HELP NAME NASA'S MARS 2020 ROVER

Hey Space Placers!

Credit: NASA JPL

VOTE NOW to help name NASA's 2020 Mars Rover. You can vote until January 27, 2020.

This rover will join Curiosity on Mars and has the mission of  " seeking signs of habitable conditions on Mars in the ancient past, but also searching for signs of past microbial life itself. 

The mission launches in July 2020. 

Mars will become brighter in our skies this year peaking in October when it is closest to planet Earth.

Be part of the journey, vote now.

Sky Guy in VA

OLDEST MATERIAL KNOWN ON EARTH FOUND IN SPACE ROCK

Hey Space Placers!

Q: What is the oldest known material on planet Earth?

A: SEVEN BILLION YEAR OLD STARDUST FOUND IN A METEORITE!

Scanning electron microscope image of one of the clumps of presolar grains, or stardust. Image via Janaína N. Ávila/ EurekAlert!.
Credit: EarthSky.org

Well, this is quite THE STORY if you are into all things space.

Read about the discovery made this month in a meteorite that fell in Australia in Sept. 1969.

I own two pieces of Murchison which in all probability have some of this ancient stardust in them. I keep these beautiful charcoal black space rocks under a glass jar because they emit an odor that reminds me of either bourbon or cognac......no doubt caused by the complicated chemistry that exists in their interior.

Sky Guy in VA

SPACEX HAS APPARENTLY SUCCESSFUL CREW DRAGON TEST

Hey Space Placers!

Read all about Sunday's big and apparently successful inflight abort test for SpaceX's Crew Dragon.



LIGHT THOSE CANDLES!

Sky Guy in VA

HOT EARTH

Hey Space Placers!

Not good news for the planet or us.




Visit NASA Climate Change for more information and data.

Sky Guy in VA

INVISIBLE ALIENS AMONG US?

Hey Space Placers!

Here's something to contemplate:

ARE INVISIBLE ALIENS AMONG US?

With trillions of galaxies and exoplanets in the Universe alien life certainly has a probability of existence.

But the distances involved between stars is so huge - the closest star beyond our Sun is over 28 TRILLION miles away - it is a major impediment to getting from "here to there".  At least with physics as we know it.

I personally believe there has to be life other than that on Earth elsewhere in our galaxy and others.

Why, because life always finds a way to exist.

Maybe someday we will finally intercept a signal from space that can be attributed only to "First Contact" with intelligent life forms. Or the discovery of life on another planet in our own solar system - Mars, Europa, Enceladus - the most likely places for life as we know it.

Only time and our continuing space exploration efforts will tell.

Sky Guy in VA

MUST SEE STAR SIZES VIDEO

Hey Space Placers!

Get an idea as to the size of the different stars we see in the sky, from the Sun to some stellar favorites.

Pretty awesome to see......



Sky Guy in VA

MEET NASA'S NEWEST ASTRONAUTS!

Hey Space Placers!

Here are America's newest astronauts who graduated January 10, 2020 after successfully completing  two years of astronaut candidate training.

The members of the 2017 NASA Astronaut Class are (from left) Josh Kutryk, Bob Hines, Warren Hoburg, Frank Rubio, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Jasmin Moghbeli, Jessica Watkins, Jenny Sidey, Jonny Kim, Kayla Barron, Zena Cardman, and Loral O' Hara. Photo Credit: NASA

Learn more about Artemis, NASA's program to return us to the Moon to stay and then on to Mars.

Time to light some candles!!!!!

Sky Guy in VA