We’re heading into the end of the week and I don’t know about you, but I’m usually looking at my to do lists and wondering where the time has gone. (Also? I’m now convinced that meetings exist primarily to spawn more meetings.)
So, fine, maybe I haven’t accomplished everything I wanted to, but it’s not like I haven’t earned a little time for fun.
An extra bit of fun: And if you’ve always wondered how quickly you’d react to a lightsaber in the dark, or a TIE fighter arrowing out from behind a canyon wall, maybe you should try testing your Reaction Time. (That big blue bar at the top? Click that:)
This Earth Day, NASA is sharing how — by building on decades of innovation—we use the unique vantage point of space to observe and understand our dynamic planet in ways that we cannot from the ground.
We’re coming up on Easter weekend, which often means sugar-crazed energy spikes, loud family gatherings, and other high-energy experiences. If you happen to be an introvert, or just need a break with a bit of science in it, try going outside at night and doing a little meteor spotting.
“You’re not going to see meteors from downtown Manhattan or Central Park,” Cooke said. “You need to find the darkest sky you can, you need to lay flat on your back and look away from the moon.”
Give yourself 30 to 45 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, Cooke said — and from there, simply enjoy the show.
And if you’re watching the sky this weekend, you may see the Lyrids overlap with another meteor shower, the Eta Aquariids, which is a thing I just learned about. For more on meteors and their schedules, visit the Meteor Shower Calendar from the American Meteor Society.
So lay back, relax, and wave hello to these visitors from outer space.
Observations by the James Webb space telescope of a planet called K2-18 b appear to reveal the chemical fingerprints of two compounds that, on Earth, are only known to be produced by life.
Is it life? Maybe yes, maybe no, but either way? It’s progress. Very cool progress!
Now that Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on the planet after an unexpectedly long stint at the office (in space! because they’re astronauts!), we’re left with some important questions.
Like, what changes when you’re in space, physically speaking? How challenging is it when you come back to earth? How long does it take to adjust? And what exactly happens in their “comprehensive reconditioning process”?
“I was like, laying in bed. I had to go to the bathroom and I just started pushing off my back thinking, ‘I’m going to float to the bathroom.’ And the light was out and I’m pushing up and I roll out of bed,” he says.
Inquiring minds want to know! (Short answer? Yes!)
There are certain upsides, physical…
The impacts of being in space, especially for long periods of time, on the body are still being studied. During a study conducted on astronaut twins Mark and Scott Kelly, researchers found that while Scott was on the ISS, he temporarily became two inches taller.
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)?
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.
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.
What do Saturn, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars all have in common? They’re all currently in alignment, at least from our Earthly perspective.
Venus, Saturn and Neptune will be bunched together low in the southwestern sky, while Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will glow higher in the southern sky.
One trick for finding the planets is to look for how they shine. Stars appear to twinkle while planets do not, making it easier to pick out planets in a star-studded sky.
Weather and light pollution permitting, four of these planets will be visible to the naked eye. Pretty cool!
J.R. Johnson 
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