miscellany

miscellanyHubble Space TelescopeMarsclimate changesupernovaeexoplanetscometsgravitational wavessolar systemESA2025Jupiterwhite dwarfsPlutoaliensdustasteroidsneutron starsastrophotographymeteoritesstar clustersvolcanoesmathEarthcosmologypulsarsmoonsthe SunscifiFast Radio BurstsVera Rubin ObservatorynebulaAstronomybrown dwarfsNASAPoliticsgalaxy clusterslight pollutionplanetary nebulaerecipedebunkingblack holesphysicsTVnight skygravitational lensingVenusAbout the newsletterspacered dwarfsthe moonActive galaxiesAbout mespace explorationimpactsnovaebinary starsSgr A*starsTNOssciencegalaxiesJWSTGamma-ray burstsdark matterColliding galaxiesstar formationMilky Way GalaxyScientific AmericanGaia
miscellanymiscellany
+6+6
Earth and moon glow in the heat of infrared
Premium

Earth and moon glow in the heat of infrared

Our system seen from afar by a Mars-bound spacecraft. Plus, the weight of Earth’s air. Like, in total.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+2+2
Psyche’s Mars, and another test to see why antimatter is different than matter
Premium

Psyche’s Mars, and another test to see why antimatter is different than matter

Very cool animations of Mars as the spacecraft flew by. Plus, antimatter is still baffling.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+7+7
JWST takes a peek at a star being born

JWST takes a peek at a star being born

And of course it’s another jaw-dropper

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+5+5
A planet is bigger, and too close, to its host star
Premium

A planet is bigger, and too close, to its host star

WD1856b is a gas giant orbiting uncomfortably close to a white dwarf. How did it get there? Bonus: Bayeux Tapestry astronomy

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+6+6
Protons are very, very small
Premium

Protons are very, very small

It takes a lot of them to fit across an orange, for example. And a mole, too.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+5+5
I experienced a meteoric rise in my understanding

I experienced a meteoric rise in my understanding

Connecting facts for that “aha” moment

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+4+4
Space is way bigger than you think

Space is way bigger than you think

Go ahead and think about it. Nope, it’s bigger. Try again. Nope, still too small. This game can go on a long time.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+4+4
How to debunk various levels of nonsense... from scientists in the trenches

How to debunk various levels of nonsense... from scientists in the trenches

Research published on how scientists can help stamp out the spread of disinformation

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+6+6
No aliens for Boyajian’s Star, and trees reach up to connect electrically with the sky
Premium

No aliens for Boyajian’s Star, and trees reach up to connect electrically with the sky

The star seems to have settled its unsettling behavior down, and corona discharges from trees finally seen in the wild

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+4+4
CAPTCHA, ergo sum

CAPTCHA, ergo sum

I guess robots don’t know about Planck’s Law

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+3+3
The metric system is great, except when it isn’t
Premium

The metric system is great, except when it isn’t

In which I am a millipedant

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+7+7
Dimming the sun is probably a very bad idea

Dimming the sun is probably a very bad idea

Global warming is a massive problem, but let’s not play games with our only planet’s ecosphere

Philip Plait
Philip Plait