NASA Promises Exciting Moon Announcement | The Weather Channel
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Space

NASA says it's made a big new discovery about the moon, and you can listen in when it's revealed to the world.

ByJan Wesner Childs
October 22, 2020Updated: October 22, 2020, 6:21 pm EDTPublished: October 22, 2020, 6:21 pm EDT
GettyImages-1281679136.jpg

The waxing crescent moon is seen above Earth on Oct. 22, 2020. NASA planned to announce a new discovery about the moon on Oct. 26,2020.

(Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

NASA is set to announce on Monday what its calling "an exciting new discovery" about Earth's moon.

The space agency was tightlipped about further details, but did drop a clue.

"This new discovery contributes to NASA’s efforts to learn about the moon in support of deep space exploration," a press release published online Thursday said.

That seems to indicate a connection to NASA's Artemis program, which aims to send humans back to the moon in 2024 and then on to Mars as early as the next decade.

(WATCH: October Brings Treats to Night Sky)

The press release also said the discovery came from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, known as SOFIA for short. SOFIA is a modified 747 airplane that carries a 9-foot telescope into the atmosphere to get a clear view of the universe and the solar system.

The NASA news prompted widespread speculation on social media ranging from tongue-in-cheek references to astrology to hopes about finding water or ice on the moon.

The big reveal will be made during a press conference with reporters at noon EDT on Monday. The public can listen to a live audio feed on the agency's website.

Presenters at the media briefing include:

-Paul Hertz, astrophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

-Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

-Casey Honniball, postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

-Naseem Rangwala, project scientist for the SOFIA mission at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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