Pat Rawlings was thinking about next week’s eclipse nearly 30 years ago.Rawlings has spent more than three decades as a space illustrator, creating in the cosmos, from to . While preparing for a trip from his home in Texas to Idaho, where he’ll observe Monday’s eclipse with other space artists in the International Association of Astronomical Artists, he remembered a painting he’d made years ago for this very occasion. In 1989, Rawlings was working on illustrations for a collection of children’s science books by the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. Using acrylics, he painted a view of a...…Pat Rawlings was thinking about next week’s eclipse nearly 30 years ago.Rawlings has spent more than three decades as a space illustrator, creating in the cosmos, from to . While preparing for a trip from his home in Texas to Idaho, where he’ll observe Monday’s eclipse with other space artists in the International Association of Astronomical Artists, he remembered a painting he’d made years ago for this very occasion. In 1989, Rawlings was working on illustrations for a collection of children’s science books by the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. Using acrylics, he painted a view of a...WW…

The mission had gone smoothly from start to finish. “Thanks for flying SpaceX,” an engineer as the spaceship splashed back down to Earth, prompting laughs in the mission-control room. SpaceX’s passengers, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, were experienced spacefarers, trained and employed by NASA, but they were the private company had launched into orbit. The line was heavy with relief—we did it; we brought these astronauts home—and hope, the feeling of a long-distant goal coming into view. This could be the first of many flights, not just for astronauts, but for regular folks too.Less than a...…The mission had gone smoothly from start to finish. “Thanks for flying SpaceX,” an engineer as the spaceship splashed back down to Earth, prompting laughs in the mission-control room. SpaceX’s passengers, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, were experienced spacefarers, trained and employed by NASA, but they were the private company had launched into orbit. The line was heavy with relief—we did it; we brought these astronauts home—and hope, the feeling of a long-distant goal coming into view. This could be the first of many flights, not just for astronauts, but for regular folks too.Less than a...WW…

In December of 1995, astronomers around the world were vying for a chance to use the hottest new tool in astronomy: the Hubble space telescope. Bob Williams didn’t have to worry about all that. As the director of the institution that managed Hubble, Williams could use the telescope to observe whatever he wanted. And he decided to point it at nothing in particular.Williams’s colleagues told him, as politely as they could, that this was an awful idea. But Williams had a hunch that Hubble would see something worthwhile. The telescope had the glow of faraway galaxies, and the longer Hubble...…In December of 1995, astronomers around the world were vying for a chance to use the hottest new tool in astronomy: the Hubble space telescope. Bob Williams didn’t have to worry about all that. As the director of the institution that managed Hubble, Williams could use the telescope to observe whatever he wanted. And he decided to point it at nothing in particular.Williams’s colleagues told him, as politely as they could, that this was an awful idea. But Williams had a hunch that Hubble would see something worthwhile. The telescope had the glow of faraway galaxies, and the longer Hubble...WW…

Buzz Aldrin remembers feeling “buoyant” and “full of goose pimples” when he stepped onto the moon in 1969, becoming to touch the surface of another world. The view was magnificent.The first thing he did was examine the ground beneath his boots. “I immediately looked down at my feet and became intrigued with the peculiar properties of the lunar dust,” the Apollo astronaut recalled in . “If one kicks sand on a beach, it scatters in numerous directions with some grains traveling farther than others. On the moon the dust travels exactly and precisely as it goes in various directions, and every...…Buzz Aldrin remembers feeling “buoyant” and “full of goose pimples” when he stepped onto the moon in 1969, becoming to touch the surface of another world. The view was magnificent.The first thing he did was examine the ground beneath his boots. “I immediately looked down at my feet and became intrigued with the peculiar properties of the lunar dust,” the Apollo astronaut recalled in . “If one kicks sand on a beach, it scatters in numerous directions with some grains traveling farther than others. On the moon the dust travels exactly and precisely as it goes in various directions, and every...WW…

American presidents, when they talk about the country’s space program, often reach for grandiose terms. John F. Kennedy of setting sail on a new sea, and Lyndon B. Johnson of “space pioneers” for a “glorious New World.” George H. W. Bush space missions to Christopher Columbus’s voyage across the Atlantic, and George W. Bush harkened back of Lewis and Clark. and Barack Obama of exploring the next frontier.Donald Trump, too, has picked up this theme of American expansionism, and pushed it even further. “In reaffirming our heritage as a free nation, we must remember that America has always...…American presidents, when they talk about the country’s space program, often reach for grandiose terms. John F. Kennedy of setting sail on a new sea, and Lyndon B. Johnson of “space pioneers” for a “glorious New World.” George H. W. Bush space missions to Christopher Columbus’s voyage across the Atlantic, and George W. Bush harkened back of Lewis and Clark. and Barack Obama of exploring the next frontier.Donald Trump, too, has picked up this theme of American expansionism, and pushed it even further. “In reaffirming our heritage as a free nation, we must remember that America has always...WW…

For about four days, the radio waves would arrive at random. Then, for the next 12, nothing.Then, another four days of haphazard pulses. Followed by another 12 days of silence.The pattern—the well-defined swings from frenzy to stillness and back again—persisted like clockwork for more than a year.Dongzi Li, a doctoral student at the University of Toronto, started tracking these signals in 2019. She works on a Canadian-led project, CHIME, that studies astrophysical phenomena called “fast radio bursts.” These invisible flashes, known as FRBs for short, reach Earth from all directions in...…For about four days, the radio waves would arrive at random. Then, for the next 12, nothing.Then, another four days of haphazard pulses. Followed by another 12 days of silence.The pattern—the well-defined swings from frenzy to stillness and back again—persisted like clockwork for more than a year.Dongzi Li, a doctoral student at the University of Toronto, started tracking these signals in 2019. She works on a Canadian-led project, CHIME, that studies astrophysical phenomena called “fast radio bursts.” These invisible flashes, known as FRBs for short, reach Earth from all directions in...WW…

Updated on April 3 at 6:37 p.m. ETNews of a reported shooting at the YouTube offices in California unfolded in real time on social media Tuesday as employees live-tweeted what was happening.Vadim Lavrusik, a product manager at YouTube, was one of the first people to report the shooting at the company’s headquarters in San Bruno, tweeting at about 1 p.m. local time: Active shooter at YouTube HQ. Heard shots and saw people running while at my desk. Now barricaded inside a room with coworkers. — Vadim Lavrusik (@Lavrusik) San Bruno police responded to the shooting and advised people to stay...…Updated on April 3 at 6:37 p.m. ETNews of a reported shooting at the YouTube offices in California unfolded in real time on social media Tuesday as employees live-tweeted what was happening.Vadim Lavrusik, a product manager at YouTube, was one of the first people to report the shooting at the company’s headquarters in San Bruno, tweeting at about 1 p.m. local time: Active shooter at YouTube HQ. Heard shots and saw people running while at my desk. Now barricaded inside a room with coworkers. — Vadim Lavrusik (@Lavrusik) San Bruno police responded to the shooting and advised people to stay...WW…

NASA’s new space telescope has had a rough go. Name a problem, and this telescope—meant to be the most powerful of its kind, a worthy successor to the famous Hubble— : poor management, technical errors, budget overruns, schedule delays, and a pandemic. So, naturally, the people responsible for the telescope’s safety are now thinking about pirates.Yes, pirates.The topic came up about NASA’s James Webb space telescope, named for a former administrator of the space agency. Later this year, the telescope will travel by ship to a launch site in South America, passing through the Panama Canal to...…NASA’s new space telescope has had a rough go. Name a problem, and this telescope—meant to be the most powerful of its kind, a worthy successor to the famous Hubble— : poor management, technical errors, budget overruns, schedule delays, and a pandemic. So, naturally, the people responsible for the telescope’s safety are now thinking about pirates.Yes, pirates.The topic came up about NASA’s James Webb space telescope, named for a former administrator of the space agency. Later this year, the telescope will travel by ship to a launch site in South America, passing through the Panama Canal to...WW…

Last year, Krzysztof Stanek got a letter from one of his neighbors. The neighbor wanted to build a shed two feet taller than local regulations allowed, and the city required him to notify nearby residents. Neighbors, the notice said, could object to the construction. No one did, and the shed went up.Stanek, an astronomer at Ohio State University, told me this story not because he thinks other people will care about the specific construction codes of Columbus, Ohio, but rather because it reminds him of the network of satellites SpaceX is building in the space around Earth.“Somebody puts up a...…Last year, Krzysztof Stanek got a letter from one of his neighbors. The neighbor wanted to build a shed two feet taller than local regulations allowed, and the city required him to notify nearby residents. Neighbors, the notice said, could object to the construction. No one did, and the shed went up.Stanek, an astronomer at Ohio State University, told me this story not because he thinks other people will care about the specific construction codes of Columbus, Ohio, but rather because it reminds him of the network of satellites SpaceX is building in the space around Earth.“Somebody puts up a...WW…