Life

Two physicists theorize in a new paper that Earth life may have spread to the stars via comets that grazed Earth's atmosphere.

It's the flip side of a theory of how life could have come to Earth.

Spitzer

The Spitzer Space Telescope, which looked at the universe in the infrared, has been shut down after 16.5 years.

It has helped revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos.

Perspective

Apple is reporting a quarterly profit of $22.2 billion.

That's more than NASA's annual budget.

Ultrahot Jupiter

Astronomers have found the hottest exoplanet yet some 670 light years away.

The surface temperature is about 7.500 degrees on the sunside.

Tough Week

This is a tough week for NASA.

The Apollo 1 fire, Challenger explosion, and Columbia tragedy all happened this week, in different years, killing 17 astronauts.

USSF

The insignia of the new U. S. Space Force was unveiled last week.

Central to the design is a symbol reminiscent of the STAR TREK comnunicator.

Picard

The latest series in the STAR TREK franchise, STAR TREK: PICARD, debuted yesterday.

It will include some of Captain Picard''s old crew.

China

China's new, as-yet-unnamed spacecraft is being readied for a test flight.

It will carry up to six people.

Gamma Rays

A new study suggests faint gamma-ray radiation throughout the universe may be related to dark matter.

If so, it could provide insight into the nature of dark matter.

Hypersonic

According to reports, the U. S. is developing hypersonic vehicles.

Russia recently announced it already has them.

Abort Success

SpaceX successfully tested its abort rescue system on its Crew Dragon yesterday.

The success opens the way for crewed flights later this year.

Musk

Elon Musk has tweeted he is aiming to build a 1,000 strong Starship fleet with each huge launcher flying three times a day for 20 to 30 years.

His goal is the colonization of Mars.

Solar Storms

A new study suggests so-called solar storms can develop very near Earth.

Powerful solar storms can knock out satellites and disrupt electrical power grids.

TMT

Construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope in Hawaii is still bring held up because a group of native Hawaiians object.

When, or if, the project might resume is unknown.

Possible Abodes

Astronomers have found two more super Earths that could potentially support life.

Both orbit nearby red dwarf stars.

Beam Rider

A new study suggests keeping a light sail tightly focused on an energy beam over immense distances is possible.

That would open up interstellar travel.

UFO

According to reports. the U. S. Navy is admitting it has more information about the so-called Tic Tac UFO than has so far been released.

Could this be the year the UFO phenomenon at least begins to crack open?

New Astronauts

NASA graduated a class of  13 astronauts yesterday.

They could fly to the Moon, and even Mars.

Dark Matter

New observations of dark matter show that cold dark matter forms clumps much smaller than previously thought.

That argues against the need for warm dark matter.

Black Hole Jets

New observations show jets from the black hole in the galaxy M87 are traveling at 99$ the speed of light.

That's moving.

Sandals

My aide came this morning wearing socks and sandals.

In January.

Galileo

On this date in 1610, Galileo discovered three moons of Jupiter through a small telescope.

It was another discovery establishing that the universe was not the static place of Church teaching.  It helped open the world we know.

Starship

Elon Musk says a prototype Starship could fly within three months.

Starship is to be the workhorse launcher for colonizing Mars.

The Year of Mars

The year 2020 could be The Year of Mars.

Four missions are scheduled to launch to the Red Planet.

Betelgeuse

The red supergiant star Betelgeuse has recently begun to dim.

The dimming could signal an imminent supernova explosion.  Or not.

ET Water

A new study finds less water vapor in the atmospheres of several exoplanets than expected.

Less water might say something about planetary formation.