Polaroid Cube

don’t assume the gender of my HYDROGEN! ok

Comet shapes and characteristics from a Chinese silk book (Boshu) written during the Han dynasty (206 BC-22 AD)

SpaceX announced they are planning to send their Red Dragon capsule to Mars as soon as 2018

To send Red Dragon spacecraft to Mars, SpaceX is building a mega-rocket called Falcon Heavy. Based on the company’s successful Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy consists of three core rocket stages, each of which is equipped with landing legs for reusability. They would use the capsule’s thrusters to make a landing. 

This artist’s illustration shows how the capsule could enter Mars’ atmosphere. SpaceX has successfully returned their capsules to Earth during space station resupply missions for NASA.

The Dragon can carry seven astronauts to and from destinations like the International Space Station (not yet a manned mission to Mars I’d guess 😄). Here’s an illustration of the Dragon Version 1 (the new version has some differences), to get the idea:

credit: SpaceX, Karl Tate/Space.com

Eclipse News at AstroTidbits

Don’t know how to prepare for the coming total eclipse of the sun?  Get some info at http://www.astrotidbits.com and be ready.

Did you see what is on www.astrotidbits.com?  Loads of astronomy related stuff, including lots of pictures.

Aerospace Engineering Magazine  April 1962

A close-up of an enhanced-color image of Jupiter’s clouds obtained by NASA’s Juno spacecraft.

NASA/SWRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran / New York Times                 

The Handle 2 camera, another doomed Kodak instant, 1979.