• Pic of the Week: An Icelandic Saga

    This week’s image is from Mashable’s 24 Stunning Astronomy Photographs that will Take You to Infinity and Beyond. The photo, titled “An Icelandic Saga,” is from photographer Carl Gallagher. Here is a little more about the photo: The photographer went on a nine-day, 2500-mile road trip, chasing gaps in the clouds, to capture the Aurora…

  • Space Stories: JWST Confirms Earth-Size Exoplanet, Russia Sending Rescue Mission to ISS, and IO Erupts

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Webb Space Telescope: “NASA’s Webb Confirms Its First Exoplanet“ Researchers confirmed an exoplanet, a planet that orbits another star, using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope for the first time. Formally classified as LHS 475 b, the planet is almost exactly the same size as our own, clocking in at…

  • Virgin Orbit Experiences a Setback

    It was supposed to be the beginning of rocket launches from the England, but we will have to wait a little longer. While Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl, the 747 carrying the LauncherOne rocket, successfully left Spaceport Cornwall, the launch itself from the belly of the plane did not go as planned. Both the rocket and…

  • Where is This? January 9, 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.

  • Astronomy and ChatGPT: Do Your Own Homework

    While I recently used the new AI software ChatGPT (created by OpenAI, which was founded by Elon Musk and others) to draft up a poem, I did not use it to learn more about astronomy. Others have already attempted this and came back with mixed results. Last month, the website Astronomy reported back on its…

  • In Case You Missed It: More Trash, This Time on Mars

    In an earlier post, I noted the amount of poop as well as other trash left behind on the Moon from prior lunar missions. Well, Cagri Kilic, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at West Virginia University, also ventured a guess at the amount of human trash that has already accummulated on the surface of Mars. In…

  • Space Quote: Starlab to Replace the ISS

    “This partnership with Voyager Space is the first step toward fielding the next generation of space stations to serve international astronauts. We are excited to support a project aimed at changing history…This collaboration is an important step in making Starlab a reality, providing a foundation for long-lasting European and American leadership in space. Our team…

  • Pic of the Week: Disconnection Event

    This week’s image is from the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022 contest. The image above is the winner of the 2022 contest. It is titled “Disconnection Event,” captured by Gerald Rhemann. Here is the language accompanying the winning image: Comet Leonard was discovered by GJ Leonard on 3 January 2021. It…

  • Space Stories: Passing of Apollo Astronaut Walter Cunningham, Opal on Mars, and Juno Recovers

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —NASA: “Apollo Astronaut Walter Cunningham Dies at 90“ Former astronaut Walter Cunningham, who flew into space on Apollo 7, the first flight with crew in NASA’s Apollo Program, died early Tuesday morning in Houston. He was 90 years old. “Walt Cunningham was a fighter pilot, physicist, and an entrepreneur…

  • Podcast: Discussing Science Fiction and Astronomy with Andy Weir & Rob Manning

    If you have not yet tapped into The Planetary Society’s podcast Planetary Radio, then now is the time to do so. Host Mat Kaplan and his guests had a great time on the recent podcast, One Last Blast: Author of ‘The Martian’ Andy Weir with JPL Chief Engineer Rob Manning. Both Andy Weir (author of…