Stream of consciousness Ever wondered how we know all this? 14 Feb 201911 Feb 2019 This is what you see in this image: Upper atmosphere, top clouds. Atmosphere consisting of hydrogen, helium, and methane gas. Mantle consisting of water, ammonia, and methane ices. Core consisting…
Stream of consciousness German winter 3 Feb 201924 Jan 2019 In Germany, where I grew up, there is a certain kind of novel which almost exclusively plays in landscapes like this. Those stories have a tendency to be a little…
Stream of consciousness A sky full of stars 31 Jan 201919 Jan 2019 When growing up, I thought accountancy was boring. Becoming a researcher, spending nights looking at lines and points on screens during experiments, I realised that accountancy was probably really exciting,…
Nerdy stuff Superficial arguments 22 Jan 201918 Jan 2019 You know what bugs me? When people call climate change deniers stupid. Same with flat earthers. I mean, we all go about our lives in the same way. None of…
Stream of consciousness Slowly creeping back 20 Jan 201918 Jan 2019 The Sun's back, they say. But she isn't really. She doesn't show herself for very long every day and, truth be told, until the summer, she really isn't back at…
Stream of consciousness Man, JUNO is one h… of a mission 17 Jan 20196 Jan 2019 Images taken by space probes can sometimes be, well, "composed to a lower standard than one would expect". However, if you happen to be someone who may be able to…
Stream of consciousness Korolev crater on Mars 3 Jan 20193 Jan 2019 Rocket science is hard. Very hard. That's what is so interesting about it, too. You have to be an explorer, patient and tenacious, getting things done. I would not be…
Nerdy stuff Mars, Earth and a kid 26 Dec 201824 Dec 2018 The other day, I went to school to teach about the planets. 10-year-olds. Gotta love 10-year-olds! About half way during my time with them, one of them comes up to…
Stream of consciousness Trouble on Saturn 21 Dec 20189 Dec 2018 One of Chandra's iconic images - because of its utter absurdity. The sparkling rings of Saturn. I mean, really? Well, yes. Really. See, solar X-rays strike the rings, and the…