At the Moonrise, we don’t like to let anything go over our heads… especially when it comes to what’s going on above our heads. Up in outer space, new discoveries and accomplishments are being made all the time. As a boutique hotel with the most unique space-themed decor in the universe, we love keeping up to date on these astronomical happenings. Here are a few of the most incredible developments from the past few weeks!
400,000 new asteroids have been discovered.
Between the planets Mars and Jupiter, 400,000 new asteroids have been discovered in the main asteroid belt. Recent studies of these asteroids’ composition have confirmed that their primary origin is the remnants of shattered planets…woah, right? When a planet-sized body is demolished in a massive collision, the debris can form asteroids.
The main source of meteorites that strike Earth come from the inner belt. So now we know that the majority of asteroids that fall to our planet come from lost worlds – which is pretty cool in theory! But even more importantly, knowing the nature of these asteroids will help us know how to best deflect them to prevent potential disasters.
The first picture of a planet being formed was just taken.
An astounding photo of a gas giant forming directly next to a dwarf star was taken recently. The VLT (literally an acronym for Very Large Telescope) detected this enormous swirling mass of planet-forming matter while in the formation process, and was able to snap a groundbreaking photograph.
Even without the photo, however, this planet would still be intriguing. The temperature of the gas giant reaches up to 1,000 degrees Celsius, making it hotter than any planet in our solar system. The planet, categorized with the name PDS70b, is a whopping 1.8 billion miles away from PDS70. That’s about the same distance between Venus and our solar system’s sun.
Mice are going to space!
The Space X Dragon will soon be delivering some goods to the International Space Station, such as coffee, a handy robot and… rodents? The mice will be studied in space to determine how zero-gravity affects certain biological processes and rhythms. Co-investigator of the study, Martha Vitaterna, states that the purpose of the experiment is to see if forces like the exertion of lift-off, absence of gravity, confined living arrangements and the stress of outer space will disrupt the rodents’ systems, or if they will adapt.
Our goal at the Moonrise is to provide guests with an out-of-this-world experience through our delightful boutique hotel rooms, our pet-friendly hotel policies and our unique event spaces. Maybe one day there could even be a Moonrise Hotel on the actual moon! But for now, our eco-friendly hotel will continue to take care of the planet we’ve got and take a little time every now and then to share with you what’s going on in the stars. If you’re planning a trip to our corner of the universe anytime soon, don’t forget to book a room at the Moonrise!