EMIT Archives - Astrobiology

A Tetracorder map of the Moon showing water absorption areas (with an Earth-based image of the Moon in the center right to establish the boundaries of this map).

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Planetary Orbital Surveys Using A Tetracorder

by Keith CowingJanuary 6, 2025January 6, 2025

In Star Trek, the intrepid explorers use a handheld device called a tricorder to sense, record and compute environmental data. But scientists in the real world have one-upped our fictional friends […]

Date Created: 2024-11-14 larger image

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Plant Biology, Press Release, Space Stations, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Orbital Recon: EMIT Collects Data On Terrestrial Plant Communities

by Keith CowingDecember 2, 2024November 30, 2024

Editor’s note: when we begin to survey new worlds up close with reconnaissance spacecraft – from orbit – we will need an array of sensors capable of gleaning as much […]

Date Created: 2024-11-14 Larger image

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Orbital Recon: EMIT Scans The Amazon River in Northern Brazil

by Keith CowingDecember 1, 2024November 30, 2024

Editor’s note: when we begin to survey new worlds up close with reconnaissance spacecraft – from orbit – we will need an array of sensors capable of gleaning as much […]

NASA’s EMIT produced its first global maps of hematite, goethite, and kaolinite in Earth’s dry regions using data from the year ending November 2023. The mission collected billions of measurements of the three minerals and seven others that may affect climate when lofted into the air as dust storms. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Full Image Details

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Space Stations, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Planetary Survey From Orbit: Earth’s Surface Minerals In Arid Regions

by Keith CowingJanuary 2, 2024January 2, 2024

Editor’s note: We’re now able to detect planets orbiting other stars. We can determine the size and basic composition of these worlds but only in a general sense. As newer […]