• Space Stories: Jovian Moons, Charon’s Canyons, and a New Space Telescope

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Live Science: “Jupiter Officially has the Most Moons in the Solar System, Discovery of 12 New Satellites Confirms“ Jupiter was already the king of the solar system, and new discoveries give the massive planet another way to reign supreme: It now has the most moons. Twelve new moons discovered…

  • Space Quote: Nukes in Space

    “NASA should educate the public about why nuclear propulsion is not only something nice to have, but is a necessity if human civilization is to spread beyond the Earth on a greater scale than a few explorers. Access to the mineral and energy resources of the solar system would be a boon to all humankind…

  • Chinese Balloon: An Identified Flying Object

    It is not clear why China chose to test the U.S. this past week with a surveillance balloon, but it ended yesterday with the Air Force shooting down the device. These Chinese balloons have been seen all over the world, and this is not the first time they have visited the U.S. (having been sighted…

  • Podcast: Capturing Life Off Planet and Here on Earth

    I recommend checking out Alan Alda’s interview with astronomer Sara Seager in a recent Clear + Vivid podcast episode. MIT Professor Seager has focused her work on exoplanet atmospheres as well as another planet nearby – Venus. In the interview, she discusses her early work as well as her theories about the existence of life…

  • The House Committee Dodged a Killer Asteroid

    The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which oversees NASA’s programs, may have a chance to get some things done this year. Earlier in the week, New York Congressman George Santos stepped down from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology as well as the House Committee on Small Business. With all of the…

  • Pic of the Week: ISS Space Junk

    This week’s image is a recent shot from the International Space Station (ISS) showing how it deals with unneeded equipment. Fortunately, this “space junk” will quickly burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere rather than remain a threat to the ISS. Given the size of that junk, I hope nothing else bumps into it on the…

  • A Day in Astronomy: Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster

    On this day in 2003, the STS-107 mission aboard NASA’s oldest space shuttle Columbia came to a horrible end when the shuttle disintegrated upon reentry. That day we lost crew members David M. Brown, Rick D. Husband, Laurel B. Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael P. Anderson, William C. “Willie” McCool, and Ilan Ramon. It was just 17…

  • Space Stories: Congressional Space Medal, Asteroid Rings, and Dancing Exoplanets

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —NASA: “VP Awards Former NASA Astronauts Congressional Space Medal of Honor“ On behalf of President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris awarded former NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken the Congressional Space Medal of Honor Tuesday for their bravery in NASA’s SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 (Demo-2) to the International…

  • Space Mission: What’s Up with Juno?

    Are we witnessing the slow blinding of the Juno spacecraft? NASA is having trouble receiving images from the spacecraft’s solar-powered JunoCam. As a result, of the 258 images recently obtained by NASA, only 44 were usable. NASA is still investigating this issue and hopes to come up with a way to mitigate it. Launched in…

  • SpaceX Agrees to Work with Scientists to Reduce Impact of its Satellites

    Earlier this month, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and SpaceX came to an agreement to “mitigate potential interference” from its Starlink satellites. These satellites have been impacting ground-based radio, optical, and infrared astronomy facilities. Basically, SpaceX agreed to continue working on recommendations and best practices from the scientific community, ensure the second generation of Starlink…