American private aerospace firm Firefly Aerospace have been making headlines after its Blue Ghost lunar lander landed safely in the Moon’s Mare Crisium region in a historic achievement in space exploration.
Firefly Aerospace became the first commercial company in history to achieve a fully successful Moon landing.
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The organization, in a post on X, said, “We have confirmation #BlueGhost stuck the landing! Firefly just became the first commercial company in history to achieve a fully successful Moon landing.”
“ This small step on the Moon represents a giant leap in commercial exploration. Congratulations to the entire Firefly team, our mission partners, and our @NASA customers for this incredible feat that paves the way for future missions to the Moon and Mars,” it added.
However, do you know that the name Blue Ghost actually denotes a rare species of firefly in the United States (US)?
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Learn about 10 amazing facts of this unique species of insect-
1. Blue Ghost is a species of firefly found in the eastern and also in central United States. Its scientific name is Phausis reticulata.
2. The species is common in the southern Appalachians, and can also be seen in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Chattahoochee National Forest, as well as North Carolina’s DuPont State Forest, the Pisgah National Forest, and the Green River Gamelands.
3. The Blue Ghosts can be found in wooded areas from 2,000 to 4,200 feet elevation in the mountains altogether. Male species hover around 18-36 inches above the ground whereas females often hide under leaf litter
4. Blue Ghosts are called as Spirits of the Forests or also Faerie Lanterns as their flashes provides striking visuals which can be best enjoyed or experienced at night
5. The creepy name of this firefly is due to the fact that the male species emits out a bluish white hue continuously for about one minute unlike most other varieties of fireflies which just flash and blink. These flashes are often so bright that they cast onto the ground below creating a spotlight effect.
6. While male species of blue ghosts are about 6-9 mm in length and have wings, the females are wingless, unable to fly and resemble larvae even as adults. They glow from a series of four to nine spots located throughout their bodies for the entirety of the night and can be seen from upwards of 10 feet away in very dark settings
7. Blue ghosts have two peak display times. The first peak begins in April up to late May and can be seen at their thickest densities from 9 to 9:30 PM. The second peak in mid-June is smaller, with the best viewing from 9:30-11 PM
8. Their mating season include warm and moist forest areas that are surrounded by spongy leaf litter. The females glow continuously from its spots to attract male fireflies who hover around spotting them
9. A female can lay around twenty to thirty eggs at one time. She guards them until she dies in one to two weeks.
10. The eggs hatch within approximately 4 to 5 weeks altogether after the mother dies.