When we study the universe, we see a mystery. 85% of the matter that should be there is simply missing. Dark matter is culprit. But what exactly is this stuff that doesn't interact with ordinary matter?
Shed some light on dark matter here: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/the-uns...
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Thats actually incredibly unlikely. The space between stars in a galaxy is so large that the chance that any stars or planets would actually collide is fleetingly small. And since galaxy mergers happen on such a long time scale, you wouldn't even notice anything happening.
Something similar will occur in our galaxy in about 4 to 5 billion years when the Milky Way collides with the Andromeda Galaxy. (3/3)
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The arc of red light is created by new stars forming as a result of the collision.
Galaxies are mostly empty space, so when two of them collide, there's very rarely going to be actual collisions between objects, but the interstellar gas between the stars will collide, forming new stars. (2/3)
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Two distinct galaxies are in the process of merging into one. The one on the left is mostly pale light, while the one on the right has a rich red light around it in a nearly ring-like formation.
Two galaxies collide and are born anew. This image is of Arp 107, two galaxies that have collided and are in the process of combining together. While this may sound like the end these galaxies, it's actually a new beginning. (1/3)
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It's Dark Sky Week!
Electric lighting has made life easier for us, but it also brings problems. Light pollution has taken over the world. Stargazing isn't the only thing impacted by it.
Read about light pollution in my previous article: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/the-end...
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While radio signal is the most common means of broadcast cited, fc could also be other forms of communication.
Making the Drake Equation open to these factors is one of the many ways you could tweak it to be far more optimistic. But, by doing so, you're also lowering the certainty of your estimate.
I would say that the Drake Equation could still hold for exotic forms of life. We just broaden factors like planets that can support Earth-like life to being planets that can support whatever exotic life you want to imagine.
Absolutely. Almost the entirety of our search for life beyond Earth is focused on Earth-like life. Perhaps some day we'll discover that was a mistake, and universe is teeming with life unlike anything we could imagine. But, for now, it's all we know, and therefore it's the safest bet to focus on.
Wow. That's amazing. He was a real legend, for sure. Also, got to love the irony of him being described as "down-to-Earth."
When we imagine finding life beyond Earth, we envision civilizations that we can talk to. What are the odds that there are other civilizations? That's what Frank Drake asked when he came up with the Drake Equation.
Let's solve it together: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/let-s-s...
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My pleasure!
Artemis II may not have landed on the Moon, but they peered from the Moon towards Earth. It's a perspective that only a select few people have ever had first-hand. (3/3)
To see more of my favorite Artemis II images, check out my special editorial: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/the-bes...
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Given that the same side of the Moon always faces the Earth, the Earth will always be in the same spot in the Moon's sky. It does not set.
But when orbiting the Moon, it's a different story. As Artemis II slipped behind the Moon, the Earth was gradually hidden from sight. (2/3)
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A view of the Earth lowering behind the horizon of the Moon from a perspective above the Moon's surface. An Earthset.
Artemis II is set to return to Earth in just a few hours. To celebrate, let's take a look at my favorite image taken during the mission.
This image captures an Earthset, the Earth setting behind the Moon's horizon. Technically, there's actually no such thing as an Earthset. (1/3)
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Artemis II has officially broken the record for farthest humans from Earth set by Apollo 13. But Apollo 13 was never meant to travel as far as it did. It got its record due to a near-disaster.
Learn more about Apollo 13 in my new article: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/houston...
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That's why I used the wording "pointed in the direction" and "technically in the picture" rather than just saying everyone is in it. The camera is indeed pointing at everyone. Even people on the opposite side of the Earth are still within the camera's frame, even if they'd be blocked.
It is said that every single person alive at the time, except Collins, had the camera pointed at them. If you were born before July 1969, you're technically in the photo.
At this moment, Collins was the farthest person away from Earth. (2/2)
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Credit: NASA, Apollo 11; Restoration: Toby Ord
The Moon from above. The Earth can be seen as a small blue half-circle above the Moon's horizon. Apollo 11's lunar module floats above the Moon's surface.
With Artemis II on its way to the Moon, let's remember the first time humans landed there.
This photo was taken by Michael Collins of Apollo 11 in the command module as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were returning in the lunar module at the end of their mission. (1/2)
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If you want to learn even more, in addition to my article about the mission and timeline, I also previously wrote an article with an overview of the entire Artemis Program.
www.amidthestarstours.com/post/we-chos...
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We're less than T-minus three hours to launch of the Artemis II. 6:24 PM EDT is when the launch window opens. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the mission of Artemis II and it's timeline of events, I wrote an article two months ago breaking the mission down.
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Thanks for pointing that out. To be honest, most of this article was recycled from something I wrote four years ago, so I don't remember why I used the distance I did for a football field. Googling it now, I see the width is 160 feet. I likely got the width and length mixed up. I'll make the fix.
Don't have time to do the conversions right now, but I'll consider it for the future.
Sorry, I write primarily for a casual American audience, so I got to cater to what they understand.
To say the universe is massive is an understatement. The human mind simply can't fathom the true size of the universe. So, to really understand it, you need to use a scale model.
In my article, I construct and discuss such a scale model. www.amidthestarstours.com/post/how-big...
#Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️
The center is brightest, as that's where the most stars form.
Also present in the glowing gas clouds are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carbon molecules that might be a starting material for life. (3/3)
Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy
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Galaxies start off filled with hydrogen gas clouds that will eventually collapse down into stars. The young stars heats the remaining gas around it, allowing for those regions to glow brightly when viewed by the James Webb Space Telescope's infrared camera. (2/3)
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A spiral galaxy seen close up and head on. The galaxy glows with knots and webs of red, orange, and yellow, and is brighter closer to the center.
A galaxy ablaze with star formation. NGC 2283 is barred spiral galaxy about 45 million light-years away from Earth. The dense knots of brightly glowing gas is the result of active star formation. (1/3)
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Today NASA announced SR-1 Freedom, a first of its kind Mars mission using groundbreaking tech. How does Mars travel work? Is Freedom what we need to get humans to Mars?
Read about Freedom and what a trip to Mars entails in my newest article: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/the-fre...
#Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️
Ultraviolet light is largely blocked by Earth's atmosphere, so the best way to see and study Saturn's aurorae is with space telescopes. (3/3)
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, A. Simon (GSFC) and the OPAL Team, J. DePasquale (STScI), L. Lamy (Observatoire de Paris)
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