outer space | M Thomas Apple Author Page

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 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).

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…

Get ready for the great planetary alignment February 28th!

February 27, 2025
MThomas

The best day to see all seven major planets (yes, you read that right, all seven!) is Friday, February 28th.

The link will describe (and give pictures) of where to find them all in the night sky.

Finding Orion is the key to most of them. Knowing where the Pleiades are helps, too.

The next time this “parade” appears will be 2040, so fingers crossed for clear skies!

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/seven-planet-parade-28-february-2025

New study of moons of Uranus suggests life

November 14, 2024
MThomas

Note: this is artwork and not an actual image

The planet Uranus and its five biggest moons may not be the dead sterile worlds that scientists have long thought.

Instead, they may have oceans, and the moons may even be capable of supporting life, scientists say.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgk1333k0ypo

Cue the jokes in five…four…three…

“So, you mean there really is life in…ah…”

Note that this is not from new data. It’s a re-analysis of what Voyager 2 sent back decades ago. Basically, it just had a bad day, with magnetic storms screwing up the scan.

Still…

There could be moons there that could have the conditions that are necessary for life, they might have oceans that below the surface that could be teeming with fish!

I think this is a bit of an exaggeration…

Gas…stations…in…space…! ⛽️

November 13, 2024
MThomas

Jas Tiruvuru, business development manager for Orbit Fab in the UK and Europe, said the company was aiming to successfully demonstrate the technology in space by 2027.

“This will essentially be the first ever satellite to satellite refuelling demonstration funded here in the UK,” she said.

“Once we’ve proven that we can refuel to two spacecrafts we’ll be able to unlock a huge market potential.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y3wzlvnn2o

You know, maybe it’s just me, but I think 2027 may be a little optimistic. Just like the figure given in the article for how much the satellite sector will be worth in the future.

Aren’t there too many satellites already?

I’d like to see how this would help us colonize the solar system.

Actually, I’d like to see how they plan to get fuel up there in the first place.

Maybe my novel’s idea of using certain moons of Jupiter or Saturn as giant space gas pumps might help? 🪐

A taurid of meteorites now…

November 12, 2024
MThomas

The Taurids meteor showers get their name because the shooting stars appear to stream from a point in the sky where the Taurus constellation is located. Taurid meteors can be seen from pretty much anywhere on the planet except the South Pole.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/meteor-showers-taurids-orionids-leonids-november-shooting-stars-rcna177143

I waited too long to post this! The meteor shower peaked last week, but might still be visible. The Orionids ended already (they appeared to fall from, you guessed it, the constellation of Orion, while the Taurids came from Taurus.

If you can’t see them, not to worry: the Leonids are on their way from next week (falling from, right again, Leo).

Very imaginative, these names. At least it makes them easier to spot. ☄️

That’s no mo…why, yes, it is…

October 7, 2024
MThomas

The scientists hope to learn about the asteroid’s surface composition and how fast it rotates, he said. Those observations could help researchers figure out its origin, which in turn could shed light on other asteroids, including ones that could be dangerous to Earth.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/mini-moon-asteroid-to-orbit-earth-temporarily-rcna172264

This is of course not the first “mini-moon” to have been discovered. These are wandering asteroids that get trapped briefly by Earth’s gravity well before being flung back into space.

Read the article for more information about the “school-bus sized” 2024PT5!

Sorry for the long absence…

September 2, 2024
MThomas

Haven’t posted anything in about five or six weeks. Sorry!

I was going to initially post something about the Boeing crew that got stranded on the ISS, but NASA kept delaying their decision to use SpaceX. It was a given that they’d have no choice.

Boeing, quite obviously, cannot be trusted to spend millions of taxpayer’s dollars and make a proper spacecraft.

Anyway, I’ll start posting something more interesting soon.

In the meantime, here’s a Star Trek TOS selfie by Catwoman. I mean Lee Meriwether. (S3:14, That Which Survives)

Time to see the Perseid Meteor shower! ☄️

July 18, 2024
MThomas

The Perseids get their name because the shooting stars appear to stream from a point in the sky where the constellation of Perseus is located…The constellation rises in the northeast, but meteors should be visible all over the sky if conditions are clear.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/perseid-meteor-shower-begins-see-shooting-stars-rcna161911

The best time to watch is after midnight in the northern hemisphere. The meteors are actually debris leftover from the Swift-Tuttle comet, discovered in the early 1860s.

The annual celestial event started this past Sunday and lasts for about two months, but the peak this year is around August 12th.

Perseus looks like this:

See https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/perseus-constellation/ for more information about this group of constellations as well as the famous Greek myth behind them…

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