Saturday Space Reads
Because we all need a little space on Saturday.
You may have already put the horror movies on the shelf for the season (and welcomed the Hallmark holidays), but if you’re still open to scary stories, you should read about two frightening black holes: one is defying astrophysics in a “triple” system that shouldn’t exist, and the other is gobbling up stars like a serial killer.
The Leonids are here, and here’s how to up your chances at witnessing the winter meteor shower.
The University of Hertfordshire is “devastated” after the theft of its cosmodrome – the UK’s largest inflatable planetarium – which brings space education to kids across the country. Authorities are looking for a silver Land Rover as the culprit. Good luck trying to sell a planet-themed bounce house on the black market, buddy.
This edition of Saturday Space Reads is brought to you by the Space Resources program at the Colorado School of Mines.
How can Artemis cost $100 billion for the United States but a series of ambitious space projects costs India only $2.7 billion (227 billion rupees)? This article examines how India manages such a cost-effective space program as it heads into its next ventures: a Moon mission, a Venus orbiter, a space station, and a new reusable rocket.
Not only does the Europa Clipper hold promise for a potentially habitable Jovian moon, but it also holds a poem, courtesy of the US Poet Laureate, Ada Limón. Read about how the Europa Clipper team’s craftsmanship and curiosity about the universe inspired Limón’s work.
Not a space read but a space watch: Matthew Dominick, the International Space Station’s resident documentarian, reminds Earthlings how crazy it is to eat in microgravity with his latest ketchup-squirting video. Warning: for better or worse, this is about to live in your head rent-free.
The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet appears to “fall” to the horizon, over Janesville, California in mid-October. Credit: Tess Ryan
Last month, a rare comet known as C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS appeared to sky watchers on Earth after first being discovered in 2023. Visible to the naked eye, it manifested as a bright fireball with a long tail across in the western sky. If you missed it, well, its orbit is only 80,000 years – so, just hang tight.
Saturday Space Jam:
This edition of Saturday Space Reads is also supported by the Open Lunar Foundation. Open Lunar's work sets precedents, creates pathways, and builds projects that enable a peaceful, cooperative lunar presence. Learn more about Open Lunar's work by joining their upcoming events.
