Last week we talked about the missions we’re saying goodbye to. This week, we’re going to talk about some upcoming missions to say hello to. Some are brand new ideas, others are, uh, recycled.
It’s always sad to say goodbye, but when we send our robotic emissaries out into the cosmos, it’s just a matter of time before they shut down. Today we’re going to say goodbye to a few missions which have reached the end of their lives… But they were very good robots.
Moons orbit planets, planets orbit stars, stars orbit within galaxies. It’s orbits all the way down. But occasionally objects can receive a powerful kick that sends them on a journey, never to return.
Space is totally inhospitable. If the freezing temperatures don’t get you, the intense radiation will kill you. That’s why most space exploration is done by hardy robots. They don’t need to eat, drink or breathe, & get their energy from the Sun. Let’s hear it for the space robots.
Light pollution is big problem and it’s only getting worse. Not just near cities, but everywhere thanks to increased satellite constellations. How bad is the problem, and how can we fix it?
Some of the earliest records we do have tell us what the ancient astronomers thought about the heavens, and how they used the changing night sky in their daily lives. More with @AstronomyCast at #365DaysOfAstro
Space is a big place, with lots of galaxies, stars, planets, moons, and that means a lot of names. So how do astronomers name stuff, like comets, asteroids, exoplanets, craters?
This week we saw the incredible image of DART smashing into asteroid Dimorphous. Beyond avenging the dinosaurs, what can we learn scientifically from this and other asteroid/comet impact missions.
It’s been about 65 years since the Soviets launched the first orbital satellite into low Earth orbit: Sputnik 1. Let’s look at the impact that Sputnik had on the history of spaceflight.