Awesome Space

The Earth’s lone moon is very important to the way the world works, affecting everything from the ocean tides, to the regularity of our seasons and the length of our days. But what would happen if another similar asteroid got pulled into the Earth’s orbit? SciShow explores some of the potentially serious implications.

While these wooden nightlights are designed for a space-themed kid’s room or nursery, we think they’d look great on any desk, dresser, or bedside table. Artist Sara Collet Watson sells these and many other cool nightlights in her Etsy shop. Sold with a curved outer skin, or with an open skeletal structure.

If you spent any time paying attention in class, you’d know that every planet spins at a different speed. Scientist and data geek James O’Donaghue put together this nifty visualisation that shows the the relative speed and axial tilt of our Solar System’s planets (and Pluto). We had no idea Jupiter was such a speed demon.

As NASA prepares to return to the Moon in 2024 – then on to Mars and beyond – they remind us that there is nothing easy about launching a rocket and safely delivering its crew, and the inherent risks that go with the great rewards of space exploration. They also revealed the new spacesuits the Artemis program astronauts will wear.

The Ohio State Marching Band sure knows how to put on a show. To celebrate 50 years since humans first landed on the Moon, they marched in formations inspired by the great space race of the 1950s and 1960s, and even recreated the Apollo 11 launch with help from a few fire extinguishers.

Don’t feel small and insignificant enough today? Here, watch this. 3D graphics expert Álvaro Gracia Montoya of MetaBallStudio puts the size of the Earth and our Sun into perspective alongside some of the other stars and planets in the universe.

Inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing, the SVPER 11 features a face with a stylized lunar map. Its design features topographic details of the astronauts’ landing site, The Sea of Tranquility, along with a “radar” second hand, a domed sapphire crystal, and a strap with the landing coordinates laser-etched onto its clasp.

SpaceX continues to refine its reusable rocket, showing off a test where the Starhopper used its SN6 Raptor engine to launch nearly 500 feet into the air, then navigate over a landing pad, and touch down smoothly and in one piece. The company now hopes to apply the same tech to larger rockets.

The cinematic trailer for the interstellar follow-up to the popular space sandbox game Kerbal Space Program doesn’t show any gameplay, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome, as Kerbals race through space backed by M83’s epic Outro. For more on the game’s new features go here, and learn more from the developers.

Too many sticky notes sprawled all over your desk? Keep your personal space organized with Fred’s moon-shaped corkboard and pin set. Each of its six pushpins look like tiny astronauts as they float above the lunar surface. Measures 7″ in diameter.

No, we don’t actually have the capability (yet). But here are the major things that would happen if we somehow destroyed or lost the Moon, courtesy of RealLifeLore. Good news, we’d see more stars at night. Bad news, the polar ice caps would eventually melt.

The eye-popping visuals in Teun van der Zalm’s short film were inspired by a term astrophysicist Carl Sagan coined. “…a place where stars are born. They condense by gravity from gas and dust until their temperatures become so high that they begin to shine.”

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, the talented visual artists of 59 Productions created an incredible projection mapping on the Washington Monument that replicated the launch of the Saturn V rocket and its mission to the moon. Drew Geraci of District 7 Media shared this pristine 4K footage of the event.

This motorized digital telescope uses a crowdsourced database help it track and point at celestial objects. Its light amplification tech captures series of short exposures to display color and detail not typically visible through traditional telescopes, and its optics are designed to limit the impact of light pollution.

Upgrade your LEGO Saturn V rocket with this impressive 45″ tall umbilical tower you can stand your rocket next to. Vonado’s 3073-piece tower was clearly inspired by Bailey Fullarton’s awesome fan-build. Combined with their LED lighting kit, the only thing missing are the flames and a giant cloud of smoke. Rocket model not included.

As a tribute to the 50th anniversary of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing, LEGO created a life-size model of one of the mission’s astronauts using about 30,000 bricks. We love the helmet reflection detail on the 6’3″ tall sculpture. The model will be on display from 7/18-7/20/19 on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

On July 16, 1969 at 8:32 am Eastern Time, Apollo 11 lifted off and headed towards the moon. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this groundbreaking mission, and astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, Eclectic Method created a track using sound samples from the mission and the events leading up to it.

Traveling to and colonizing Mars seems like a very daunting task, but as Aperture points out, humans have been able to influence the climate and landscape on Earth, so why couldn’t we do it there? His video looks at the big changes that would have to happen to make the planet habitable.

Filmmakers Ryan Chylinski and MaryLiz Bender used high-speed cameras to capture incredible imagery from the launches of various SpaceX rockets. The footage is part of a larger project called Guidance Internal: Lessons from Astronauts, which is currently raising production funds on Kickstarter.

Celebrate your love for space exploration with this duo of official NASA goodies from Astro Reality. You’ll get a nifty mug inspired by the the abstract shapes of space, along with an embossed hardcover journal, each of which pair with an augmented reality application to display imagery and information about space travel.

It’s been more than 50 years since the U.S. first started exploring the moon. In this video from NASA’s Goddard Space Center, they combined footage and sound clips from lunar missions with a graph and musical track that echoes the degree of their efforts.

Filmmaker Felix Deirich used data and imagery from Japan’s Himawari-8 meteorological satellite to produce a truly hypnotic time-lapse film of the Earth, captured over the course of a year. Watch in awe as clouds swirl, and storm systems materialize and move across the globe.

With Ronald D. Moore at the helm, it looks like Apple scored a big win for its Apple TV+ streaming service. For All Mankind is a sci-fi drama series set in an alternate reality where the Soviets beat the United States to the first manned moon mission, continuing the two countries’ space race.