| Astronomy Facts of the Day | Follow if you like daily bite-sized astronomy and space exploration facts. |
| Migration | I'm committed to 1 fact/day in the long term, for a while I'll be working on posting a few facts per day to bring over the facts I'd already posted on the bird site. |
#Constellation #satellites aren't just a problem for ground-based #astronomers anymore. Even #Hubble has been suffering from these #SpaceX pests. Unlike modern #astrophotography, where image stacking is used to combine 1000s of frames, Hubble still uses long exposures, typically 10+ minutes, making this issue even harder to cope with.
#astrodon #space #Astronomy #universe #telescope #NASA #ESA #science
In 2019, the #NewHorizons #spacecraft flew by Arrokoth (2014 MU69). This unusual #Kuiper Belt object looks like 2/3 of a snowman. It was formed during the early stages of our #SolarSystem, and thanks to its remote #orbit is relatively untouched by other debris.
The odd shape suggests that accretion was not always violent. Sometimes, matter combines with more of a *bonk* than a BANG!
#astrodon #space #spaceexploration #asteroid
Photo credit: #NASA New Horizons
Source: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/new-horizons-reveals-full-picture-of-arrokoth-and-how-planets-form/
Next week, Relativity Space plans to launch its #Terran1 #rocket. The current model is (by mass) 85% 3D printed, with plans for future models to be as much as 95% printed!
While the upcoming #launch is merely a functional #test, the company states that Terran1 is capable of putting 1250kg (2756 lbs) into low-Earth #orbit.
#astrodon #space #spaceexploration #3Dprinting #STEM
Source: https://www.space.com/relativity-space-terran-1-3d-rocket-launch-march-8
So the Venus and Jupiter #conjunction last #night was cool (though tonight is still good too!)...
But just wait until September 8, 2040, when #Mercury, #Venus, #Mars, #Jupiter, #Saturn and a slim crescent #Moon will all be clustered within 3-4° of each other, and visible after #sunset.
#astrodon #astronomy #stargazing #planets #solarsystem #universeodon #space #science
Image credit: screenshot from SkySafari planetarium app
The first #flower grown in #space was a #Zinnia. Despite typically being a relatively easy to grow #plant, the ones on the #ISS struggled with too much moisture, too little moisture, and even mold growth! Determined to save the little #plants, Earth-based botanists gave over care of the #flowers to #astronaut Scott Kelly.
Image credit: #NASA/ Scott Kelly
#plantsinspace #astrodon #spaceexploration #gardening #spring
Source: https://www.space.com/31658-zinnia-flowers-bloom-in-space-photo.html
Das Interrobang‽
