In just over a week, some parts of the world will be lucky enough to see a total solar eclipse. But have you ever considered just how lucky you have to be see one in the first place? What even causes a solar eclipse? Find out here: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/day-int... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

Day into Night - What Causes a Solar Eclipse?

In some parts of the world on August 12, 2026, day will temporarily turn to night as the Moon passes in front of the Sun, blocking its light during a rare solar eclipse. Throughout history, solar ecli...

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This is a galaxy seen perfectly side-on. While this is a spiral galaxy the spiral shape can only be seen from above or below, but from the angle we see it, we can only see the side, making it look like a flat glowing line. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

Remember when TVs used to show static? The random white and black patterns was the TV displaying whatever random signals it picked up. As it turns out, about 1% of these signals originated from the Cosmic Microwave Background, the light of the Big Bang. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

The universe began with the Big Bang 14 billion years ago. But what has a beginning should also have an end. How will the universe end? Will it burn away in fire or freeze in ice? The question is more than just poetry. Read my article here: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/fire-or... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

Fire or Ice? - How Will the Universe End?

We live in a universe that is 13.8 billion years old. But how much longer does it have left? And how will the universe meet its ultimate end? We can’t yet know for sure how the universe will end, but ...

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What looks like one galaxy is actually two. The round yellowish segment is one, and the blue and red spiral around it is another. What's truly impressive is that without the foreground galaxy blocking the background, we'd never actually be able to see the background. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

We've just confirmed an exoplanet that has an atmosphere and orbits in a habitable zone, making it the most Earth-like exoplanet we've found. As it orbits a red dwarf, it sets an important precedent. Find out why LHS 1140 b is so important: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/the-mos... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

The Most Earth-Like Exoplanet - What Makes LHS 1140 b so Important?

The exoplanet LHS 1140 b was first discovered in 2017. It was immediately a planet of note because it orbited within its star’s habitable zone—just the right distance from the star to potentially supp...

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An aurora seen from space. This shot of the Aurora Australis, otherwise known as the Southern Lights, was taken from above by the International Space Station. The ISS actually orbits Earth at the same level as the uppermost portions of the aurora. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

This Friday marks the start of one of the best meteor showers of the year: the Perseids. During the shower's peak, it's possible to see over a hundred shooting stars an hour. Learn more about the Perseids and how to best view them: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/the-per... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

The Perseids - How to View the Best Meteor Shower

Nothing in stargazing quite beats the experience of spotting a shooting star. For just the briefest of moments, a bright light streaks across the sky in a dazzling display. With the Perseids Meteor Sh...

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The dazzling light of tens of thousands of stars shine in this cluster. This is M69, a globular cluster, which is a group of tens of thousands of tightly packed stars that orbits around the Milky Way, rather than being a proper part of it. It's like a satellite for a galaxy. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

Look over the western horizon just after sunset tonight and you'll see a bright light. It's Venus. The planet is often called Earth's sister planet, but with temperatures of 870°F (464°C) it's more like Earth's evil twin. Read about Venus: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/earth-s... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

Earth's Evil Twin - The Extremes of Venus

Take a look into the early evening sky any night this summer, and you’ll see a bright light over the western horizon, just above where the sun set. It looks like an incredibly bright star, but it’s ac...

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Let's celebrate the USA's 250th with what looks to be North America in space. You can even see the US portion. This is the North America Nebula, named due to its striking resemblance to the North America Continent. It is an emission nebula, a cloud of gas where stars are born. (1/2) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

Swift is our fastest space telescope and an invaluable tool. As is, it will fall from the sky before 2027. That's why tomorrow NASA will launch an unprecedented rescue mission to save Swift. The science behind Swift and the rescue mission: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/a-swift... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

A Swift Rescue - NASA's Plan to Save the Swift Telescope

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory was launched in 2004 in order to study highly energetic events known as gamma-ray bursts. While it was originally planned to operate for a two-year mission, it has c...

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At -272°C, the Boomerang Nebula is the coldest known natural place in the universe. As absolute zero is at -273°C, that puts the nebula only one degree above the absolute lowest possible temperature. (1/2) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

Whether it's from Hubble, Webb, or another, our most stunning images of the universe come from space telescopes. But why do we put telescopes in space? What's the advantage and how do they work? Read all about space telescopes in my article: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/an-eye-... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

An Eye in the Sky - Why Are There Telescopes in Space?

Ever since Galileo pointed his telescope to the sky in 1609, telescopes have slowly revealed the universe to us. Over time, the telescopes got better, and so did the views they provided. But we starte...

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This striking image features the Medulla Nebula, a brain-shaped nebula. The nebula is a supernova remnant, a type of gas cloud left behind from an explosion at the end of the life a massive star. The supernova that created this nebula occurred about 10,000 years ago. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

We're less than a week away from the summer solstice. But as the north experiences the start of summer, the south instead has the start of winter. What causes two different seasons in two different parts of the world? Find out here: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/a-cycle... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

A Cycle of Seasons - What Causes Earth's Seasons?

In less than a week, on Sunday, June 21, summer will begin, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. But in the south, it will actually be the start of winter. Just how is it possible that two different p...

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An up close look into a barred spiral galaxy courtesy of James Webb. This is NGC 1365, and incredibly huge galaxy that's over 200,000 light-years in diameter. That's twice the size of the Milky Way! (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

The universe is 14 billion years old. That's old. So old, that the mind has trouble comprehending just how long it is. To better understand this age, we can condense the entire history into 1 year. That's the cosmic calendar. Read more here: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/the-cos... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

The Cosmic Calendar - How Old is the Universe?

According to our best estimates, the universe is 13.8 billion years old. It goes without saying that that’s extremely old. But just how long of a time is 14 billion years? The human mind has a way of ...

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A moon surfing the waves of Saturn's rings. This image shows Daphnis, an 8 km diameter moon of Saturn. This moon orbits right between two of the rings, in the Keeler Gap. As Daphnis orbits between the rings, it creates a rippling pattern of waves that follows behind it. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

If a magnetar were located even halfway between the Earth and Moon, its magnetic field would instantly wipe every credit card on Earth. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

On Saturday, a shock wave shook Massachusetts. The source was a 5-foot diameter meteor exploding 30 miles up with the force of 300 tons of TNT. Read about the science behind the event in my newest article: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/an-expl... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

An Explosion from Space - The Science of the Meteor over Massachusetts

On Saturday, May 30th, at 2:06 p.m. EDT, people across New England reported hearing two consecutive explosions strong enough to rattle buildings. The source was actually a meteor—a rock falling from o...

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Is that a hand? In space? This is MSH 15-52, a pulsar wind nebula, but given its striking shape, it has been nicknamed "The Hand of God," as it looks like an arm and a hand reaching out to grab another nebula. (1/3) #Astronomy⚛️🧪🛰️

The International Space Station is more than just a home away from home for astronauts. It's an orbital science lab and a true symbol of international cooperation and unity. Read all about the ISS in my newest article: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/a-home-... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

A Home Above Home - The International Space Station

The International Space Station is a home above home for astronauts. The record-breaking space station has been permanently crewed for over a quarter-century and is a hub of science, essentially actin...

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When two different telescopes work together, you can get amazing results. This image is collaboration between James Webb and another space telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Each telescope sees the universe in a different way, painting a fuller picture when combined. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

A grain of sand held out at arm's length towards the sky will cover up over 10,000 galaxies. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field was an image by Hubble in 2004 with over 10,000 galaxies in the same image. But the area of sky the telescope was looking is only the size of a sand grain. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

"The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself." -Carl Sagan Carl Sagan meant that literally. Humans are actually made of stardust. Read about how that's possible in my recent article: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/the-stu... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

The Stuff of Stars - How We're Made of Stardust

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A reverse view of an eclipse. In this image of Earth, you might notice the dark round area near the top of the planet. What could it be? It's actually the shadow of the Moon left during an annular solar eclipse in 2012. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

Ever since our earliest telescopic observations of Mars, when we thought we saw artificial canals, we've dreamed of life on Mars. But is it really possible? Might we find alien life next door? Read about life on Mars in my newest article: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/aliens-... #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

Aliens Next Door - Life on Mars

In the late nineteenth century, astronomers believed they had discovered canals on Mars. These obviously artificial structures had to be the work of a civilization on the Red Planet. The idea was so p...

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This field of white dwarf stars was captured in 2002 by Hubble and is an important tool in determining the age of the universe. A white dwarf is the remnant of a dead star. They cool at a predictable rate, so by studying these stars, we can determine how old they are. (1/3) #Astronomy ⚛️🧪🛰️

No planet in Star Wars is better known than Tatooine, and it's most famous for its twin sunset. Is this science fact or science fiction? Can a planet have two suns? Read all about binary stars and their planets here: www.amidthestarstours.com/post/a-real-... #MayThe4th #StarWarsDay 🔭⚛️🧪🛰️

A Real Twin Sunset - Can A Planet Have Two Suns?

One of the most iconic scenes in Star Wars is the famous twin sunset over Tatooine, a desert planet that orbits not one, but two stars. Science fiction often takes creative liberties with its fantasti...

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