Like a human going through a midlife crisis, an aging AGB star casts off much of the mass that it possesses and makes a cosmic spectacle of itself

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—	My Astronomy Textbook (Universe - Freedman & Kaufmann)

Graphene: Created at the University of Manchester

Best ad that has ever been put in-front of a Youtube video. Awesome.

The danger of science denial - Michael Specter

you are entitled to your opinions, but not your facts, no.

Richard Feynman - Become a Scientist

20 inch telescope at Connecticut College.

Introduction night lab for ASTRO292: Astrophysical Research

Want to feel like Indiana Jones in that wicked-cool scene where he uses a star’s shadow to locate the Ark of the Covenant?

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—	From my next Astro105 Lab: The Solar Observing Project Oh how do I love my professors.

Richard Feynman - Seeing Things

I get to start my Connecticut College Astronomy 105: Solar System Astronomy tomorrow! While I probably will be familiar with most of the information, I am really looking forward to the college exposure in the classroom.

Bill Nye: Why We Explore

Cornell University’s Space Sciences Building.

It’s amazing.

P.S. that’s carl’s globe.

Thanks goes to Astrotastic and Rick Kline!

Top: Carl Sagan’s Photo at Cornell University

Bottom: Carl Sagan’s Headstone

Curiosity will one day join the club of the sad rovers. imsosad.

Remember Curiosity, it is for SCIENCE!

Who most inspires you?

Anonymous

If I am limited to a human being, then I would say Carl Sagan. But if I’m allowed a little freedom here, I would take ‘who’ and replace it with ‘what’. For me then, the choice is much easier. The wondrous encapsulating universe all around us inspires me the most. Billions and billions of stars, beautiful calamity, and vast distances. If we take evolution in its true nature, its not just a story about the first cells, its about where those cells came from. 13.7 billion years ago, the universe burst into existence, later came stars, which when gone supernova unleashed their heavier elements to enrich gas clouds with the elements of life. And out of that same dust clumped planets, gravitationally bound to their star. And from those enriched bodies of rock evolved life itself. Our story is the story of the cosmos. And to say that a mighty god placed us on the planet only a few thousand years ago absolutely belittles this most beautiful story of the cosmos and the human race. In the words of Carl Sagan, “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.”