BASTIAN OF THE STARS

Current events following astronomy, exoplanet discovery, and space exploration.

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) – Mysterious Signals From Outer Space

by Sebastian | November 2, 2019 | Intergalactic Phenomenon | 0 Comments

A Fast Radio Burst, or FRB, is a transient radio pulse originating from an unknown high-energy astrophysical phenomenon. Lasting milliseconds, The majority of FRBs are one offs, occurring quickly only to never reappear again, however several repeating FRBS have been...

Comet 2I/Borisov Imaged By Hubble

by Sebastian | October 17, 2019 | Cool Rocks, NASA | 0 Comments

On October 16, 2019, NASA released footage of Comet 2I/Borisov, a likely interstellar visitor, captured by the Hubble Telescope several days prior. Borisov is the second (basically) confirmed interstellar visitor after ‘Oumuamua. Unlike the rocky asteroid-like...

TESS Observes Star Shredding Black Hole

by Sebastian | October 3, 2019 | Black Holes, NASA | 0 Comments

On September 26, 2019, NASA reported that the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Mission, mankind’s premier planet hunter, recently observed the initial bursts of a tidal disruption event, a world first in the history of our civilization. This cosmic...

Comet C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) Potential 2nd Confirmed Interstellar Visitor

by Sebastian | September 18, 2019 | Cool Rocks, Interstellar | 0 Comments

On August 30, 2019, amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov made a fascinating discovery when he detected a comet set on a rather odd path. From his very own MARGO observatory located in Crimea, Borisov spotted Comet C/2019 Q4 approximately 3 AU from the Sun. The Minor...

The Artemis Program

by Sebastian | September 6, 2019 | Moon, NASA | 0 Comments

Artemis represents the next stage of mankind’s pursuit into the unknown, as NASA continues developing the mission that will bring American astronauts back to the Moon, bringing the first woman to ever set foot on our bright little neighbor, and creating a permanent...

Virgin Galactic Set to Become First Publicly Traded Space Company

by Sebastian | July 12, 2019 | Industry, Virgin Galactic | 0 Comments

On July 9, 2019, entrepreneur extraordinaire Sir Richard Branson announced plans to take his space tourism venture Virgin Galactic public by the end of 2019, becoming the world’s first publically traded commercial human spaceflight company. Since its founding in 2004,...

NASA’s Dragonfly Will Search For Life on Titan

by Sebastian | July 4, 2019 | Lander, NASA, Technology | 0 Comments

On June 27, 2019, NASA announced its next destination into deep space where no man’s gone before: Titan, Saturn’s largest moon and the solar system’s second largest satellite behind Ganymede (Jupiter). A unique icy world, Titan presents NASA a significant challenge...

DART: Double Asteroid Redirection Test Mission

by Sebastian | June 24, 2019 | NASA, Planetary Defense | 0 Comments

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test Mission, also referred to as DART, is a planetary defense program designed to test technologies to prevent impacts from Earth’s most notorious nemeses: hazardous asteroids. For the first time in our planet’s history, our...

Supernova 1987a

by Sebastian | June 12, 2019 | Phenomenon, Supernovae | 0 Comments

Supernova 1987a, also known by its designation SN1987A, is a type II supernova that occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud some 168,000 light-years away from Earth. The light from 1987a reached Earth on February 23, 1987, becoming the first discovered supernova of the...

Halley’s Comet

by Sebastian | June 8, 2019 | Cool Rocks | 0 Comments

Every 75 years, Halley’s Comet traverses our planetary neighborhood, providing an astonishing spectacle of beaming light before drifting back into the Solar System. It is the most famous comet identified by mankind, having first been observed by Chinese astronomers...

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Comet 2I/Borisov Imaged By Hubble

by Sebastian | Oct 17, 2019 | Cool Rocks, NASA

TESS Observes Star Shredding Black Hole

by Sebastian | Oct 3, 2019 | Black Holes, NASA

Comet C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) Potential 2nd Confirmed Interstellar Visitor

by Sebastian | Sep 18, 2019 | Cool Rocks, Interstellar

The Artemis Program

by Sebastian | Sep 6, 2019 | Moon, NASA

Virgin Galactic Set to Become First Publicly Traded Space Company

by Sebastian | Jul 12, 2019 | Industry, Virgin Galactic

NASA’s Dragonfly Will Search For Life on Titan

by Sebastian | Jul 4, 2019 | Lander, NASA, Technology

DART: Double Asteroid Redirection Test Mission

by Sebastian | Jun 24, 2019 | NASA, Planetary Defense

Supernova 1987a

by Sebastian | Jun 12, 2019 | Phenomenon, Supernovae

Halley’s Comet

by Sebastian | Jun 8, 2019 | Cool Rocks

Comet Encke

by Sebastian | Jun 6, 2019 | Cool Rocks

On January 17, 1786, French astronomer Pierre Mechain discovered Comet Encke, but it wasn’t until 1819 when German astronomer Johann Franz Encke calculated its trajectory that the object became officially recognized. Comet Encke orbits our Sun once every 3.3 years,...

The Wow! Signal

by Sebastian | May 4, 2019 | Mysteries, Phenomenon

May the 4th be with you! On May 25, 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope hit theaters, forever changing the world of cinema. Months later in that same year, an astronomer named Jerry R. Ehman made a curious observation that's puzzled the scientific community to this day. At...

Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

by Sebastian | Apr 24, 2019 | NASA, Space Observatory

Twenty-nine years ago, the Hubble Space Telescope launched into orbit, beginning one of NASA’s greatest missions that completely altered the way our civilization views the Cosmos. The first of NASA’s Great Observatories, Hubble launched on April 24, 1990 aboard the...

The Boötes Void

by Sebastian | Apr 20, 2019 | Intergalactic Phenomenon, Mysteries

The Boötes Void is a massive spherical region in space approximately 330 million light-years in diameter (accounting for 0.27% of the diameter of the entire Universe) composed of empty space. Also called “The Great Nothing,” this mysterious region resides in the...

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

by Sebastian | Apr 15, 2019 | Space Observatory, Technology

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) represents NASA’s technological prowess and innovation as humanity’s premier space observatory of the 2020s. NASA expects to launch it into orbit sometime in 2021, though the ambitious project has already had some schedule changes...

Proxima Centauri B

by Sebastian | Apr 14, 2019 | Exoplanets

Located slightly over 4 light-years away from Earth, Proxima Centauri B, our closest neighboring world, bears many characteristics that suggest it might offer ideal conditions to support life. The exoplanet, also referred to as Proxima B, was discovered in 2016 by the...

NASA Releases Landmark Twin Study Results

by Sebastian | Apr 13, 2019 | NASA, Pioneers

NASA Twins Study results examining the effects of the human body in a spaceflight environment were published this week in an April 12, 2019 edition of Science. NASA began the study in 2015, with the objective to prepare for advanced crewed missions to the Moon and...

Event Horizon Telescope Releases First Image of a Black Hole

by Sebastian | Apr 10, 2019 | Black Holes, News

In a coordinated press conference held around the world, researchers at the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a globe-spanning array consisting of eight ground-based radio telescopes, announced the first ever successful direct imaging of a supermassive black hole. A...

European Southern Observatory (ESO)

by Sebastian | Apr 8, 2019 | ESA, Facilities

Successor to the European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) represents 16 nations collaborating on ground based astronomical research. At a 1962 Convention, the ESO announced its primary mission,...

Gliese 667 Cc

by Sebastian | Apr 7, 2019 | Exoplanets

Residing in a triple star system in the Scorpius constellation some 23-23 light-years away, Gliese (GJ) 667 Cc orbits within the habitable zone of its red dwarf star. Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory discovered Gliese 667 Cc in 2011 (announced 2012)...

Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)

by Sebastian | Apr 6, 2019 | NASA, Space Observatory

The Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) is an infrared space telescope launched in 2003, its mission ongoing. It is the final installation of NASA’s Great Observatories Program, following the Hubble Space Telescope, Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, and the Chandra X-ray...

Kepler-1229b

by Sebastian | Apr 4, 2019 | Exoplanets

Kepler-1229b is a confirmed Super-Earth exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star, Kepler-1229, inside the habitable zone. It is the lone planet of the star system, located 770 light-years away from Earth in the Cygnus constellation. Discovered on May 12, 2016 by the Kepler...

Fermi Paradox: Dark Forest Theory

by Sebastian | Apr 3, 2019 | Mysteries, SETI

The Dark Forest Theory is a possible explanation for the Fermi Paradox, albeit a darker and unappealing possibility. The Fermi Paradox, named after physicist Enrico Fermi who conceived the idea, poses a simple yet dauntingly perplexing premise:1) If there are...

NASA’s Europa Clipper

by Sebastian | Apr 2, 2019 | Orbiter, Technology

The Europa Clipper is a spacecraft under construction set to launch in 2023 to orbit Europa, one of Jupiter’s most intriguing moons. During its mission, the orbiter will observe and analyze Europa, to determine whether the giant ice ball possess all the ideal...

European Southern Observatory Announces “Ground Breaking” Results

by Sebastian | Apr 1, 2019 | Black Holes, ESA, News

The European Space Observatory (ESO) announced today that the European Commission, the European Research Council, and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project will hold a press conference…

Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX)

by Sebastian | Mar 30, 2019 | Satelites, Technology

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) is a NASA satellite tasked with creating a map featuring boundaries between interstellar space and our Solar System. Launched on a Pegasus XL rocket from Vandenberg Airforce Base in California with an assist from Lockheed’s...

5th National Space Council Convenes to Discuss Future

by Sebastian | Mar 27, 2019 | NASA, News

On March 26, 2019, the National Space Council convened for its 5th assembly to discuss the future of the American Space Program. Speaking on behalf of the White House, Vice President Mike Pence announced that American astronauts will return to the Moon within the next...

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)

by Sebastian | Mar 26, 2019 | NASA, SETI

The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is an international effort devoted to answering one of humanity’s most perplexing questions: are we alone in the universe? The tumultuous history of this ambitious endeavor rose from humble beginnings at the dawn of...

Very Large Array (VLA)

by Sebastian | Mar 25, 2019 | Facilities, Observatories

The Very Large Array (VLA) is one of Planet Earth’s premier astronomical radio observatories. An important component of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the VLA is located in central New Mexico and houses twenty seven 25-meter radio telescopes,...

Wolf 1061c

by Sebastian | Mar 23, 2019 | Exoplanets

Wolf 1061c is an exoplanet confirmed to orbit within the habitable zone of its host star (Wolf 1061) 13.8 light-years away from Earth, residing in the constellation Ophiuchus, the fifth closest potentially habitable world to Earth. Above: artist concept of a...

Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO)

by Sebastian | Mar 21, 2019 | NASA, Space Observatory

The Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) is a space observatory launched on STS-93 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 23, 1999, its mission ongoing to the present day. Designed to detect x-ray emissions from extremely hot regions of space including galaxy...

Cannonball Pulsar Detected Blazing Through Space

by Sebastian | Mar 20, 2019 | NASA, Pulsar

On March 19, 2019, NASA announced that astronomers using NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the Very Large Array discovered a “Cannonball” pulsar on a swift trajectory, blazing through the Milky Way at 2.5 million miles per hour, five times faster than the...

China’s Sights Set On Mars, 2020

by Sebastian | Mar 19, 2019 | China, Mars

The past few months have been exciting for China's ambitious space program. Following a successful lunar landing on the Moon’s dark side and several captivating announcements for the future, Wu Weiren, the chief designer behind China’s lunar exploration program,...

Solar Storm of 1859: The Carrington Event

by Sebastian | Mar 17, 2019 | Sun

The Solar Storm of 1859, also known as the Carrington Event, was a geomagnetic storm of immense power that occurred during September 1-2, 1859. A solar coronal mass ejection (CME) struck Earth’s magnetosphere, producing one the greatest geomagnetic storms ever...

16 Psyche

by Sebastian | Mar 16, 2019 | Cool Rocks, Solar System

16 Psyche is an M-type asteroid residing in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. In other words… it is one of the ten most massive asteroids in the belt, over 120 miles (200km) in diameter, and the most massive known M-type asteroid. Italian astronomer Annibale...

Chinese Solar Farms by 2025

by Sebastian | Mar 10, 2019 | China, Sun

Continuing a trend of historic success and burgeoning space ambitions, China’s state sponsored Science and Technology Daily announced plans to design, construct, and launch a power station into Earth’s orbit that will harness the energy produced by the Sun, initially...

Solar System’s Newest Most Distant Object: FarFarOut

by Sebastian | Mar 9, 2019 | Kuiper Belt, Solar System, TNO

In an unexpected cosmic twist, a newly discovered Trans-Neptunian object attained the title of the most distant body in the Solar System, dethroning the previous record holder Farout, discovered in early January, even stealing (or borrowing/inspired by, choose your...