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Astronomy (Bloggers & Personal)

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  • SpaceX Is Changing How Starship Launches [25:42]

    07/04/2026 9:50:57 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 10 replies
    YouTube ^ | July 4, 2026 | Marcus House
    SpaceX has been moving at an incredible pace this week! Ship 40 completes a full six-engine static fire, Ship 41 begins cryogenic testing (twice), Ship 42 enters production, Booster 21 finishes stacking and Booster 22 is already underway. We also check out the latest Starbase Pad 1 and Pad 2 construction, plus huge progress at Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A and LC-37. Blue Origin has revealed major changes to New Glenn following the launch pad explosion, NASA has announced new Moon missions, Falcon 9, Atlas V and Amazon Kuiper continue launching, Rocket Lab acquires Iridium, the Canadarm2 is repaired during an...
  • SpaceX Starship Flight 13 Final Prep! Two Starships At Once? [22:28]

    07/02/2026 5:04:40 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 16 replies
    YouTube ^ | July 1, 2026 | What about it!?
    SpaceX just did something unusual with Ship 40. A Starship static fire where 5 of the 6 engines stayed completely silent. That one detail tells us something important about Flight 13. Meanwhile, a second ship is already at the test site, those mysterious white heat tiles are back, and SpaceX is about to set a Starship record no rocket has ever held. SpaceX Starship Flight 13 Final Prep! Two Starships At Once? | 22:28 What about it!? | 651K subscribers | 233,048 views | July 1, 2026
  • The Unpredictable June Bootids

    06/22/2026 10:47:58 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 6 replies
    Space Weather ^ | 2003 | editors / unattributed
    The June Bootid meteor shower is active each year from June 26th until July 2nd. It peaks on June 27th. Normally the shower is very weak, but occasional outbursts produce a hundred or more meteors per hour.The shower's radiant lies in the constellation Bootes (right ascension 14h 56m, declination 48o).The source of the June Bootids is periodic comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke.June Bootid meteoroids hit Earth's atmosphere with a velocity of 18 km/s (40,000 mph).They are considered slow-moving meteors.On June 27th, 1998, northern sky watchers were surprised when meteors suddenly began to stream out of the constellation Bootes. Observers saw as many as...
  • FINALLY! Starship's Next Giant Leap [22:19]

    06/20/2026 10:13:54 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 11 replies
    YouTube ^ | June 20, 2026 | Marcus House
    SpaceX may have just dropped its biggest hint yet about what comes after Starship Flight 13. Indeed, FINALLY! Starship's Next Giant Leap may be here as the new filings point toward an Orbital Return Demo that could mark the next major milestone on the road to full reusability. With that work continues at Starbase on Pads 1 and 2, the Gigabay, and future launch infrastructure. Elsewhere this week, we cover Falcon 9 launches carrying BlueBird satellites, Starlink, and another classified NRO mission, Cargo Dragon’s return from the International Space Station, Astrobotic’s Griffin lunar lander preparing for launch, Ariane 6’s impressive...
  • Neil deGrasse Tyson Confronts Apollo Astronauts on the Moon Landing (Full Lecture) [1:00:04]

    06/13/2026 1:40:40 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 63 replies
    YouTube ^ | May 31, 2026 | Starmus
    Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts a panel featuring Apollo 11, 16, and 17 participants to discuss the scientific, engineering, and personal experiences behind the lunar missions. The discussion explores the technical objectives, the evolution of lunar exploration, and the logistics of navigating the moon's unique environment. Neil deGrasse Tyson Confronts Apollo Astronauts on the Moon Landing (Full Lecture) | 1:00:04 Starmus | 8.27K subscribers | 251,696 views | May 31, 2026
  • SpaceX Just Revealed Its Biggest Plans Yet [25:16]

    06/13/2026 9:34:13 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 15 replies
    YouTube ^ | June 13, 2026 | Marcus House
    Well my friends SpaceX Starship Flight 13 is getting closer! This week we cover the latest Starbase progress, Pad 2 upgrades, and the massive new expansions as SpaceX pushes toward more frequent launches. We also touch on the historic SpaceX IPO, and ambitious space data centre architecture. Indeed SpaceX Just Revealed Its Biggest Plans Yet! With that, record-breaking Falcon 9 mission, plus updates from Stoke Space and Japan’s H3 rocket. NASA also revealed major new Artemis III details, including Blue Origin’s Blue Moon demonstrator, Orion docking plans, and how Starship fits into future Artemis missions. There’s also the latest from...
  • SPACE RACE: Competition with China is MASSIVELY intensifying [13:50]

    06/11/2026 12:17:27 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 16 replies
    YouTube ^ | June 4, 2026 | Fox Business
    NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman joins 'Mornings with Maria' to detail America's plan to beat China back to the Moon, build a permanent lunar base and pave the way for future missions to Mars. SPACE RACE: Competition with China is MASSIVELY intensifying | 13:50 Fox Business | 3.35M subscribers | 69,513 views | June 4, 2026
  • NASA's Project Hail Mary - Last Minute, High Risk, High Reward Rescue Mission [13:20]

    06/10/2026 5:10:51 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 10 replies
    YouTube ^ | June 4, 2026 | Scott Manley
    Last year NASA bought the space mission equivalent of a lottery ticket, a small bet on a mission which has the odds stacked against it, but could be a win on many levels. This is the last TriStar, launching the last Pegasus, carrying a never before flown spacecraft that offers the Swift telescope's last chance to avoid destruction. NASA offered a small contract to attempt a mission to re-boost an old telescope which would otherwise burn up, $30million seemed too small, but Katalyst stepped up with work they'd already been doing on satellite servicing, and in the process they got...
  • this guy zooms in on the sun and found WHAT?! [0:50]

    05/31/2026 6:50:04 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 52 replies
    YouTube ^ | May 19, 2026 | The Haunted Side
    ['Civ note: Never heard of sunspots, annnnd, thinks that this big sunspot exposé is the reason Nikon discontinued the lens used.] this guy zooms in on the sun and found WHAT?! | 0:50 The Haunted Side | 404K subscribers | 353,237 views | May 19, 2026
  • A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Slam Into The Moon, Scientist Says

    05/13/2026 12:06:14 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 33 replies
    ScienceAlert ^ | 12 May 2026 | Ivan Farkas
    According to an analysis by independent astronomer Bill Gray, developer of the Project Pluto software used to track near-Earth objects, the spent SpaceX rocket stage will crash into the Moon on 5 August 2026 at about 06:44 UTC (02:44 EDT).Gray reports the impact should occur around Einstein crater, a heavily impacted area at the threshold between the lunar near side and far side."The motion of space junk is mostly quite predictable; it simply moves under the influence of the gravity of the Earth, Moon, Sun, and planets. We know those with immense precision," Gray explains.At the same time, solar radiation...
  • Another Setback for Starship Flight 12? What Happened Now? [18:11]

    05/04/2026 12:40:10 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 9 replies
    YouTube ^ | May 3, 2026 | Ellie in Space
    Interview with Joe Tegtmeyer. Another Setback for Starship Flight 12? What Happened Now? | 18:11 Ellie in Space | 223K subscribers | 32,205 views | May 3, 2026
  • Scrub! SpaceX Falcon Heavy's first launch since 2024 delayed due to weather [13:27]

    04/27/2026 4:01:37 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 6 replies
    YouTube ^ | April 27, 2026 | VideoFromSpace
    SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket is getting to take to the skies again as it launches the ViaSat-3 F3 mission to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. UPDATE: The launch attempt was scrubbed due to weather on April 27, 2026. Next launch attempt will be April 28. Scrub! SpaceX Falcon Heavy's first launch since 2024 delayed due to weather | 13:27 VideoFromSpace | 2.12M subscribers | 19,216 views | April 27, 2026
  • Artemis II Stakeout - NASA's Crewed Mission Around The Moon [launch at 6:30 PM]

    04/01/2026 10:10:36 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 152 replies
    YouTube ^ | Live [Started streaming 5 hours ago] | NASA
    NASA is counting down to the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years. Launching on SLS and Orion, a crew of four will fly around the Moon as a precursor to humans returning to the surface. Artemis II Stakeout - NASA's Crewed Mission Around The Moon | Live NASASpaceflight | 1.44M subscribers | lots watching now | 4/1/2026
  • Launch of ESA's Celeste mission 1 [3:15]

    03/30/2026 8:25:46 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 2 replies
    YouTube ^ | March 28, 2026 | European Space Agency, ESA
    Credits: Rocket Lab Launch of ESA's Celeste mission 1 | 3:15 European Space Agency, ESA | 1.36M subscribers | 27,893 views | March 28, 2026
  • NASA's Artemis II Q&A from Quarantine [53:49]

    03/29/2026 11:08:17 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 25 replies
    YouTube ^ | March 29 2026 | NASA
    Join us as the Artemis II crew answers questions from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where they're in protective quarantine ahead of their upcoming flight around the Moon. NASA's Artemis II Q&A from Quarantine | 53:49 NASA | 12.8M subscribers | 20,828 views | March 29 2026(Streamed live 2 hours ago)
  • NASA Might Be Able to Reboost the Hubble Space Telescope After All... [10:37]

    03/28/2026 8:52:15 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 16 replies
    YouTube ^ | March 25, 2026 | Ellie in Space
    NASA Might Be Able to Reboost the Hubble Space Telescope After All... | 10:37> Ellie in Space | 222K subscribers | 34,141 views | March 25, 2026 [link to the report from Ars Technica]
  • NASA: Massive 'boom' heard from Ohio to Kentucky caused by exploding meteor [1:56]

    03/17/2026 11:17:55 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 50 replies
    YouTube ^ | March 17, 2026 | ABC News
    A meteor nearly 6ft in diameter weighing roughly 7 tons broke apart above Ohio and was seen across 10 states. NASA: Massive 'boom' heard from Ohio to Kentucky caused by exploding meteor | 1:56 ABC News | 19.5M subscribers | 137,427 views | March 17, 2026
  • Butch Wilmore - He Was Stranded in Space for 286 Days | SRS #287 [3:27:27]

    03/14/2026 9:08:40 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 22 replies
    YouTube ^ | March 12, 2026 | Shawn Ryan Show
    (link set up to start at 2:37:18) Butch Wilmore - He Was Stranded in Space for 286 Days | SRS #287 | 3:27:27 Shawn Ryan Show | 5.96M subscribers | 189,109 views | March 12, 2026
  • Firefly Aerospace Launches Alpha Flight 7 "Stairway To Seven" | Live

    03/11/2026 5:48:40 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 11 replies
    YouTube ^ | March 11, 2025 | NASASpaceflight
    Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables government and commercial customers to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for responsive space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with an approximate 24-hour notice. Firefly is also the only company to achieve a fully successful landing on the Moon. Established in 2017, Firefly’s engineering, manufacturing, and test facilities are co-located in central Texas to enable rapid innovation. The company’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles are built with common...
  • Spectacular fireball over Europe sends meteorite crashing through roof of German home

    03/09/2026 2:56:02 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 32 replies
    Space dot com ^ | published 7 hours ago | Tereza Pultarova
    A meteorite has crashed through the roof of a house in the city of Koblenz in the west of Germany after a spectacular fireball lit up the night sky above western Europe on Sunday evening, March 8.More than 2,800 sightings of the fireball have been reported to the International Meteor Organization (IMO), with dozens of video recordings having been uploaded on social media. Witnesses reported hearing multiple explosions as the space rock disintegrated in the atmosphere, showering fragments across the western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.According to available reports, multiple fragments of the meteorite have already been found in Koblenz's Güls...