Learn about the latest astronomy news and discoveries around humanity’s endeavor beyond the final frontier.
For those who might think space travel is an unnecessary expense, you might want to reconsider. The fact of the matter is that many of the tools and appliances we use on a daily basis are the result of new technologies developed for the purpose of space travel. Take camera phones, for example. In Read More...
If you’re like most of us here at the Optimist Daily, then you probably think it’s wiser to spend money creating solutions down here on Earth rather than dedicating billions towards attempting to inhabit Mars. But before we can even think about settling on the big red planet, the question is: Read More...
On the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11, it’s too simple to just celebrate the men who got the chance to step on the moon. The fact of the matter is that without the work of female mathematicians, space travel would have never been possible. Long before NASA was created, groups of female Read More...
Most of us would have never imagined traveling to outer space in our lives, but these days, it’s looking ever more possible for the average Joe to go into orbit—or at least, an average Joe with bags of money. This month, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic announced it is going public and is Read More...
Something absolutely crazy about Apollo lunar module was that it couldn’t be flight-tested before use. The first time each lunar module got a shakedown flight was the moment it was being used in space. It also meant that the astronauts flying the lunar module could only ever learn to fly it using Read More...
If you really think about it, the fact that humans managed to step foot on the moon in 1969 is absolutely mind-boggling. It remains one of humanity’s greatest feats and continues to capture the hearts and minds of people all over the world. That’s why in honor of the Apollo missions' 50th year Read More...
If you ever watch Star Trek, you’ll notice something very interesting: the wristwatch they used in the show has many remarkable similarities to today’s smartphones and smart watches. This isn’t the only instance where science fiction later became science fact. In 1945, long before the first Read More...
Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still. We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars. - Carl Sagan This past week, our Editorial Team put our focus on the Moon and the stars, the Read More...
Science Fiction, Otherworldly Aspirations & Innovative Teamwork By Kristy Jansen July 20, 2019 was the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first small step on another world, and humanity’s symbolic “giant leap” into the future. In the intervening decades, we have learned how to Read More...
Oh my, oh my, how far science has come. This week, scientists managed to capture the first-ever images of a black hole that is 55 million light-years from Earth. To get a sense of how difficult it is to take a detailed photo of a black hole, imagine trying to figure out a way to get a close-up shot Read More...