Nancy Grace Roman

Nancy Grace Roman, NASA's first chief of astronomy and a force behind the Hubble Space Telescope and other projects, died December 25.

She was 93.

Ultima Thule

NASA's New Horizons probe will make a flyby of Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule on January 1.

Ultima Thule had not yet been discovered when New Horizons was launched.

Solar Activity

A relatively new theory holds the Sun is more variable than we assune.

A blast of solar plasma could have ended the last Ice Age literally overnight, for example, says the theory.

The Drake Equation

Frank Drake created an equation nearly 60 years ago that tried to estimate the number of advanced civilizations in the galaxy.  It's still referenced.

Should it be?  We've learned a lot in six decades, but we still have no firm grasp of many of the variables in Drake.  Maybe we need a new approach.

Starship Test Flights

Elon Musk has announced his new Starship/Super Heavy configuration should begin test flights early next year.

That ship is intended to tale humans to Mars.

Earthrise

The famed "Earthrise" picture was taken fifty years ago today by astronaut  William Anders.

It has become one of the most influential photographs ever taken.

Korolev Crater

Korolev Crater is a roughly 50 mile wide crater near Mars' north pole.  A permanent ice pack rests on its floor.

At points, the crater is deeper than Esrth's Grand Canyon.

Apollo 8

Fifty years ago today, Apollo 8 launched to the Moon.

As long as humans explore, Apollo 8 will have an honored place in our history.

Space Command

President Trump is re-establishing the U. S. Space Command to coordinate space defense issues.

The original Space Command was disbanded after 9/11 as the focus shifted to the War On Terror.

Saturn's Rings

A new study suggests Saturn's rings are temporary.

They could be gone in between 100 to 300 million years.

2018 VG18

Astronomers have found an object, dessignated 2018 VG18, that's 100 times farther from the Sun than the Earth is.

At that distance, it probably takes 1,000 Earth years for 2018 VG18 to complete one orbit of the Sun.

Planetary Protection

The NASA Advisory Council is recommending a review of the agency's planetary protection policies..

In light of planned future missions and our evolving understanding of life, the Council thinks updating current policies would be useful.

Private Spaceflight

Virgin Galactic isn't the only company offering private spaceflight.  Blue Origin is planning suborbital flights launched atop a conventional rocket, and SpaceX is offering a looping flight around the Moon.

None of those companies has flown passengers yet, however.

SpaceShipTwo

Virgin Galactic successfully flew its SpaceShipTwo into space in a test flight this week.

Commercial flights should begin next year.

Steph Curry

NBA star Steph Curry, who went to college at Davidson, says he doesn't believe humans landed on the Moon.

It's an indictment of American education.  Equally, it suggests Mr. Curry has a low opinion of the abilities of mankind generally and of the honor and integrity of those who worked on Apollo specifically.

Bennu Water

NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe has already made a big discovery at Bennu-- the rock's parent body had water.

Scientists think that body was a Main Belt asteroid.

Voyager

Both Voyager spacecraft are now in inrerstellar space.

NASA hopes they will continue to function for 10 more years.

Linda Moulton Howe

Linda Moulton Howe is predicting a major announcement about ET life will be made early next year.

Last year, of course, she made the same prediction for 2018, and, so far, it hasn't happened.

Chang'e 4

China successfully launched its Chang'e 4 mission yesterday.

The mission aims to execute the first landing on the far side of the Moon.

Helium Tail

Astronomers have found a Jupiter-sized world orbiting a small star 163 light years away.  The world sports a  huge tail of helium.

The world was observed using a ground-based telescope.

Apollo 17

Today is the 46th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 17.

It remains the latest time humans ventured beyond low Earth orbit.

Third Boost

SpaceX successfully launched 64 satellites this week on a booster that had been used twice before.

It's another step forward.

Bennu

The OSIRIS-Rex probe is now at asteroid Bennu, settling in for a nearly two year study.

Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid roughly the length of the Empire State Building.

Cosmic Airburst

Scientists have found evidence that a body exploded in midair just north of the Dead Sea 3,700 years ago, wiping out human life within a 200 square mile area.

Such an event in that area at that time certainly brings to mind the biblical story of Sodom and Gamorrah.

OSIRIS-REx

NASA''s OSIRIS-REx probe will arrive at the asteroid Bennu Monday.

After around 19 months studying Bennu, the mission will attempt a sample return.