• Space Stories: An International Astronaut for Artemis, Martian Eruptions, and Surprisingly Young Stars in Our Galaxy

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Politico: “NASA’s Moon Landing Mission will Include a Non-American, Harris Says“ NASA is hoping to send a group of astronauts to the moon before the end of the decade, and at least one of them won’t be American. During a National Space Council meeting Wednesday afternoon, Vice President Kamala…

  • Starship Launch: A Few Legal Issues on the Ground

    SpaceX and NASA are trying to get ready for the third launch of the Starship, a key component of the Artemis program. Yet some parties here are Earth are still steamed about the April 2023 Starship launch that spread debris at the Texas rocket site. A group of organizations – the Center for Biological Diversity,…

  • A Day in Astronomy: Birth of Steven Spielberg

    On this day in 1946, Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. The American film director is best known for his many science fiction films, such as Jaws as well as the Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park series. However, he has a special place in the hearts of space fans for his other films, including:…

  • Gift Ideas: Astronomy Items that are Fun for the Whole Family

    If you are still looking around for holiday gifts, Popular Mechanics provided a nice gift guide for 2023. This includes the board game Space-opoly (above), the red Mars dust globe (below), and the Play Tent Galaxy Dome (also below). Some other sources for helpful gift lists include: Don’t worry. You still have time.

  • Where is This? December 16, 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.

  • Space Quote: $5 Million for A Probe of Drug Use at SpaceX

    “It is essential for the integrity of the United States space program to ensure that the development and production of the space systems that will transport astronauts is conducted in a manner that prioritizes safety…The Safety and Health provision in the contract requires SpaceX to comply with standard industry practices, applicable laws, and other relevant…

  • Pic of the Week: Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

    This week’s image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope is both violent yet beautiful. It is also NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for today. Here are some details about the image from NASA: Massive stars in our Milky Way Galaxy live spectacular lives. Collapsing from vast cosmic clouds, their nuclear furnaces ignite and…

  • Voyager I Not Communicating at the Moment

    NASA is experiencing communication issues with the distant Voyager 1 spacecraft. As a result, NASA reports that no science or engineering data is being sent back to Earth. Voyager 1 is about 15 billion miles from Earth, so its binary code signals take about 22.5 hours to reach Earth. The communication issue with the spacecraft…

  • Television: A Murder at the End of the World

    If you are looking for a new television series, you cannot go wrong with FX’s A Murder at the End of the World. You can catch it on Hulu. Here is the paltry description from Hulu: A young woman accepts a mysterious invitation from a billionaire and his wife. Fortunately, the FX trailer is better…

  • Space Stories: Tom Hanks Returns to the Moon, Exomoons are Questioned, and Our Moon Enters a New Phase

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Reuters: “Tom Hanks Brings Love of Space to New Immersive London Show“ Archive footage of space rockets taking off beam across giant walls in a new immersive show in London, as Hollywood actor Tom Hanks narrates the story of human voyages to the moon. “The Moonwalkers: A Journey With…