• Television: The JWST on NOVA, Again

    NOVA has a new episode this season on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Unlike last season’s episode, Ultimate Space Telescope, which discussed the creation, launch, and early success of the space telescope, this episode, New Eye on the Universe, goes deeper into the goals of the space telescope as well as the findings since…

  • One More Rocket Mishap, This Time in Japan

    The string of rocket failures continues. I had earlier mentioned the UK and Alaskan mishaps, while an Arianespace Vega C rocket launch from French Guiana when awry last December, and now Japan has suffered its own failure this week. Tuesday’s failed launch of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) H3 rocket is a setback for…

  • Pic of the Week: The Shining Nucleus of NGC 7496

    This week’s image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows the barred spiral galaxy NGC 7496, which is over 24 million light-years away from Earth. The glowing center is a supermassive black hole. Here is the full story about the image from the Webb Space Telescope site: The spiral arms of NGC 7496, one of…

  • Space Stories: Ancient Water, Nearby Black Hole, and a Lunar Time Zone

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —European Southern Observatory: “Astronomers Find Missing Link for Water in the Solar System“ Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have detected gaseous water in the planet-forming disc around the star V883 Orionis. This water carries a chemical signature that explains the journey of water from star-forming gas…

  • Where is This? March 7, 2023 Quiz

    Take a look at the image above. Can you determine where this image originated? Take a guess and then check your answer by going to the “Where is This? The Answer Sheet” page.

  • Television: The Mandalorian Returns for a Third Season

    On March 1, season three of Disney’s The Mandalorian premiered. It was action-packed throughout. We had plenty of time with the main Mandalorian, Din Djar, as well as his sidekick, Baby Yoda, now known as Grogu. But if you were somewhat confused to see the two together again after the ending of season two, you…

  • Study Findings: Framework for the Architecture of Exoplanetary Systems

    Astronomy and Astrophysics abstract: We present a novel, model-independent framework for studying the architecture of an exoplanetary system at the system level. This framework allows us to characterise, quantify, and classify the architecture of an individual planetary system. Our aim in this endeavour is to generate a systematic method to study the arrangement and distribution…

  • Podcast: A Canadian Rover on the Moon

    I am recommending another episode from The Planetary Society’s podcast Planetary Radio. In the episode, The Canadian Lunar Rover with Peter Visscher, we get to learn more about Canada’s plans to place a rover on the Moon. The interview is with Peter Visscher, Director of Canadensys West, which is building the rover after receiving a contract from Canadian…

  • Space Quote: UAE Celebrates its Role in ISS Mission

    “I join the nation in congratulating Sultan al-Neyadi as he begins his pioneering mission aboard the International Space Station. His inspiring achievement is a source of great pride to the UAE and another milestone in the journey of our nation and the ambitions of our people.“ –Statement by United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin…

  • Pic of the Week: Crew-6 Mission to the ISS

    This week’s image shows the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule awaiting the launch of the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station. The rocket launched at 12:34 a.m. EST today from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. You can read more about the successful launch here.