The images that came down from Mars yesterday had a Star Wars vibe to them, so I just did what came naturally
Associate Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science at Washington University in St. Louis • Planetary Data System Geosciences Node Director • Planetary Bastard • he/him/Sir
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The images that came down from Mars yesterday had a Star Wars vibe to them, so I just did what came naturally
The images that came down from Mars yesterday had a Star Wars vibe to them, so I just did what came naturally
Live in the U.S.? We’re organizing in-person meetings for you to speak directly with your elected officials in Washington, D.C. October 5–6, join us and nearly a dozen partner organizations for the Day of Action to save NASA’s space science. Make your voice heard. www.planetary.org/advocacy/day...
Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, imaged by the Juno spacecraft on 3 February 2024. You can see something of the dark side because of Jupitershine. Credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS
trump can issue as many executive orders as he wants, perhaps coverage should reflect the fact that a lot of these have the legal force of a child's wishlist for santa
Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, imaged by the Juno spacecraft on 3 February 2024. You can see something of the dark side because of Jupitershine. Credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS
Friends, for your Friday, here's a new image of planets being born.
The field of view of this image is about 1.8 arcminutes across; IRAS 04302 is situated around 525 lightyears away. Image credit: ESA/Webb/NASA/CSA/M. Villenave et al.
This new image is a combination of JWST and Hubble data, and shows IRAS 04302+2247, a protostar with a disk of gas and dust that's edge-on to us, in which planets are accreting. IRAS 04302 has been nicknamed the "Butterfly Star". Read more: esawebb.org/images/potm2...
Yes! Some of it ends up on Europa
Friends, for your Friday, here's a new image of planets being born.
Yeah but only after being asked three times
This is a five-frame video of one of the giant eruptions on Io, Jupiter's volcanic moon. Taken in 2007 by the New Horizons probe on its way to Pluto, the images span about eight minutes. The motion of erupted ash and debris is from a volcano called Tvashtar, and rises 330 km into space.
What in the hell are you talking about? Have you ever taken a planetary science class? Or do you just pontificate on social media to sound smart? The plumes from Enceladus are WATER. There are hydrocarbon lakes on Titan. There are no confirmed WATER plumes on Europa. There are no Pluto plumes.
How the fuck said anything about hydrocarbons or fossils or fossil fuels or whatever the hell else?
It wouldn't even notice tbh
*I* pronounce it eye-oh. One's mileage may vary!
Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
The actual volcano is situated beyond the upper-left limb. Other eruptions have been spotted on Io before by visiting spacecraft, but this is the first time a video sequence was acquired. The rotation of Io is subtle but visible in the sequence. Read more: photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA0...
This is a five-frame video of one of the giant eruptions on Io, Jupiter's volcanic moon. Taken in 2007 by the New Horizons probe on its way to Pluto, the images span about eight minutes. The motion of erupted ash and debris is from a volcano called Tvashtar, and rises 330 km into space.
This is a real photograph of Washington, DC this week, where the United States president has ordered military occupation in peacetime, and ordered the display of colossal portraits of himself. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Mayor Brandon of Chicago responds to a question from a reporter if pushing back will make things harder? “Can you imagine if my ancestors would have had the same rationale? Let’s not fight against the Confederacy. Let’s just try to get along, and maybe one day they’ll give us our freedom?”
When a top CDC scientist resigns citing eugenicist rhetoric from federal health agencies, everyone should absolutely be paying attention.
Enjoy this stunning view of the Butterfly Nebula from Hubble. Look at the structure in the vast outflows, especially towards the centre! There, behind a dusty torus that we're looking at edge-on lies a super-hot white dwarf—the remnants of a once much-larger star.
The field of view in this image is about 2.2 arcminutes. Read more: esawebb.org/images/weic2... Image credit: ESA/Webb/NASA/CSA/K. Noll/J. Kastner/M. Zamani
If you find one, I'm interested in seeing it—because I think something like that might be happening on Venus.
Enjoy this stunning view of the Butterfly Nebula from Hubble. Look at the structure in the vast outflows, especially towards the centre! There, behind a dusty torus that we're looking at edge-on lies a super-hot white dwarf—the remnants of a once much-larger star.
This is a real image of what a new solar system looks like. The light from the central star is blocked, so it's possible to see the lanes of cleared-up dust around it. And that small, yellowish blob at lower right? That's a whole, brand new planet.
You're gonna need a lot of postage
Read more about how this image was acquired with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile: www.eso.org/public/image... Image credit: ESO/R. F. van Capelleveen et al.
That planet is called WISPIT 2b, and is a gas giant approximately five times the mass of Jupiter. It orbits way, way farther out than Jupiter does the Sun, though—about 11 times farther out. The star, WISPIT 2, is thought to be only around 5 million years old, and is around 437 lightyears away.
This is a real image of what a new solar system looks like. The light from the central star is blocked, so it's possible to see the lanes of cleared-up dust around it. And that small, yellowish blob at lower right? That's a whole, brand new planet.
(liking out of sympathy, not because this is actually good)
Postponed
Genuinely wonder if *anyone* believes that timeline they outlined
Maybe we'll get some fun salutes
My heart breaks into 10,000 pieces once again.
Early afternoon on Mars. Saturday, 23 August 2025.
Early afternoon on Mars. Saturday, 23 August 2025.
Postponed
Kīlauea has been doing its thing again during the night
Kīlauea has been doing its thing again during the night
Saturn.
Image credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
This is NASA Photojournal image PIA11667, a mosaic comprising 75 wide-angle images taken by the Cassini spacecraft over about eight hours on 12 August 2009, just after equinox (when the Sun's illumination is directly over the planet's equator). Read more: photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA1...
Saturn.
You can keep track. didtrumpgolftoday.com
This was the first full Artemis III Science Team Meeting (at least since I joined the broader group as a member of the LEMS-A3 deployed instrument team). There's much to do, but playing even a tiny part of our return to humans on the Moon is awesome beyond words.
Despite all the bullshit, NASA remains the world's foremost space agency. Its best days are still ahead. And I will never not get goosebumps when I visit (in this case, HQ)
It's been an intense few days, but an *awesome* few days. #LFG
Despite all the bullshit, NASA remains the world's foremost space agency. Its best days are still ahead. And I will never not get goosebumps when I visit (in this case, HQ)
That gif
That scene in Rogue One with the Death Star rising over Scarif, except this time it's Saturn's icy moon Mimas
Uranus has a new moon.
The Earth–Moon system photographed by the Psyche spacecraft on 23 July 2025 from a distance of 290 million km. Earth is the brighter of the two central points and is labelled, together with three background stars in the Aries constellation. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
Read more: www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia26...
The Earth–Moon system photographed by the Psyche spacecraft on 23 July 2025 from a distance of 290 million km. Earth is the brighter of the two central points and is labelled, together with three background stars in the Aries constellation. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
IFPTE Local 29 is calling on Congress, local government officials, stakeholders, and the public to take immediate action to stop the closure of the NASA Goddard Visitor Center - a decision that would inflict irreparable harm on the community, the regional economy, and NASA’s public mission. #NASA
Read more: esawebb.org/images/uranu... Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/M. El Moutamid/M. Hedman
Uranus has a new moon.
Maybe it’s because I’m a state legislator, but I’m worried about the under reaction here. She didn’t spend the night on the House floor. She’s being DETAINED AGAINST HER WILL BY REPUBLICANS UNTIL SHE FOLLOWS THEIR ORDERS. This is 🦇 💩
I can't speak to the ground-based telescopes but fwiw NASA is planning to use JWST, Hubble, and numerous deep-space missions to observe it around perihelion!
Some cool rocks on Mars. Possibly volcanic, assuredly ancient, and photographed yesterday, Sunday 17 August 2025.
I guess a half-mile farther from the Moon when it's on the other side of the planet, too
Totally normal
No, I've been in lots that respect the number line (and rationale thinking). Just lots more that don't
Maybe the ghosts (??) won't notice?
I'm staying in a hotel built when adults were afraid of the number 13
(unless you're talking about my brain, in which case you're also correct)
You're good!
Two Right Navigation Camera images taken by the Perseverance rover on 17 August 2025 at a local Jezero Crater time of 1:45 pm. Minor changes to colour and white balance to better match human vision. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Paul Byrne
Some cool rocks on Mars. Possibly volcanic, assuredly ancient, and photographed yesterday, Sunday 17 August 2025.
Good now do Venus
David Grinspoon confirms that his term appointment as NASA's Senior Scientist for Astrobiology Strategy will not be renewed and the position itself is being eliminated. He'll participate in Wednesday's Astrobiology Update (which is listed on our Calendar).
Oh, no. No no no not at all
Top: Sunset on Mars (Curiosity rover, April 2015) Bottom: Sunset on LV-426 (Alien, 1979)
Saturn, in shadow.
The surface of Mars, photographed today.
The surface of Mars, photographed today.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
This is NASA Photojournal image PIA17156, taken by Cassini on 20 September 2013 when the spacecraft was 2.3 million km from Saturn. The planet is largely in shadow given the geometry of the Sun in this image (off to the left); the unlit backs of the rings are barely visible thanks to Saturnshine.
Saturn, in shadow.
BREAKING: The scheduled luncheon between the U.S. and Russian delegations has been CANCELLED after no deal was reached. Trump is returning to Washington immediately.
Fox News Reporter Jacqui Heinrich: The way that it felt in the room was not good. It did not seem like things went well. And it seemed like Putin came in and steam rolled, got right into what he wanted to say and got his photo next to the president and then left
It's 100% Vought. And he's doing exactly what he said he'd do.
Get this clown the fuck out of the way and install a Senate-confirmed Administrator who actually *understands* what NASA does
New analysis: NASA is awarding new grants at a significantly lower rate in 2025 than in prior years:
Earth and the Moon, photographed from Mercury orbit.
Extortion of Nobel Prize is Hall of Fame level abuse of office. Every single Democrat should be mocking this clown for being so fragile, so insecure, so weak, and so openly corrupt.
MESSENGER was the first mission I worked on. I joined the team as a postdoc in June 2011 until the mission ended in April 2015 (and then for quite a bit of time thereafter). MESSENGER was a plucky little mission, returning far more science than its size or budget might have suggested!
This photo was acquired by the MESSENGER spacecraft's Mercury Dual Imaging System Wide Angle Camera on 6 May 2010, about ten months before the spacecraft entered orbit around Mercury. At the time, the Earth–Moon system was 183 million km away. Image credit: NASA/JHU APL/CIW
Earth and the Moon, photographed from Mercury orbit.
Here is the chart showing the growth of reported protest over time, 2025 vs. 2017, referenced in the piece below.
Neptune and its giant moon Triton. Out there in the dark.
never misses
