As the new space race fires up, scientists have proposed an entirely new field — planetary geoarchaeology — to study the imprints and objects humans leave behind. Learn more about how archeologists are digging into the final frontier.
, humans have launched more than 5,000 large objects into space.
“From the human perspective, these artifacts are part of our heritage, and linked to individual and national identities,” says archaeologist Justin Holcomb of the University of Kansas. Another artifact, the photograph left on the lunar surface by astronaut Charles Duke during the Apollo 16 mission on April 21, 1972, has very likely faded due to the intense daytime heat, and solar and cosmic radiation.Could Planetary Geoarcheology Be the Next Big Scientific Field?
Another big part of planetary geoarchaeology is the potential to study, firsthand, how the space environment can affect artifacts. Humans have already left artifacts on 10 different extraterrestrial surfaces, including Mercury, Venus, the moon, Mars and Titan, as well as asteroids and comets. And at leastare scheduled to touch down on the moon over the next few years.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Three new Jurassic-era dinosaur track sites found in MoroccoA small team of paleobiologists, with members from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Birmingham has discovered three new Jurassic-era dinosaur track sites in Morocco. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group describes where the track sites were found and the types of tracks that were preserved.
Read more »
MisterWives' New Era Is in Full EffectMisterWives lead singer Mandy Lee discusses the band's latest album, Nosebleeds, ahead of the Mission Ballroom concert this weekend.
Read more »
Wonder Woman #1 Officially Sells Out, as Diana Enters an Ambitious New EraShe sold out.
Read more »
Shping and IBM Food Trust™ Pioneering a New Era of Product Transparency for ConsumersMelbourne's tech firm, Shping, collaborates with IBM Food Trust™, unveiling the possibility for consumers to interact with their purchases. This
Read more »