Earth, our rocky, watery oasis in the cosmos is the ideal place for life to flourish for a number of reasons. We sit at just the right distance from our home star for liquid water to exist on the planet’s surface. The gravitational pull of other large planets helps protect us from apocalyptic collisions with wandering meteorites. And the planet’s magnetic field encircles Earth with a protective barrier that shields us from charged particles hurtling through space. Earth’s magnetic field is generated by the complex flow of molten metallic material…
Read More‘Constellation’ trailer teases new ‘action-packed space adventure’ on Apple TV+
After surviving an explosion aboard the International Space Station, European Space Agency astronaut Jo Ericsson is thrust into a different, but no less life-threatening mission: to uncover the hidden history of space travel and recover all that she has lost. That is premise of “Constellation,” an “action-packed space adventure” coming to Apple TV+ on Feb. 21. The streaming service released the trailer for the eight-part series on Monday (Jan. 22). “When I was up there, the only thing I could focus on was getting back to my daughter,” Jo (Noomi…
Read MoreHubble Observes an Askew Galaxy Coaxing Star Formation from its Partner
2 min read Hubble Observes an Askew Galaxy Coaxing Star Formation from its Partner This new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features two interacting spiral galaxies collectively called Arp 300. NASA, ESA, J. Dalcanton (University of Washington), and R. Windhorst (Arizona State University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Arp 300 consists of two interacting galaxies, UGC 05028 (the smaller face-on spiral galaxy) and UGC 05029 (the larger face-on spiral). Likely due to its gravitational dance with its larger partner, UGC 05028 has an asymmetric, irregular structure, which is…
Read MoreLearn the history and heroics of ‘Star Wars’ Mandalorians in new souvenir hardcover
Writer/producer Jon Favreau is currently ramping up the development phase for Disney+’s “The Mandalorian” Season 4, and he’s in the nascent stages of directing the recently announced “The Mandalorian & Grogu” feature for Lucasfilm. While there’s a temporary lull in the action for the eventful world of Mandalorians, now is the ideal time to reflect on the legacy of this enigmatic helmeted tribe of the galaxy far, far away with an all-new reference guidebook. This is the way! London-based Titan Books has gathered the finest material from the archives of…
Read MoreThis ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ fan trailer has us excited for the real thing
There’s been a bit of radio silence around the Lucasfilm camp lately regarding its upcoming projects that always seem to be victims of a shell game concerning production slates and eventual releases. But with a new year comes fresh interest that should get fans energized (or angry), even if it’s a cleverly edited fake promo that many faithful followers are apparently getting upset about. With a title that sounds more like a Halloween special than a thrilling space opera series set in the galaxy far, far way, here comes a…
Read MoreWild Mars plane concept could seek water from high in the Red Planet’s atmosphere
The search for water on Mars could include a hunt from Red Planet skies. An early-stage vehicle, affectionately called MAGGIE, would search for water on Mars from high in the planet’s atmosphere. In fact, MAGGIE just received its first tranche of funding from NASA on the long road to getting ready for flight. While there’s no timeline yet for the craft’s first flight, another flying vehicle on Mars continues to exceed and excel. The Ingenuity helicopter on the Red Planet, originally built for a mere five flights, is well past…
Read MoreWorld-renowned spaceflight museum set for renovation at Cosmosphere
The home of a famously sunken Mercury capsule and the spacecraft that brought the Apollo 13 crew back to Earth is getting an upgrade. The Cosmosphere, a world-class space museum located in Hutchinson, Kansas, announced this week that it is ready to continue with the redesign and renovation of its Hall of Space, a series of galleries that together allows visitors to step back through the history of space exploration by way of an extensive artifact collection. “We have done about a third of the museum, so starting with the…
Read MoreFire! NASA kicks off Artemis moon program’s 2024 with big engine test (video)
As NASA battles delays in its Artemis moon program, testing on its hardware continues at a rapid pace. NASA engineers fired up an engine for the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, a future version of the type that will help launch astronauts toward the moon as soon as 2025. The test on Wednesday (Jan. 17) successfully fired the RS-25 engine for nearly as long as a typical launch, which would be 8.5 minutes. Under scrutiny is the venerable RS-25 engine type, with heritage that dates from the space shuttle program.…
Read MoreGoodbye sun: What it’s like to experience the polar night along Norway’s rugged coastline
Anyone who has ventured to the far north or south during winter will have experienced the surreal phenomenon of the “polar night,” during which the sun doesn’t rise. Most people who have encountered the polar night will have done so in the Northern Hemisphere in either Norway, parts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Finland, Russia or Sweden. The only landmass in the Southern Hemisphere to welcome the polar night is Antarctica. Lucky for me, I got my first true taste of the polar night while on an Astronomy Voyage along…
Read MoreNASA to Observe Day of Remembrance, Host Employee Safety Town Hall
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson lays a wreath at the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial during NASA’s Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) In honor of the members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery for the benefit all, the agency will host its annual Day of Remembrance Thursday, Jan. 25.…
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