What Would Happen to Earth if a Rogue Star Came Too Close?
Stars are gravitationally fastened to their galaxies and move in concert with their surroundings. But sometimes, something breaks the bond.…
Vera Rubin Will Find Binary Supermassive Black Holes. Here’s How.
When galaxies merge, we expect them to produce binary black holes (BBHs.) BBHs orbit one another closely, and when they…
How NASA Keeps Ingenuity Going After More than 50 Flights
More information is always better when it comes to publicly funded space exploration projects. So it's welcome when a NASA…
The First Color Pictures From Euclid
Many a space enthusiast first became interested in the topic when they saw some astounding picture taken by one of…
There are Ideal Orbits for Space-Based Interferometers
Ever since the telescope was invented in 1608, astronomers have striven for bigger and better telescopes. When it comes to…
Adolescent Galaxies are Incandescent and Contain Unexpected Elements
If the Universe has adolescent galaxies, they're the ones that formed about 2 to 3 billion years after the Big…
NASA is Getting the Plutonium it Needs for Future Missions
The Department of Energy just delivered a shipment plutonium that NASA will turn into radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for future…
There Aren’t Many Galaxies Like The Milky Way Nearby. Now We Know Why
The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy, maybe even a grand design spiral galaxy. We can't be sure from…
There Were Glaciers… on Mercury?
I have lost count of how many times I have given public lectures and explained the temperature differences between Mercury…
What’s Going on With the Mars Sample Return Mission?
Anybody with a modicum of intellectual curiosity is looking forward to the NASA/ESA Mars Sample Return Mission. NASA's Perseverance rover…