Our Planet

Why the night sky is dark? [A scientist explains]

Why the night sky is dark? It sounds obvious. That’s what night is. The sun has set and when you look up at the sky, it’s black. Except where there’s a star, of course. The stars are bright and shiny.

Roger Barlow, University of Huddersfield

How to optimize your headspace on a mission to Mars

Interplanetary Transport System - Spaceship Close to Mars

Imagine being confined to a metal cell with a couple of other people and few amenities for months or even years. Maybe after that, you’ll be moved to a new compound, but you still have no privacy and extremely limited communication with your family and anyone else in the outside world. You feel both crowded and lonely at the same time, and yet no one comes to treat your emerging mental-health problems.

Quote of the day by Buzz Aldrin

On December 27, 2019, Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two humans to land on the Moon, published the famous photo of himself standing on the lunar soil, saying:

This is why light pollution in cities is a very bad thing

Do you remember when did you see a sky full of stars last? It’s been many years for me, I even can’t remember when I saw last. A lot of young people didn’t see even once, because of the light pollution in cities, since they were born in cities and probably never went to the countryside.

Sustainability After Death? 5 Eco-Friendly Burial Methods

Adaptation to climate change will be the most significant disruption to our personal and social lives since the last Ice Age. Green living decisions are already affecting the way we construct our homes, get to work, and travel abroad. As our personal habits adjust to include carpooling, recycling, and energy conservation, so too are social traditions like burial rites changing.

The Future of the Internet

In the early days of the Internet, you probably plugged your phone cord into your modem and waited as the computer-generated a series of static, dial tones, and chirps. The aptly-named dial-up Internet was similar to dialing a phone, and it would tie up the phone line as long as you were using the Internet.

This is how I instantly shut down a “the moon landing was faked” debate

James B. Irwin salutes the United States flag on the Moon (cropped)

The moon landing was faked? Many conspiracy theorists hold that the Apollo Moon landings were a hoax, despite tons of evidence it really happened. When I get into a debate with any moon landing conspiracy theorists (I usually try not to get into this, life is too short to debate with morons), I send them this link “China’s first successful lunar laser ranging accomplished” and “the moon landing was faked” debate is always over.

First footage of Earth from space: 1946 V2 Rocket

The first footage of Earth from space (1946)

On October 24, 1946, a V2 rocket (V2 #13) launched by a group of soldiers and scientists from White Sands Proving Ground (today known as White Sands Missile Range – WSMR), New Mexico (USA) returned the first footage of Earth from space. The missile carried a 35-mm camera aloft that snapped an image every second and a half.

Astronaut Christina Koch’s dog welcomes her returning home from space in the most adorable way

Animals are amazing. NASA Astronaut Christina Koch published a short video on her Twitter account (@Astro_Christina) showing her dog’s reaction to her returning home from space after a record-breaking duration.

The Purpose of the Space Force

TDRS-6 launch on January 13, 1993 (featurd image)

The United States’ fascination with space is nothing new. From the great “space race” against the Soviet Union to the current billionaire space race between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, people have been intrigued, captivated, and curious about what the universe truly holds and what it could mean for our future.