The Gruithuisen dome on the moon will be the object of NASA’s newest study on its Artemis mission.
The United States Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA is currently preparing to travel to the moon. The mission is called Artemis.
Of course Artemis’s mission is to travel to the moon for research, one of which is the investigation of the Gruithuisen Domes or the Gruithuisen Domes there.
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Gruithuisen Dome research on the Moon by NASA
This time NASA got its new goal in the Artemis mission to the moon. They will explore two mounds named Mons Gruithuise Gamma and Mons Gruithuisen Delta.
Both mounds are in the northern region of the Gruithuisen crater on the moon. Recent observations have shown that these two mounds look different from the surrounding area.
Quoting from the Jerusalem Post, scientists say that this dome is a type of volcano. Previously, several volcanoes had been detected all over the lunar surface.
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Formed from Silica Magma
Like other volcanoes on the moon, scientists predict that the dome of Gruithuisen was also formed by magma rich in silica.
NASA said they would send Lunar-VISE on a mission to explore the top of one of the Gruithuisen Domes for 10 days.
It aims to reveal the alleged dome formed from magma rich in silica similar to the composition of the granite.
The formation of volcanoes on this moon is slightly different from those on Earth. On the moon, formation occurs without liquid or the presence of tectonic plates.
While on Earth, volcanoes containing silica will usually be formed due to the mixing of two materials, namely water and plate tectonics.
This is what makes NASA interested in investigating the Gruithuisen Dome on the moon to learn more about the structure of space volcanoes.
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Artemis Mission
NASA is conducting research on the Gruithuisen Dome through their Artemis mission.
For this mission, NASA uses several sets of their own instruments, namely the Soft Vulcan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunas VISE).
The instrument set consists of five instruments with two of them to be on landing and three on mobile exploration.
Lunar VISE will explore one of the tops of the dome and analyze it. This will help solve the mystery of how this seemingly impossible dome came to be.
This understanding can later help NASA to plan robotic and human missions to the moon in the future.
Since the dome is a volcano, it is likely that there will be a large concentration of heat-producing material within the top of this Gruithuisen dome.
If you can understand it well, then the heat that exists at the top of the Gruithuisen Dome on the moon can be a valuable resource for long-term lunar missions. (R10/HR-Online)
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