Free Republic

The asteroid, 2025 MN45, completes a full rotation once every 1.88 minutes, meaning it must have a very high strength to keep itself together. An artist's impression of the asteroid 2025 MN45. NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/P. Marenfeld ===================================================================== The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has observed a record-breaking ultra-fast-rotating asteroid. The space rock is the fastest-spinning asteroid larger than 500 meters (0.3 miles) to have ever been observed. The asteroid, designated 2025 MN45, completes a full rotation every 1.88 minutes. Announced at the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory First Look event in June 2025, it was one of 1,900 new...

Explanation: In 2011, on January 20, NASA's NanoSail-D2 unfurled a very thin and very reflective 10 square meter sail becoming the first solar sail spacecraft in low Earth orbit. Often considered the stuff of science fiction, sailing through space was suggested 400 years ago by astronomer Johannes Kepler, who had observed comet tails blown by the solar wind. But modern solar sail spacecraft designs, like NanoSail-D2, Japan's interplanetary spacecraft IKAROS, or the Planetary Society's Lightsail A, rely on the small but continuous pressure from sunlight itself for thrust. Glinting in the sunlight as it circled planet Earth, NanoSail-D2's solar sail...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2004 February 29 Julius Caesar and Leap Days Credit: Rune Rysstad Explanation: Today, February 29th, is a leap day - a relatively rare occurrence. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar, pictured above in a self-decreed minted coin, created a calendar system that added one leap day every four years. Acting on advice by Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes, Caesar did this to make up for the fact that the Earth's year...

December 25, 2003, Christmas DayA Message to Earth Apollo 8 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on December 21, 1968. It was the first mission to the moon with a crew aboard, and its purpose was to orbit the moon in preparation for a future landing on the moon. On Christmas Eve, Apollo 8 entered lunar orbit and the crew began to relay back to Earth live television pictures of the moon and the Earth. They ended their broadcast by saying: “For all the people on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to...

NASA told them to say something. And so they did. "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. . . .'' The trio of astronauts of Apollo 8, speaking from space on Christmas Eve in 1968, quoted from Genesis, the first book of the Bible. It was, opines historian Robert Zimmerman, "the most profound Christmas prayer ever given by any member of the human race.'' "It was a natural. It's really the basis of most of the world's religions,'' said James Lovell, an Apollo 8 astronaut who has lent the flight manual containing the verses to the Adler...

Even though I wasn't born until 1970 I still like to listen this.. You can view the video here: Apollo 8

The Adler Planetarium has the first Christmas message from space: the 1968 flight manual from Apollo 8 containing verses of Genesis. The three crew members took turns, on live television on Christmas Eve, reading the opening passages of the Bible, starting with, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth. ..." "It was a natural. It's really the basis of most of the world's religions," Apollo 8 astronaut and Lake Forest restaurateur James Lovell said in an interview last year. Historian Robert Zimmerman, writing in his book Genesis: The First Manned Flight To Another World, called it "the...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

NASA Television Commemorates Apollo 8 Christmas Eve Broadcast WASHINGTON -- NASA Television will honor the 40th anniversary of the historic Christmas Eve broadcast by the Apollo 8 crew with special programming Dec. 24 and 25 on the NASA TV Public Channel (101). Forty years ago, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders became the first humans to visit another heavenly body as they successfully orbited the moon in their Apollo 8 spacecraft. On Dec. 24, 1968, the three astronauts devoted one of their mission's six live television transmissions to reading from the biblical book of Genesis during what has...

Merry Christmas my fellow Space Freepers...

Apollo 8 Christmas Message

The year 1968 was one of the mst discouraging in modern US history. The Vietnam War dragged on. Despite major civil rights bills, many people feared the country was turning "increasingly seperate and unequal." The nation grieved over the assassinations of Martin Luther King JR. and Robert Kennedy. Riots filled the streets.

It happened on Christmas Eve, 48 years ago. Three men took turns reading from the first 10 verses of the Book of Genesis. They were nearly 250,000 miles away from Bethlehem, but since it was the night before Christmas, and there was no chimney from which to hang their stockings, the three astronauts inside the Apollo 8 capsule orbiting the moon thought it would be appropriate. So as Jim Lovell,Frank Borman and Bill Anders looked at the faraway Earth through the small window of the spacecraft, they read the verses: “In the beginning, God made the heavens and the Earth.”...

Christmas Eve, 1968. As one of the most turbulent, tragic years in American history drew to a close, millions around the world were watching and listening as the Apollo 8 astronauts - Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders - became the first humans to orbit another world.

It happened on Christmas Eve, 48 years ago. Three men took turns reading from the first 10 verses of the Book of Genesis. They were nearly 250,000 miles away from Bethlehem, but since it was the night before Christmas, and there was no chimney from which to hang their stockings, the three astronauts inside the Apollo 8 capsule orbiting the moon thought it would be appropriate. So as Jim Lovell,Frank Borman and Bill Anders looked at the faraway Earth through the small window of the spacecraft, they read the verses: “In the beginning, God made the heavens and the Earth.”...

December 24, 1968: Apollo 8 Genesis Reading and Earthrise"We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you."Apollo 8 Christmas Eve Broadcast - Genesis Reading (1968)Apollo 8 Genesis readingEarthrise is a photograph of Earth and some of the Moon's surface that was taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission.Earthrise

A recording of the Apollo 8 astronauts reading from the book of Genesis.

(Broadcast at source link)TranscriptBill AndersWe are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the...

Diamonds aren't just for jewelry. From their cosmic origins in dying stars to their formation deep within the Earth, these gems possess unique properties that could revolutionize our world. This documentary uncovers the science behind both natural and man-made diamonds, exploring how scientists are creating "super diamonds" that are tougher and more efficient than anything found in nature. Discover how these new diamonds could replace silicon in our electronics, power space exploration, and usher in a new technological age. How This Gem Could Be The Future Of Technology | 45:38 | 284K subscribers | 777,488 views | August 2, 2025

Asteroid 2024 YR4, has sparked concern about its chance of hitting Earth in December 2032. How worried should we be? Scientists Warn Asteroid YR4 May Impact Earth - What We Know So far | 20:22 Dr Ben Miles | 2.17M subscribers | 462,064 views | February 23, 2025 0:00 The Discovery 2024 YR4 0:56 How to Spot an Asteroid 3:07 Ad Read 4:33 Why Are We So Bad at Predicting Asteroid Impacts? 11:42 How Much Damage Could YR4 Do? 13:04 How Could We Stop Asteroid YR4? 16:34 Conclusion