• Professor Loeb is Not Convinced by NASA Statements About 3I/ATLAS

    Harvard Professor Avi Loeb is not satisfied with NASA’s comments this week that the interstellar object streaming through our Solar System is a normal comet. In his blog, Professor Loeb stated: NASA’s representatives should have emphasized what we do not understand about 3I/ATLAS rather than insist that it is a familiar comet from a new…

  • Pic of the Week: Wolf-Rayet Apep

    This week’s embryonic image comes from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It shows what NASA calls “four serpentine spirals of dust” around a pair of Wolf-Rayet stars. Such stars are rare, with NASA estimating that only a thousand can be found in our galaxy consisting of hundreds of billions of stars. And binary Wolf-Rayet…

  • Video: Cool Worlds Discusses Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS 

    With all the ongoing stories about interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, you may enjoy an earlier video from Cool World Labs titled “Could 3I/ATLAS Be Technological?” Columbia University Associate Professor David Kipping looks at the claims by Harvard Professor Avi Loeb that the comet is not only from another solar system, but it may in fact be…

  • Astronomy Question: The Asteroid Belt

    Multiple Choice: What is the average distance between the asteroids located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter? A. 4,000 milesB. 50,000 milesC. 600,000 milesD. 1.1 million miles Take a guess and then check your answer by going to the “Astronomy Question Answer Sheet” page.

  • Space Stories: Threat to Chinese Space Station, Solar Storms on the ISS, and Dream Chaser Prep Continues

    Here are some recent space-related stories of interest. —Time: “China’s Imperiled Astronauts Illustrate the Dangers of Space Debris“ No trip to space can be counted a success unless you make it safely back to Earth…And it’s a lesson that was learned anew this week by the taikonauts—Chinese astronauts—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie. The trio…

  • Study Findings: Not All Sub-Neptune Exoplanets Have Magma Oceans

    The Astrophysical Journal Letters abstract of the study findings: The evolution and structure of sub-Neptunes may be strongly influenced by interactions between the outer gaseous envelope of the planet and a surface magma ocean. However, given the wide variety of permissible interior structures of these planets, it is unclear whether conditions at the envelope–mantle boundary will…

  • Space Quote: Goddard Space Flight Center Threatened by Cuts

    “…actions taken during the last nine months threaten the workers at Goddard and their ability to lead the world in this science and exploration. Between unnecessary voluntary separations, deferred resignations, reductions in force, and other pressure, thousands of civil servants and contractors are no longer working at GSFC. Other countries with space programs from our…

  • Really?: Star Trek Author Tied to Jeffrey Epstein Emails

    This is really getting ridiculous. With the reopening of the federal government, the public has moved onto a new topic, and once again it is sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his emails. However, this time it touches upon an popular cosmologist who wrote a book about Star Trek. According to recent news stories, cosmologist Lawrence…

  • Pic of the Week: The New Glenn Rocket Booster Returns

    Today’s image comes from Blue Origin, which successfully completed it second launch of it New Glenn rockets, sending two NASA Martian probes into orbit. The image shows the reusable rocket booster right after it landed on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean. Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy stated: Congratulations to Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, UC…

  • A Day in Astronomy: The Death of Percival Lowell

    On this day in 1916, American astronomer Percival Lowell died at the age of 61 in Flagstaff, AZ. He will forever be remembered for his incorrect theory concerning canals on Mars as well as his better theory about a ninth planet, which contributed to the discovery of Pluto 14 years by Clyde Tombaugh, who was…