NASA | J.R. Johnson

Posts Tagged ‘NASA’

Andromeda Revealed!

Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, astronomy, inspiration, JWST, NASA, science on August 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Sometimes a picture is worth much more than a thousand words:

Andromeda Galaxy Panorama Features Over 200 Million Stars

Stitching together more than 600 overlapping snapshots, the panorama serves as the largest photomosaic ever assembled from Hubble Space Telescope observations. Across its 2.5 billion pixels are a vast and vibrant assortment of 200 million stars, a mere fraction of Andromeda’s entire population. Taken in its entirety, the panorama is not only a technological or photographic achievement, it’s also a critical glimpse into the Andromeda galaxy itself.

And here’s the video version.

Andromeda revealed!

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Real Life Dune

Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, inspiration, ISS, NASA, science, space, technology, Thoughts, Writers on August 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I have a folder of interesting articles, quotes, and ideas. When the cicadas are buzzing and the temperature is too hot to think of anything particularly timely, I search that folder for stories that might interest you.

Today, this treasure trove of ideas wants you to know about a critical space station issue: water.

Water recycling is paramount for space stations and long-duration missions − an environmental engineer explains how the ISS does it

When you’re on a camping trip, you might have to pack your own food and maybe something to filter or treat water that you find. But imagine your campsite is in space, where there’s no water, and packing jugs of water would take up room when every inch of cargo space counts. That’s a key challenge engineers faced when designing the International Space Station.

Real life Dune! Ok, not really, but kind of! And this is exactly the sort of technology that can benefit the Earth-bound among us too.

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Magical Things

Posted in Entertainment, Other, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, cool facts, creativity, Indiana Jones, inspiration, NASA, Thoughts on August 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I enjoy the fact that there is always something new to learn. Some things are big, like the latest on asteroid deflection from NASA’s DART program, and some are small, like the fact that Dan Aykroyd had a cameo in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. (Did you know that? I didn’t, until last night when I did a double take and said, “Wait, the guy with the mustache and the British accent. Was that Dan Aykroyd?” It was!)

Of global importance or not, these facts are all interesting reminders that there is always something new around the corner, if you keep looking.

And that, I think, is magic.

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Tomorrow, in Space

Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, #InquiringMinds, astronauts, NASA, space on February 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Ever wondered what it’s really like to be an astronaut? Do you wish you could ask someone all those burning space questions you’ve got in the back of your mind (and who doesn’t)?

Tomorrow is your lucky day!

Astronauts Are Streaming Live on Twitch—and You Can Talk to Them

This Wednesday evening, you’ll be able to join two astronauts—one of whom is in space right now—on a live stream from space and ask them questions about what it’s like to live and work on the ISS.

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You can ask your very own question if you remember to tune in on Wednesday, February 12, at 11:45 a.m. EST (8:45 a.m. PST) on NASA’s Twitch channel.

I’m posting this now to give you time to prepare your best questions and to stock up on snacks like freeze dried ice cream, the weirdly addictive treat I’ve loved since childhood.

For fun, here’s an article on space food, even more on space food, and a sample menu from the International Space Station:

*Why do typos matter? Ask the “cried apples”! Also, I am hungry now.*

Apparently I’m interested in space food😉 No matter what space stuff you’re into, you’ve got a chance to ask about it tomorrow!

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*Not an astronaut, but fun all the same. Photo by Iván Díaz on Unsplash*

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A Brief Explainer, or What’s That Up in the Sky?

Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, NASA, space on February 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

What’s the Difference Between Asteroids, Comets and Meteors? We Asked a NASA Scientist

So, what’s the difference between asteroids, comets, and meteors? Well, asteroids are rocky, comets are icy, and meteors are much smaller and are the shooting stars that you see up in the sky.

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Art Is Inevitable

Posted in Other, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, art, creativity, inspiration, NASA, space on January 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

A NASA astronaut may have just taken the best photo from space—ever

Check out the article for the specific photo, but this is from the same series:

For more of Astro Don’s imagery, see his photos at the Portraits of a Planet exhibit, his book Spaceborne, or find him on social media.

“Art is an inevitable consequence of being human – even in space.”

— Donald R. Pettit

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Advent in Spaaaaaaaace!

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, advent, NASA, photography, space, space magic, Thoughts on December 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Today, a public service announcement: The Atlantic is doing a special advent calendar, in spaaaaaaace!

I mean, technically everything we humans do is “in space” because Earth is in space, but this is a little different:

2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar – The Atlantic

…the 17th annual Space Telescope Advent Calendar, featuring remarkable images from both NASA’s Hubble telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. Every day until Wednesday, December 25, this page will present a new, incredible image of our universe from one of these two telescopes. Be sure to come back every day until Christmas…

Enjoy!

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*Us, in space. Photo by NASA on Unsplash*

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A Poem on the Occasion of the Year’s Last Supermoon

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, NASA, poetry, supermoon on November 16, 2024| 1 Comment »

This weekend marks the final supermoon in what has been a months-long fall cycle of supermoons. If you have a chance to look up, you can see the moon’s super hurrah for the year before its orbit takes it farther away from us.

Here’s NASA’s quick explanation for the supermoon, when the moon is closest to us, and its inverse, the micromoon.

The next full supermoon will be on November 5, 2025. Until then, a micropoem.

Night’s shadows await

the Moon’s sly smile, waxing bright

as She steals the stars.

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Hey September, What’s Up?

Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, astronomy, inspiration, NASA, science on September 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

If you’re the sort of person who enjoys looking up, you might like this list of September skywatching tips from NASA.

What’s on the roster? Another supermoon, a partial lunar eclipse, Saturn doing its ring thing, and something called International Observe the Moon Night, plus more more more.

Check out the article or watch the video here: