Archivist’s vintage ‘Images of Apollo’ photo prints land on auction

A private archivist known for unearthing rare images from the early years of human spaceflight is now selling a treasure trove of NASA prints representing some of the most iconic photos ever taken. J.L. Pickering has dedicated the past 50 years to researching the visual history of space exploration and, in the process, has amassed a collection of more than 150,000 photo prints. Heritage Auctions on Tuesday (Sept. 7) began accepting bids on a few hundred of Pickering’s pieces, focusing on the “Images of Apollo.” “The vintage prints I am…

Read More

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope launch delayed to December

NASA’s long-awaited and high-powered James Webb Space Telescope won’t begin observations this year after NASA and its counterpart the European Space Agency (ESA) announced another launch delay. In coordinated statements, the two agencies announced that the observatory is now targeting a launch on Dec. 18, more than six weeks after its previously set liftoff date. The highly-anticipated project has racked up consistently escalating budget and schedule overruns since development began in the 1990s. “We now know the day that thousands of people have been working towards for many years, and…

Read More

Astronauts spot Hurricane Larry from space (photos)

Hurricane Larry rages above the Atlantic Ocean in this image captured by NASA astronaut Megan McArthur at the International Space Station on Sept. 7, 2021. (Image credit: Megan McArthur/NASA/Twitter) As Hurricane Larry churned through the Atlantic Ocean this weekend, astronauts at the International Space Station kept a watchful eye on the storm from space.  “From our viewpoint on @Space_Station, it looks much larger than Ida,” NASA astronaut Megan McArthur tweeted Tuesday (Sept. 7) from the orbiting laboratory. Larry is currently a massive Category 3 hurricane, packing sustained winds of 115…

Read More

How to photograph the moon using a camera: techniques, kit, and settings

It has never been easier to photograph the moon, thanks to the advent of digital camera technology. This familiar sight in our skies – our nearest neighbor in space – is a great object to start with if you’re a beginner looking to get into the wider universe of astrophotography.  If you have a smartphone, it’s likely that you’ve already tried your hand at photographing the moon, with surprisingly decent results. However, if you are keen to start capturing many of the craters, mountains and valleys that litter the lunar…

Read More

Star Walk 2 review

Star Walk 2 is the latest version of the stargazing app from Vito Technology. With a sleek look and easy customizations, the app could be great for both new stargazers and experts looking for a comprehensive stargazing app. Last updated in January of 2021, the app is the second iteration and works on Android and Apple devices, including iPads. The original version launched in 2001, and the app now has over 10 million downloads.  Star Walk 2 teaches users about stars, constellations, planets and tracks satellites with an augmented reality…

Read More