• Volunteer Opportunity: Astronomer in Residence

    Looking for something to do next summer? How about being the Astronomer in Residence at the Grand Canyon? You can share your love of astronomy with the public on a regular basis. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Here is more information on the position itself: Grand Canyon Conservancy’s (GCC) Astronomer-in-Residence program supports astronomers and dark-sky…

  • Space Quote: Losing Our View of the Starry Night

    “In 2016, astronomers reported that the Milky Way was no longer visible to a third of humanity and light pollution has worsened considerably since then. At its current rate most of the major constellations will be indecipherable in 20 years, it is estimated. The loss, culturally and scientifically, will be intense.” -Statement in an article in The…

  • Second TROPICS Launch a Success

    The second and final TROPICS satellites, also known as Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, were launched late yesterday via a Rocket Lab rocket in New Zealand. The first pair were launched earlier this month. Rocket Lab sent out this message: Payload deployment confirmed! Congratulations to the launch team on our 37th Electron…

  • Pic of the Week: Stellar Birth in NGC 1333

    This week’s image is from the Hubble Space Telescope. It captures the colorful, star-filled NGC 1333, which is about 960 light-years away. Quite a lot is going on in this image – both seen and unseen. This explanations from the European Space Agency (ESA) will hopefully answer many of your questions regarding this image: Hubble’s…

  • Television: Stars on Mars

    The silly reality shows are now reaching for the stars, or at least a distant planet, with William Shatner leading the way. Fox’s new program Stars on Mars, premiering on June 5th, will feature numerous celebrities trying to survive in a “Mars-like” atmosphere. Planned guests include Lance Armstrong, Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, professional football player…

  • Space Stories: Threats to Artemis, Two Saudis Visit the ISS, and Signs of the Japanese Lunar Crash

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Axios: “NASA Return to the Moon Could be Imperiled by Politics“ Efforts to insulate Artemis from possible cuts, delays and cancellation are facing a major test with the current budget fight on Capitol Hill. If NASA’s funding is stalled at the 2022 enacted level or reduced, agency administrator Bill Nelson has…

  • Podcast/Book Review: Jesuits Find an Exoplanet to Explore

    If you are looking for a new podcast as well as a new book, the two come together via the podcast Alienating the Audience. Comedian Andrew Heaton and his buddies have plenty of fun poking various science fiction topics, including Star Wars and Star Trek. One of the recent episodes discussed a new book, The…

  • In Case You Missed It/Television: JWST on 60 Minutes

    Last month 60 Minutes had a piece on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), titled The Origin of Everything, that provided viewers with more amazing images. I recommend the episode. I also plan to watch a few more times myself. For a taste of the episode, here is Matt Mountain, who heads up JWST’s operations…

  • Disney Drops Out of the Star Wars Hotel Business

    Earlier I wrote about the high cost of attending a new Star Wars-themed hotel at Disney World in Florida. Well, the experiment has run its course and the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience will officially end September 30, 2023. You still have time to blow a bundle of money on this should that be your thing.…

  • Blue Origin is Now Part of the Artemis Mission

    While SpaceX is building the lunar lander for the Artemis III mission, Blue Origin is back in the game building the next lunar lander for a follow-up human landing at the Moon’s southern polar region as part of Artemis V. The NASA contract with Blue Origin for this second mission is $3.4 billion. Blue Origin’s…