• Pic of the Week: Happy Fourth of July!

    This week’s image comes from the International Space Station (ISS) where the U.S. astronauts have a message for all of us regarding the Fourth of July. You can watch the entire video here and hear a message from each of the astronauts – Mike Barratt, Matt Dominick, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams and…

  • Space Quote: Turning the ISS into Very Expensive Space Junk

    “Selecting a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations. This decision also supports NASA’s plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth…The orbital laboratory…

  • Space Stories: Moss for Mars, Martian Space Rocks, and a Red Planet Practice Habitat

    Here are some recent Mars-related stories of interest. —The Guardian: “Scientists Find Desert Moss ‘That Can Survive on Mars’” While Matt Damon relied on potatoes cultivated in crew biowaste to survive in the hit film The Martian, researchers say it is a humble desert moss that might prove pivotal to establishing life on Mars. Scientists in…

  • Podcast: Getting to Mars and Staying Alive

    If you are interested in the future of humanity on Mars, you may want to tune into Red Planet Radio from The Mars Society. A recent podcast, as well as an upcoming podcast, highlight some things to consider before you pack your bags. Back on June 15, in the podcast titled “Dr. Antonio Paris, Astrophysicist,…

  • A Day in Astronomy: The Tunguska Event

    It was on this day in 1908 that about 800 square miles of forest in Siberia were decimated in what was later attributed to an meteor exploding 3 to 6 miles above the Tunguska River area. As a result of the aerial explosion, no impact crater was created from what was called the Tunguska Event.…

  • Just in Time for Asteroid Day

    Tomorrow we recognize Asteroid Day around the world, but today we witnessed an asteroid coming so close to the Earth that it was within the Moon’s orbit. Asteroid 2024 MK flew past the Earth earlier today with no incident, but it was pretty close. Its closest approach was about 75 percent of the distance between…

  • Where is This? June 28, 2024 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.

  • Pic of the Week: The Dark Doodad Nebula

    This week’s image is from NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day website. It shows a dark blur in the night sky caused by interstellar dust. Here is the full description from NASA: What is that strange brown ribbon on the sky? When observing the star cluster NGC 4372, observers frequently take note of an unusual dark…

  • Space Stories: Launch of GOES-U Satellite, Jupiter’s Surprising Atmosphere, and the Role of Black Holes in Dark Matter

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —America Space: “Falcon Heavy Launches, GOES-U Heads for Geostationary Orbit“ SpaceX successfully launched its first Falcon Heavy of the year on Wednesday evening, the triple-barreled booster lifting the 11,000-pound (5,000-kilogram) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-U) almost to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric…

  • China Successfully Retrieves Moon Rocks

    It was a good day for China as it became the first nation to successfully retrieve a lunar sample from the far side of the Moon. The Chang’e-6 return capsule safely landed in China earlier today following the mission’s start back on May 3. The sample itself departed the Moon’s surface on June 4. Wang…