Perspective

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day appears to depict a near miss between an infalling meteor and Messier 33. Even more interesting is what is happening to the trail of that meteor along it's trail!

Hidden Treasures of the Magellanic

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows us stretches of the Lesser Magellanic Cloud as sculpted by interstellar winds, dust and energetic photons.

The Iron World

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short video showing the color-enhanced full globe of our innermost planet: Mercury, as imaged by the MESSENGER vehicle after it's very successful mission.

Computer, Enhance!

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings a sense of context to the recent images of the area around the black hole in Messier 87.

Southern Reaches

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day takes a wide look at a rich field: Across the southern sky, from the bejeweled Southern Cross to the enigmatic Eta Carinae.

Panning Across the Lagoon

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us a Pan-STARRS view of the Lagoon Nebula, Messier 8, in the constellation of Sagittarius. Peering towards the galactic center, this region (well suited for Spring and Summer viewing in the Northern Hemisphere) is a wonderful place just to roam around in: there are endless wonders here.

Learning by Gaming

Over at War on the Rocks, two articles by James Lacey. In the first, a discussion about using wargames in the classroom and how it helps to teach history and more. In the second, military officers use a line of game titles dealing with near future conflicts to practice decision making.

Crab, Spider, Or?

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the Southern Crab Nebula in the constellation of Centaurus. As much as I squint, I'm seeing less a crab than a spider. Maybe a face hugger?

Comet and Radiant

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us the night skies of La Palma. The Quadrantid meteor shower fans out from a central point and a careful look will discern Comet 46P Wirtanen as well.

The Cows of Barsoom

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short video that shows a martian mystery. Is there methane being produced on Mars? Or not? If there is...what causes it? Some sort of underground chemistry? Hidden reserves of life in a warm cave? Martian...cows?

Northern Spirals

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows auroral activity in the skies of Iceland. I've been lucky enough to see spirals and curtains exactly once in my mid-latitude skies. Even washed out as they were due to light pollution it was one of the most astounding things I've ever seen.

Flame On!

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us the business end of twenty-seven Merlin rocket engines on the Heavy Falcon vehicle.

Mirrormere

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the northern spring sky, featuring the Milky Way. The stars are reflected below in the still waters of a lake.

Trio

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the Leo Triplet, Messier 65 and 66 plus NGC 3628 in the constellation of Leo Major.

Northern Spiral

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Messier 81 (NGC 3031 or Bode's Galaxy), a bright spiral galaxy found in the northern hemisphere constellation of Ursa Major. Messier 81 made headlines recently, when an image was produced of the area around the black hole at the center of the galaxy.

Airbrushed Universe

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us rich textures and deep colors in nebula complexes found in the constellation of Monoceros.

Owen Garriott

Reports are coming in that Owen Garriott, member of the crew of Skylab 3, has passed away. Skylab was one of my favorite missions growing up; Apollo took us to the Moon (but we were really only getting started there when it was pulled away), Skylab started us on the path of living in space.

Good journey, starfarer.

Gene Wolfe

Just as I am starting a re-read of The Book of the New Sun comes the news that Gene Wolfe has passed away. My first Gene Wolfe story was Trip, Trap, which appeared in Orbit 2, an annual anthology from Damon Knight that my local library acquired upon publication each year (Orbit and the various Hugo and Nebula anthologies were most of my new short story reading for years until I could afford to start buying magazines).

Thank you, Gene, for many years of interesting reading. You've never read Gene Wolfe? Here's some advice on how to start.

With his passing, that leaves one author alive that I can say I have read for most of my life. This century is really starting to stink.

Jovian Porpoise

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a enhanced image from the Juno Orbiter (which has been returning astounding pictures of Jupiter) showing the cloud formation which resembles a earthly porpoise. Click on the image in the link and zoom in there and elsewhere. Jaw-dropping stuff!

Holes in Collison

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short video simulating what happens when two black holes merge. (Which is a nice way of saying...collide...)

The Dark Among the Stars

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows one of our close neighbors, Rigel Kentaurus and the dark nebula complex Sandqvist 169.

Spring Rose

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us an image of NGC 2237, The Rosette Nebula, in the constellation of Monoceros.

Beyond the Blue Event Horizon

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us to the edge of something I never thought we'd see (without traveling there): radio telescopes on Earth combined in order to image the shadows around a black hole (found in Messier 87).

Crossing

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short video showing Phobos crossing the face of the Sun (causing a partial eclipse on Mars). The event was observed by Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity in Gale Crater.

Maybe some day an explorer on Mars will sit down to watch this!

Saucer Over the Moon

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Saturn as it approaches the limb (edge) of our Moon, to be occulted (hidden), to appear some hours later. Lovely banding on Saturn and distinct colors and gaps in the rings, plus beautiful and subtle color on the Moon.

Sky Painting

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us the skies of Norway, where auroral activity combines with an experiment released by sounding rockets to paint the sky.

In the Presence of the Scorpion

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us the plane of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, in the region of the constellation of the Scorpion. "Mouseover" the image in the link for a constellation diagram.

Outpost in Space

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows four views of the International Space Station as captured by a "amateur" on the ground. The ISS is one of the easiest things that you can observe, you can sign up for e-mail or text alerts as to when it can be seen from your location and viewing can reward you with changes in brightness and color. I've even been lucky enough (on several occasions) to catch glimpses of arriving or departing shuttles (when they were flying) or cargo vehicles!

Across the Universe

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System) image of the skies above Mount Haleakala on the island of Maui. Great Sky River, indeed.

Dense Globular

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a Hubble Space Telescope peek at Messier 2, a globular cluster in the constellation of Aquarius. Even in a small telescope (especially a refractor), globular clusters are a wonder to behold, like spilled sugar or diamonds on a black background.

A Horse of a Different Color

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a familiar (if elusive) part of the Orion constellation: the so-called Horsehead Nebula in a new light.

Across the Bright Face

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the International Space Station crossing the bright face of our Moon. Maybe someday we'll day another station in orbit around the Moon, and Lunar Cyclers traversing the distance between our planet and our moon.

Field Drills

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Apollo 15 Astronaut David Scott working to emplace a drill to measure the interior temperature of the Moon while exploring the region of the Hadley Mountain Delta (see the text in the link for the "holiday"-related version).