• JWST Spots Saturn-Like Exoplanet

    The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST ) continues to amaze us with its discoveries. It has now captured the image of an exoplanet with the mass of Saturn orbiting star TWA 7, representing the first exoplanet captured by JWST in this way. TWA 7 is a young red dwarf star located about 34 light-years away.…

  • Space Stories: Mysterious Signal Solved, Trusting AI in Astronomy, and a New Particle Detected on the Moon

    Here are some recent space-related stories of interest. —Phys.org: “Mysterious Fast Radio Burst Turns Out to be From Long-dead NASA Satellite“ A team of astronomers and astrophysicists affiliated with several institutions in Australia has found that a mysterious fast radio burst (FRB) detected last year originated not from a distant source, but from one circling the…

  • Television: What is Next for Star Wars?

    So, the long anticipated Andor is over. It was certainly worth the wait. But what is next? Last I looked, this was the status of the many Star Wars live-action television series (chronologically): It seems the live-action television series have hit a wall. Ahsoka is said to be filming now, but you will be waiting…

  • Astronomy Question: Naming Asteroids

    Multiple Choice: What name below is not the name of a real asteroid? A. BroccoliB. NordicC. JettaD. Mr. Spock Take a guess and then check your answer by going to the “Astronomy Question Answer Sheet” page.

  • The Recently Created iSpace Crater Has Been Spotted

    It doesn’t look like much, but NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter recently spotted the small crater made by the crashed ispace lunar lander named Resilience. The Japanese lander crashed on the Moon’s surface earlier this month after the company’s second try at a lunar landing. The Moon is littered with debris and pockmarks from various successful…

  • Space Quote: The Pope Discusses the JWST

    “Do not the James Webb images also fill us with wonder, and indeed a mysterious joy, as we contemplate their sublime beauty?…The authors of sacred Scripture, writing so many centuries ago, did not have the benefit of this privilege, yet their poetic and religious imagination pondered what the moment of creation must have been like.”…

  • Pic of the Week: Mars or Bust?

    As shown in the image above, SpaceX lost one of its Starships yesterday in a massive explosion at the Brownsville, Texas Starbase, making the Moon and Mars seem even farther away. Fortunately, no one was injured during this failed test firing of the Starship 36 rocket engines. We should expect some problems along the way,…

  • Space Stories: Newly Discovered Volcano on Mars, Universe’s Missing Matter Found, and Congress Expects a NASA Nominee

    Here are some recent space-related stories of interest. —Georgia Tech: “Volcano ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ Could Help Date Mars — and its Habitability“ Georgia Tech scientists have uncovered evidence that a mountain on the rim of Jezero Crater — where NASA’s Perseverance Rover is currently collecting samples for possible return to Earth — is likely a…

  • Budget Cuts: A Graphic Portrayal of the NASA Betrayal

    Astronomy magazine did us all a great service by clearly demonstrating the impact of the White House’s FY 2026 budget request on NASA space missions. In a graphic covering the solar system and everything else, you can visualize for yourself the enormous impact of the proposed cuts. Very few programs are safe, including those we…

  • A Day in Astronomy: Beginnings and Ends

    On this day in 1963, Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova from the USSR became the first woman in space. She flew solo on the Vostok 6 for three days. It was her first and last time in space. Her importance as a symbol for women and the USSR meant she would never fly again lest something happen…