solar system | M Thomas Apple Author Page

Nancy Grace Roman telescope is a GO

June 16, 2026
MThomas

“In the mission’s first five years, it’s expected to unveil more than 100,000 distant worlds, hundreds of millions of stars, and billions of galaxies,” [Julie McEnery, senior project scientist] said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/nasa-roman-space-telescope-launch-fastest-ever-rcna349773

It should be ready for launch in August, to be parked at the L2 Lagrange space near James Webb ((which has been there since 2021).

Two decades in the making. Yet “under budget and ahead of schedule”? Really?

I’m all for discovering tens of thousands of possibly inhabited worlds and learning more about dark energy and dark matter. But I’d also like to see a little more practical tech from NASA. How will this help us settle the solar system and figure out how to visit other systems?

Farewell, MAVEN, the most successful NASA Mars probe yet

June 4, 2026
MThomas

Originally designed to operate for just one year around Mars, MAVEN’s mission was repeatedly extended, enabling the most extensive research into the workings of the Martian atmosphere ever attempted.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nasa-declares-end-mars-orbiter-maven-mission

Thanks to MAVEN, we know how the Mars atmosphere has been eroded by solar wind over billions of years. Designed to work for a single year, it operated for over eleven years.

“New” planetoid discovered farther than Pluto?

May 5, 2026
MThomas

Artist’s impression. Probably doesn’t have that many track lights behind it.

Just 300 miles or so across, this mini Pluto is thought to be the solar system’s smallest object yet with a clearly detected global atmosphere bound by gravity, said lead researcher Ko Arimatsu of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/atmosphere-icy-world-beyond-pluto-rcna343509

The planetoid, called “(612533) 2002 XV93” (good luck remembering that one), was discovered and tracked by three separate observatories in Japan in 2024.

So why is it being only announced now?

Because scientists are cautious folk. They still want other observers to document this in other countries, to increase the validity of their finding.

The fact that the planetoid has an atmosphere (ridiculously thin, something like five to ten million times thinner than that of the Earth’s) came as a surprise.

So is this the famed “Planet X”? Or “Nibiru”?

No worries. It’s not rogue and won’t destroy the Earth in 3600 years. Sorry.

May the Fourth Be With You, Always…

May 4, 2026
MThomas

Astronomers have discovered 27 new potential planets that orbit two stars, like the fictional desert planet Tatooine from the Star Wars universe…

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/04/scientists-discover-27-potential-new-planets

And now you know what a “Circumbinary planet” means. Happy Star Wars Day!

Artemis II, welcome home. Now let’s go again. And stay.

April 14, 2026
MThomas

“The moon really is its own unique body in the universe. When we have that perspective and we compare it to our home of the Earth, it just reminds us how much we have in common. Everything we need, the Earth provides, and that, in and of itself, is somewhat of a miracle.”

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/10/artemis-ii-landing-return-moon-mission?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Should have posted this a couple days ago, but better late than never.

Just like this mission. It’s better to delay a mission than scrub it.

And DJT should stop trying to take credit for it. He’s still trying to slash NASA’s budget to practically nothing. Get rid of him already.

More good news like this, please. No more war. Space awaits all of us.

To go farther than anyone before

April 7, 2026
MThomas

“It is blowing my mind what you can see with the naked eye from the moon right now,” Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen radioed ahead of the flyby. “It is just unbelievable.”

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/06/artemis-ii-astronauts-record-moon-earth-distance?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Just like Apollo 8 in 1968.

History does not repeat, but it sure does rhyme.

To boldly go where Tom Hanks has not actually been…

April 2, 2026
MThomas

https://www.theguardian.com/science/live/2026/apr/01/artemis-ii-launch-nasa-orion-moon-trip-live-updates?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Live up dates of the Artemis II mission to “cislunar space” (it will not actually land on the Moon but will take four astronauts farther away from Earth than anyone else so far).

And it went BOOM BOOM 💥

March 18, 2026
MThomas

Rocky objects traveling through space are known as meteoroids, but when they enter Earth’s atmosphere and create fireballs, they are called meteors. Any fragments that fall to Earth’s surface are meteorites.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/meteor-boom-ohio-pennsylvania-rcna263876

The Earth is bombarded on a daily basis from outer space.

Just not usually over urban areas during daylight.

In Ohio.

Not a whole lot going on there, apparently.

(On FaceCrap, people are posting things like “The sky literally exploded over Ohio!” Um. No, it didn’t, and that’s not possible. Morons.)

Blood Moon tonight! And..

March 3, 2026
MThomas

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/mar/03/total-lunar-eclipse-tonight-blood-moon-2026-what-time-when-date-march-full-worm-moon-sydney-australia-new-york-america

Lunar eclipse, tonight from 6:30 to 11:00…

Except it still raining here in Japan, and we’ll see nothing.

Rats.

At least we’ll visit JAXA tomorrow…

Billions and billions of wasted dollars’ worth of samples…

February 19, 2026
MThomas

NASA’s plans for Mars sample return are effectively cancelled as part of a bill approved by the U.S. Congress, ending efforts to collect Perseverance rover samples that could contain evidence of alien life.

https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/nasas-mars-sample-return-is-dead-leaving-china-to-retrieve-signs-of-life-from-the-red-planet

Congratulations, America. You’ve managed to give Mars to China.

But do tell me how this makes America great again…

…and just how ironical the rover’s name is at this point…

And also WordPress, could you please fix the “quotation” block style? It refuses to turn off…

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