• Happy Astronomy Day!

    Today is National Astronomy Day (also called International Astronomy Day). You still have time to look to the heavens if you have yet to do so. The Farmer’s Almanac has this to say about the day: This “holiday” was created in 1973 by California astronomer Doug Berger. During the first observance, Berger set up telescopes…

  • Second Pic of the Week: The UAE’s Amal Spacecraft Orbiting Mars

    I should have used the image above as the Pic of the Week yesterday. The image was captured by the United Arab Emerates’ (UEA) Amal spacecraft orbiting Mars. It shows the Red Planet as well as one of its moons – Deimos. The spacecraft came as close as 62 miles from the moon. In a…

  • Pic of the Week: The Jellyfish Galaxy

    This week’s image is from the Hubble Space Telescope. You are looking at JO204, also called the “jellyfish galaxy” because of its tendrils. It is about 600 million light-years away. It is an impressive sight. Here is a little more on the galaxy from NASA: While the delicate ribbons of gas beneath JO204 may look…

  • Space Stories: Lost Lunar Lander, Exoplanet Elements, and the Molten Middle of Mars

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Astronomy.com: “Japanese Lunar Lander Loses Contact Moments Before Touchdown” The Japanese start-up ispace attempted to become the first private company to successfully soft-land a commercial spacecraft on the Moon today (Tuesday, April 25). However, it now appears that the landing attempt — like several other such attempts in recent years…

  • Space Quote: Russia Has Been a Good Space Partner, China Not so Much

    “We built the International Space Station with the Russians. What a contrast, with the Chinese government,…They are secretive, they are non-transparent. They will not share when Earth is threatened by one of their tumbling rockets coming back in, they will not share their trajectories, so it’s a huge difference in the way we approach our…

  • A Day in Astronomy: The Hubble Space Telescope is Launched

    On this day in 1990, NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery launched the Hubble Space Telescope. We do not think of the shuttles anymore as we discuss reusable rockets, but the shuttles were the first reusable spacecraft-launching vehicles. After some initial problems, the Hubble became a critical component in the exploration of the universe. Some of the…

  • Study Findings: Direct Imaging and Astrometric Detection of a Gas Giant Planet Orbiting an Accelerating Star

    Science abstract: Direct imaging of gas giant exoplanets provides information on their atmospheres and the architectures of planetary systems. However, few planets have been detected in blind surveys with direct imaging. Using astrometry from the Gaia and Hipparcos spacecraft, we identified dynamical evidence for a gas giant planet around the nearby star HIP 99770. We…

  • Good Article: Telescope Mishaps on Earth and in the Heavens

    The New York Times had a good article on various mishaps related to telescopes here on Earth (such as WIRO above) as well as those now floating in space. The story, “From Bullets to ‘Bird Residue,’ the Many Trials of Telescopes,” shares stories about various natural (bird poop) and man-made (dropped tool) events that have…

  • Space Quote: Another Word for Explosion

    “As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation.” -Statement by SpaceX following the self-destruct of the Starship rocket after it started to spin out of control. What a way to put a spin on a malfunction. I am sensing the rapid unscheduled disassembly of the…

  • Pic of the Week: Starship Explodes Mid-Air

    This week’s image is from today’s launch of the SpaceX Starship. The rocket experienced engine troubles and exploded about four minutes following the launch after reaching a height of 25 miles. The goal of this mission was to reach at least 90 miles. SpaceX had this to say about the launch: At 8:33 a.m. CT,…