2020 March 4 The Slow Dance of Galaxies NGC 5394 and 5395 Image Credit: Gemini, NSF, OIR Lab, AURA; Text: Ryan Tanner (NASA/USRA) Explanation: If you like slow dances, then this may be one for you. A single turn in this dance takes several hundred million years. Two galaxies, NGC 5394 and NGC 5395, […]
2020 March 3 Apollo 13 Views of the Moon Video Credit: NASA, LRO; Data Visualization: Ernie Wright (USRA); Video Production & Editing: David Ladd (USRA); Music: Visions of Grandeur, Universal Production Music, Fredrick Wiedmann Explanation: What if the only way to get back to Earth was to go aro
2020 March 2 Sharpless-308: The Dolphin Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Chilesope 2, Pleaides Astrophotography Team (Peking U.) Explanation: Blown by fast winds from a hot, massive star, this cosmic bubble is much larger than the dolphin it appears to be. Cataloged as Sharpless 2-308 it lies so
2020 March 1 A Hole in Mars Image Credit: NASA, JPL, U. Arizona Explanation: What created this unusual hole in Mars? The hole was discovered by chance in 2011 on images of the dusty slopes of Mars’ Pavonis Mons volcano taken by the HiRISE instrument aboard the robotic Mars Reconnaissance Orbit
2020 February 29 Julius Caesar and Leap Days Image Credit & License: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., Wikimedia Explanation: In 46 BC Julius Caesar reformed the calendar system. Based on advice by astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria, the Julian calendar included one leap day every four years to
2020 February 28 South Celestial Rocket Launch Image Credit & Copyright: Brendan Gully Explanation: At sunset on December 6 a Rocket Lab Electron rocket was launched from a rotating planet. With multiple small satellites on board it departed on a mission to low Earth orbit dubbed Running Out of
2020 February 27 Two Hemisphere Night Sky Image Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek/ESO, Juan Carlos Casado/IAC (TWAN) Explanation: The Sun is hidden by a horizon that runs across the middle in this two hemisphere view of Earth’s night sky. The digitally stitched mosaics were recorded from co
2020 February 26 NGST-10b: Discovery of a Doomed Planet Illustration Credit: ESA, C. Carreau; Text: Alex R. Howe (NASA/USRA, Science Meets Fiction Blog) Explanation: This hot jupiter is doomed. Hot jupiters are giant planets like Jupiter that orbit much closer to their parent stars than Mercury does
2020 February 25 Jupiter’s Magnetic Field from Juno Video Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Harvard U., K. Moore et al. Explanation: How similar is Jupiter’s magnetic field to Earth’s? NASA’s robotic Juno spacecraft has found that Jupiter’s magnetic field is surprisingly compl
2020 February 24 Moon Corona, Halo, and Arcs over Manitoba Image Credit & Copyright: Brent Mckean Explanation: Yes, but could you get to work on time if the Moon looked like this? As the photographer was preparing to drive to work, refraction, reflection, and even diffraction of moonlight from m
