Category: The Moon

Our moon

‘Exodus’ looks like a next-gen Mass Effect, but you get to fight an armored space bear (trailer)

NeRD

Despite abundant videos focusing on Exodus‘ alien species and uncharted worlds, it’s been a while since the last time we got a proper look at the game. Fortunately, studio Archetype Entertainment and publisher Wizards of the Coast are ready to start showing off meatier chunks of gameplay, and the new trailer is a must-watch. The official website had also given us plenty of in-universe history and lore to chew on, but we’d been dying to see more of the actual game. After missing last week’s Game Awards ceremony (which was…

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The Imperial Probe Droid is one of the best Lego Star Wars sets we have reviewed and you can now pick it up for a low price

NeRD

While the Imperial Probe Droid may have made only a brief but menacing appearance in The Empire Strikes Back, it is still one of Star Wars’ most iconic droids. It has been impressively recreated in this 683-piece Lego set which is currently on sale at a reduced price. The best price we found ahead of the holidays is at Walmart and given that it regularly retails for around and above $70, and is priced at $70 on Amazon, it’s pretty good value this holiday season. Unfortunately, Walmart says this will…

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Webb mail: US Priority Mail stamps to again star deep space images in 2025

NeRD

The universe of United States postage stamps featuring James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) imagery is set to expand again in 2025. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on Monday (Dec. 16) revealed that its upcoming Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express flat rate stamps will feature two deep space vistas captured by the Webb observatory. Scheduled for release on Jan. 21, the stamps will be the second set to use JWST photos after the pair issued this year. “USPS celebrates the continued exploration of deep space with an extremely high-definition image…

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‘Edge of Space’: Ambitious short film chronicles daring flight of X-15 rocket plane test pilot (video)

NeRD

EDGE OF SPACE Trailer – YouTube Watch On Getting noticed in Hollywood is a Herculean task for up-and-coming young filmmakers. If you wanted to put a holiday spin on it, you could say they’re often given a snowball’s chance in Hell. Dreams of being recognized are often disappointingly dim, unless you’ve got a hot screenplay or, in the case of writer/director Jean de Meuron, a professional pulse-pounding short film centered around a brave USAF test pilot recruited by NASA for a suborbital mission aboard the X-15 rocket-powered aircraft. Set in…

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Astronomers discover 1st binary stars orbiting supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way

NeRD

Astronomers have discovered the first binary stars orbiting a supermassive black hole. The stellar pairing in question orbits the cosmic titan at the heart of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A*. The binary stars, designated D9, were found in data collected by the Very Large Telescope (VLT), located atop Cerro Paranal, an 8,645-foot-tall (2,635-meter) mountain in Chile’s Atacama Desert. By measuring their velocity, the team behind the discovery was surprised to find they were two stars, not one. The fact that these binary stars so near Sgr A* have survived the…

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Watch SpaceX Starship test fire engines ahead of flight 7 launch (video)

NeRD

Things are getting hot for SpaceX’s next Starship launch. SpaceX fired up its next Starship spacecraft during an engine test over the weekend, ahead of the company’s 7th orbital test flight of the gargantuan megarocket. SpaceX ignited Starship’s Raptor engines for approximately 10 seconds on Sunday, Dec. 15, as a part of a series of checkouts to ensure the vehicle is healthy before being transported to the launchpad where it will be integrated with its first stage Super Heavy booster. Its next launch, Integrated Flight Test-7 (IFT-7), is expected around…

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SpaceX’s 31st Dragon cargo capsule departs ISS to head home to Earth

NeRD

SpaceX’s 31st robotic cargo mission is headed back to Earth. SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on schedule today (Dec. 16) at 11:05 a.m. EST (1605 GMT) today (Dec. 16). The spacecraft will begin a series of deorbit burns to complete the company’s 31st commercial resupply services mission (CRS-31) for NASA, splashing down of the coast of Florida tomorrow (Dec. 17). The agency won’t webcast the splashdown but will provide updates via its ISS blog. CRS-31 is returning to Earth with thousands of pounds of…

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1st monster black hole ever pictured erupts with surprise gamma-ray explosion

NeRD

In 2018, it was revealed that a pioneering telescope the size of Earth had taken, for the first time, an image of a black hole. That same instrument, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), has now witnessed the same black hole erupt with a powerful and unexpected explosion. Scientists hope that by studying this emission, they can better model the structure surrounding supermassive black holes. The flare, which lasted for about three days in April and May 2018, erupted from the supermassive black hole designated M87*, which liesat the heart of…

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See the best Geminid meteor shower 2024 photos from around the world

NeRD

The Geminid meteor shower put on a dazzling show this week, delighting skywatchers worldwide. The Geminids are one of the most prolific showers of the year, known for bright, colorful meteors and impressive hourly rates. This year, despite the almost full moon, they lived up to their reputation. We’ve rounded up some of the most jaw-dropping Geminid photos from around the world, showcasing the true beauty of this famous shower. So sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in the wonder of the Geminid meteor shower 2024. Night sky live (Image…

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Where does ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ fit in the Star Wars timeline?

NeRD

It’s easy to forget that the “Star Wars” we’ve seen unfolding since director George Lucas’s first entry erupted onto the big screen back in 1977 actually happened ages ago — as in “a long time ago,” — and not in some far future period, despite the futuristic spaceships and lightsabers. That might seem perfectly obvious to most fans, but it’s worth mentioning as we delve into the timeline of Disney+’s “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” to hone in on the calendar to determine where Wim, Fern, Neel, KB and Jod Na…

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