Space officials called it a "lucky strike" when space debris smacked into the skinny robotic arm on the space station, creating a hole now seen in images.
During a May 29, 1919 solar eclipse, astronomers saw the sun bend starlight, proving Einstein's general relativity and catapulting him to rock star fame.
What a catch! This EarthSky community member caught the International Space Station (ISS) slicing across the night sky on May 17, 2021, passing Polaris, the North Star.
The brightest planet Venus has now returned to the evening sky, joining Mercury. It'll surprise you by appearing so bright, low in the western twilight. The moon swept past Venus Wednesday and Mercury Thursday ... this weekend, Mars!
SpaceX's test flight of Starship SN15 went off without a hitch today, May 5, 2021. Following 4 Starship prototypes that exploded upon landing after their high-altitude flight tests, the SN15 landed safely.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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