars) are bright streaks of light cause…| Explaining Science
Next Thursday, July 25, is one of the four days a year in which the length of the solar day, the natural day measured by the rising and setting of the Sun, is 24 hours. I have written about thi…| Explaining Science