Structure

More hints about the structure of our "local" universe has come to light: a vast empty area that seems to exert a repelling force on the Local Group. Toss in the Shapely Concentration and the Great Attractor and you have the makings of a Olaf Stapledon, E.E. "Doc" Smith or Peter F. Hamilton space opera!

Eclipse

During the last USA-wide total (and partial, depending on your location) solar eclipse, I remember reading articles about the next USA-wide total (and partial) solar eclipse in 2017. The far future!

How did I get here so fast?

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the path of totality (and historical cloud cover) for the 2017 solar eclipse.

Cosmic Marble

Hey, remember marbles? Remember trading them? Remember which ones were considered valuable? Nah, me neither. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is NGC 6543, The Cat's Eye Nebula.

Huddle Around the Valve

And, we're back! Join me, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson as we attempt to drain money from your wallet! Episode 40 is up!

Galactic Australis

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day features galactic and extra-galactic wonders plus the Aurora Australis. "Mouseover" the image in the link for a guide!

Southern Wonders

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day showcases one of the wonders found in the skies of the southern hemisphere: N159, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (one of the satellite galaxies to our own Milky Way).

Many Universes

Stars multiply across water drops in today's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

New Views

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows one of the first images from the new GOES-16 satellite.

More Like Grand Slam Finale

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the final stages of the Cassini Orbiter's Grand Tour at Saturn. The initial Grand Tour was extended several times into the Extended Cruise and looking at those final orbits: stay seated, as it's going to be scary.

Dusty Reflections

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows reflection nebula in the nebula complex of Orion.

Gaming the Sky

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the Winter Hexagon over the skies of Maula Reservoir. "Mouseover" the image (in the link) for a constellation guide.

Pillar in the Sky

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the trail of a Falcon X vehicle on the way to orbit. Like a pillar of fire into the sky.

100

100 years ago Arthur C. Clarke was born.

Keeper of the Gap

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Saturn's tiny shepherd moon Daphnis as imaged by the hard-working Cassini orbiter. As the mission winds down, NASA and JPL are taking a few chances.

Buckle up for the ride.

End of Day

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the setting Sun...distorted and in layers.

Talk, Talk, So Much Talk

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us to the trunk of the elephant.

So much talk.

Touching History

The last of the Apollo astronauts to walk on the Moon (hopefully, not the last person ever) has passed away.

Dark Planet

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the night skies over the Earth...from over the Earth. "Mouseover" the image (in the link) of the International Space Station to get a guide to what you are seeing.

Writing at the Speed of Pulp

Could you write a novel in three days? He did it once, but I'm pretty sure even Michael Moorcock has slowed down since those days.

Pushing the Moon

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day has the Moon getting a boost.

Synchronization

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short video showing satellites in geosynchronous orbit moving through the constellation of Orion.

Close to Tears...

Was Clarke disappointed with the film of 2001: A Space Odyssey? This recollection probably (well, yes definitely) should be taken with some grains of salt. We no longer can ask Kubrick or Clarke for their recollections, but this contradicts the thousands of words written by them, or others involved with the production, or covering the production.

Update: A different posting of the same article throws a different light in emphasis.

Starburst Memories

Bullet

A combined Hubble–Chandra–Magellan image of the Bullet Cluster (1E 0657–558) is today's Astronomy Picture of the Day. What is the explanation for gravitational lensing? Dark matter? Modified gravity?

Jumping Motes

First imaged by some of the Surveyor landers in the 1960's, have we solved the mystery of the migrating moon dust?

World-Builders

Science Fiction and Fantasy author David Weber talks about the worldbuilding work of several authors. Some great stuff here (like Barbara Hambly).

Stardust Molecules

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us NGC 1333 and associated nebula. Stars, dust and complex molecules combine to bring a thing of wonder.

Into the Deeps

A look at our deep-space efforts.

Lift

A chart showing current (and a few proposed) lift vehicles.

Classic

Cover art for a 1966 Revell model of Gemini IV and a spacewalking Ed White. That was a great kit!

Hitting Atmo

Our atmosphere is one strange place. Light pillars! Sprites!

A Kind of Fish

L.A. Gilman on The World According to Garp. Have you ever wanted to throw a book across the room?

Faux Giraud

I did not know there was such a market of fake work by Jean Giraud (Moebius), there there it is.

Conjunctions

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day gives us four planets and one Moon in one view. Mars (which was in conjunction with Venus, also visible in the shot) gives you a good chance of "star-hopping" over to Neptune!

COINage

An interesting look at a game series that has caught my eye: The COIN series from GMT Games.

(The image above is more than COIN, but you get an idea of where my buying habits have been the past two years!)

Dusty Edges

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows NGC 891 in the constellation of Andromeda (home of Messier 31). Seen edge-on, the more familiar spiral shape you see in Messier 31 is changed to a view of the stars and obscuring dust clouds embedded in the spiral.

Insert Obligatory Star Wars Reference Here

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day comes courtesy of the long-running Cassini orbiter, now in the final stages of the mission. Saturn's moon Mimas displays crater Herschel with a very visible large central peak. Death Star, anyone?

Downtown Mars

And a busy day on Mars as well, also thanks to Robert McCall.

Rendezvous

A busy day in Earth orbit, courtesy of Robert McCall.

Depot

An orbital fuel depot (artist uncredited, alas).

Drifting

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a frozen landscape and auroral skies in Finnish Lapland. Surreal!

Active Regions

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us a Hubble Space Telescope view of the center of NGC 5033, an active galaxy in the constellation of Canes Venatici.

Squaring the Circle

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows IC 4406, a planetary nebula in the constellation of Lupus. Square? Sphere? Cigar? What shape do you see?

Deep Sea Fishing

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows IC 443, a supernova remnant in Gemini. Astounding image!

One Moon, Two Planets

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a crescent Moon and a crescent planet rising in the skies of another planet.

Tight Cluster

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows UGC 1810, or, entry 273 of Halton Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.

All the Colors of the Rainbow

Fractal-ing

I continue to come across articles on fractals now and again. Interesting to see how something I first came across in a science fiction novel continues to amaze me.

Subtle

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the nebula and star clouds in and around Messier 31, the Andromeda Galaxy. It's amazing what an "amateur"can do!

Private Space

Via The Planetary Society, a write-up about a private effort, Axiom Space LLC, to (first) attach a module to the International Space Station and then (second) become a private free-flying space station. Will they succeed? Fingers crossed!

Battered

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a close-up brought to us by the Cassini Orbiter (now entering the final stages of a very successful mission) of Saturn's moon Pandora.