Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, inspiration, Mars, science, space exploration, Thoughts, Writers, writing on July 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Can you really survive on Mars? What science fiction gets wrong about off-world living | Space
Arnie said, “Get your ass to Mars”, but is it really a good idea? We asked the experts about our Martian future.
How likely is it that humanity will be able to live and thrive on Mars? Short answer, no. Longer answer? Still no! Doesn’t mean we can’t dream of new and exciting vistas in our future, though!
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Posted in Food and..., Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, food stuff, inspiration, moon stuff, summer on June 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Tonight’s full moon is the first of the summer, and is also known for marking that sweetest of seasons, strawberry harvest time.
Strawberry moon: How to see the 1st full moon of summer
The moon will not actually appear dark red like a strawberry, but it may take on a slight orange or reddish tint when it first appears above the horizon. That color shift is caused by light scattering through Earth’s atmosphere, similar to the way some sunsets appear more vivid than others.
The farm down the road has pint baskets overflowing with red berries, and later I’m going to make a red and white dessert for Canada Day.
As the moon watches from on high.
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Posted in Other, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Earth, inspiration, NASA, nature, relaxation on June 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »
A storm rolled through today and now strong winds gust through the trees, making me more than usually aware of the weather. Which is why this bit of magic caught my eye.
Hypnotic Film Transforms Satellite Data Into Stunning Film
At first glance, Water World looks more like a painting than satellite imagery. Deep teal and silver clouds swirl slowly across a darkened sky, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. But every formation seen in the film genuinely existed above Earth, recorded in remarkable detail by a weather satellite orbiting roughly 22,000 miles above the equator.
The article goes into more detail on the how and the why, or you could just put the video onscreen and let yourself chill.
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, look up!, NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day on June 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »
This week, Venus and Jupiter are in planetary conjunction, and unlike some astronomical events this one should be easy to see.
To see Venus and Jupiter together this month, you won’t need binoculars or even a telescope. Just look up after sunset and you’ll find them emerging as the sky grows dark near the western horizon.
Venus-Jupiter conjunction: Sky’s 2 brightest planets meet (includes a helpful video for orientation)
Venus and Jupiter – the sky’s 2 brightest planets – are shining together in the west after sunset. They were closest on June 8 and 9. But June overall offers your best opportunity to see them together.
Even more photos to pique your interest:
Jupiter and Venus dazzle in planetary conjunction photos. Here are our favorites | Space
Enjoy the dance!
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, look up!, micromoon, moon, science, Thoughts on May 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »
If you missed yesterday’s blue moon, don’t worry, it will still look full tonight too. And as I should also have mentioned, it’s a micromoon (the opposite of a supermoon). The moon is at apogee, or as far from us as it can get. Right now, that’s about 251,000 miles away.
Here’s a NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day showing the difference between a supermoon and a micromoon. It’s not nothing!
If you have a chance to see the (almost) full moon tonight, count yourself lucky. The next blue micromoon won’t happen until 2053.
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, moon stuff, space on May 29, 2026| 1 Comment »
Tomorrow night is the second full moon of May, which makes it a blue moon. They are rare but not very, as they happen every two or three years. The next one won’t happen until December 2028.
And this month, there’s a bonus!
Blue Moon, 4 planets to shine during the final weekend of May
People who step outside at the end of the month to catch a glimpse of the rare lunar event should also be able to spot Venus and Jupiter in the western sky about an hour after sunset. Meanwhile, early risers should be able to see Mars and Saturn in the eastern sky about an hour before daybreak.
I wanted to let you know a day ahead of time in case you, like me, like to have these things on your calendar!
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Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, space, Writers, writing on May 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Surprising Truth About What Outer Space Smells Like
Some space veterans seemed to find this scent quite pleasant. “It is hard to describe this smell; it is definitely not the olfactory equivalent of describing the palate sensations of some new food that ‘tastes like chicken.’
Yes, these are the things I find interesting about space. Not the math (with apologies to all my math teachers ever) or the physics (with apologies to all the classes I never took), but the lived experience.
When I’m thinking about a story and need to ground the reader, this sort of information is useful. What would it feel like, what would it taste like?
What would it smell like?
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Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, aliens, inspiration, science, self-reflection, writing on May 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Recently, Neil deGrasse Tyson visited Stephen Colbert to talk about aliens and his new book Take Me To Your Leader: Perspectives On Your First Alien Encounter. He discussed aliens, why you probably shouldn’t shake hands, and how they might mirror what they see of humanity.
It made me think of the story I wrote on that topic, and how I hope that humanity does more good than not. I’ve re-posted before but I like the story, so here it is again. Click through for the full piece.
You and Yours
I came from the stars to meet you. I was happy. Excited, even. First contact with your verdant world. Think of all that we could share with you.
“You” could have meant a lot of things. I started with one of the most populous. An insect.
I remember little of what it was like, a flash of light, a warm wriggle in a puddle after rain. The feel of wind in my wings.
It’s embarrassing to say this now, but I was promptly eaten.
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Posted in Other, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Artemis II, NASA, science, space exploration, Victor Glover, writing on May 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Here’s an interesting interview with astronaut and naval aviator Victor Glover, pilot for Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft.
Artemis II pilot talks about what it was really like to fly and land in Orion – Ars Technica
And when those parachutes came out, when the mains came out, it was like God himself led us down to the water. And I had a big old grin on my face. It was intense. It went from intense to pure elation.
If you are curious about what it’s like to pilot in space, the difference between a touchscreen controller and stick-and-throttle hand controllers, or the “very intense” 13 minutes and 36 seconds of reentry, read on.
I was!
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, look up!, NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day, science, Thoughts on April 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »
NASA reminded me that we have a new, if transitory, neighbor in the skies overhead. The comet PanSTARRS is making a quick visit and tonight is the closest it will come to the sun.
APOD- 2026 April 18 – PanSTARRS and Planets
This is a good weekend for northern hemisphere comet watchers to try to catch PanSTARRS an hour or so before sunrise, as the comet grows brighter approaching its perihelion on April 19. On April 26 the comet makes its closest approach to our fair planet but by then will be difficult to see in the solar glare. Good views of this comet PanSTARRS in late April and early May will be from the southern hemisphere.
If your skies are clear and dark, check it out!
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