NASA's gargantuan Mega Moon Rocket could head to space as soon as Aug. 29

NASA's gargantuan Mega Moon Rocket could head to space as soon as Aug. 29 | Archaeologists may have discovered the palace of Genghis Khan's grandson | How do oysters make pearls? Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( July 22, 2022 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](  [] Top Science News [] [NASA's gargantuan Mega Moon Rocket could head to space as soon as Aug. 29]( [NASA's gargantuan Mega Moon Rocket could head to space as soon as Aug. 29]( (NASA/Glenn Benson) NASA's Artemis mission — which will ultimately return humans to the moon's surface for the first time in 50 years, including the first woman and person of color to set foot there — could launch as soon as late August, agency officials said in a news briefing on Wednesday (July 20). The first phase of the mission, dubbed Artemis-1, will see NASA's massive new Space Launch System (SLS) launch on a four-to-six-week-long trip around the far side of the moon and back. NASA has eyed Aug. 29, Sept. 2 or Sept. 5 as the earliest possible launch dates for the mission, NASA associate administrator Jim Free told reporters. Full Story: [Live Science]( (7/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Just the Facts, Ma'am "I stopped watching TV news a year ago, so sick of the bias everywhere. But in doing so, I was out of the loop. I decided to give 1440 a try & I've not been disappointed. Finally, Walter Cronkite style reporting! Just the facts. I also love that I can click a link to see more on many stories. Keep up the good work!" [Join for free now](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] History & Archaeology [] [Archaeologists may have discovered the palace of Genghis Khan's grandson]( [Archaeologists may have discovered the palace of Genghis Khan's grandson]( (CPA Media Pte Ltd via Alamy Stock Photo) The remains of a once resplendent palace built for Hulagu Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan, may have been discovered in Van Province in eastern Turkey, a team of archaeologists suggests. However, researchers not associated with the research urged caution, saying that more information is needed before the structure can be tied to the Khan family. Full Story: [Live Science]( (7/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Life’s Little Mysteries [] [How do oysters make pearls?]( [How do oysters make pearls?]( (Patrizio Martorana via Alamy Stock Photo) While nearly all of the world's most treasured gemstones can be found buried underground, pearls hide in a far more unexpected setting: inside a shell. So how exactly did these iridescent jewels wind up in such an unlikely place? Full Story: [Live Science]( (7/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Your Health [] [New York resident infected with polio, marking 1st US case in a decade]( [New York resident infected with polio, marking 1st US case in a decade]( (KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) After nearly a decade with no reported polio cases in the U.S., a resident of Rockland County, New York has tested positive for the viral disease, state and county health officials announced Thursday (July 21). The infected individual caught a strain of poliovirus known as "revertant polio Sabin type 2 virus," tests performed by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) revealed. Unlike wild polioviruses, this type of virus derives from the live oral polio vaccine, which has not been administered in the U.S. since 2000. Full Story: [Live Science]( (7/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Curious Creatures [] [Trap-jaw ants' lightning-fast bite should rip their heads apart. Here's why it doesn't.]( [Trap-jaw ants' lightning-fast bite should rip their heads apart. Here's why it doesn't.]( (© Alex Wild, used by permission) Moving at speeds thousands of times faster than the blink of an eye, the spring-loaded jaws of a trap-jaw ant catch the insect's prey by surprise and can also launch the ant into the air if it aims its chompers at the ground. Now, scientists have revealed how the ant's jaws can snap closed at blistering speeds without shattering from the force. Full Story: [Live Science]( (7/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [World's oldest male panda dies at 35 after weeks of 'deteriorating health']( [World's oldest male panda dies at 35 after weeks of 'deteriorating health']( (Getty Images) An An, the oldest-ever male panda in captivity, has died at the age of 35 in a Hong Kong amusement park. The giant panda was euthanized after his health deteriorated over the course of several weeks, according to a statement from the Ocean Park theme park, where An An lived since 1999. "An An lived a full life that ended at the respectable age of 35 — the equivalent of 105 years in human age," the statement added. "An An has brought us fond memories with numerous heart-warming moments. His cleverness and playfulness will be dearly missed." Full Story: [Live Science]( (7/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Quiz [] POLL QUESTION: True or false: Oysters make pearls as an act of self-defense. 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