Article written by: Phil Hall Two weeks ago, a space-suited mannequin was strapped inside a cherry red car, the car was strapped inside a rocket, and the whole lot was launched into space. Although the shiny convertible might be the first of its kind in space, the mannequin, dubbed ‘Spaceman’, Read more
Recent observations of the helium star HD144941 have been obtained from space. Armagh astronomers Professor Simon Jeffery and Dr Gavin Ramsay have discovered that they show a light curve best explained by darker and lighter patches on the star’s surface coming into view as the star rotates with a period Read more
Since the beginning of the space age, humanity has been sending robotic emissaries to all corners of the solar system. These represent some of the most complex technological undertakings ever conceived. Travelling for years and even decades to their destinations, they have helped form a modern picture of the solar Read more
After telling us about the Sun, in part two of this posting Armagh astronomer Gerry Doyle takes us through the telescopes and satellites being used to study the Sun. The Solar Physics community needs continued access to state-of-the-art observational facilities (both space- and ground-based) that cover a broad range of wavelengths and Read more
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium’s Robinson Lecture this year will be about the Sun. To lead into this here is the first of two articles about why astronomers study our Sun, and the range of telescopes and satellites co-opted to the the task. Solar physics is the branch of astrophysics that Read more
The 2018 Robinson Lecture will be given by Professor Louise Harra of University College London. Her topic is about the Solar Orbiter, a new spacecraft to be launched to study the Sun. It will be held in the Archbishop’s Palace in Armagh on Wednesday 22 November, 2017, starting at 7pm. Read more
On October 31, 2017, the world will celebrate the international hunt for dark matter. Armagh Observatory and Planetarium will be having a special showing of the “Phantom of the Universe” at 2pm, a Full Dome show which discusses our understanding (or lack thereof) Dark Matter, and the search to find Read more
On Aug 14th 2017 LIGO and the Virgo Gravitational Wave detectors based in the USA and Italy detected the fourth merging Black Hole event. This was a triumph for both groups, but especially the Virgo group which had only started taking regular data earlier that month. It did leave many Read more
Gaia is a satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) on 19 December 2013. It is essentially a census gathering information on over one billion stars, totalling an amazing 1% of the galaxy’s total population, measuring their positions, motion, brightness and colour. Gaia’s primary objective is to create the Read more
It is common knowledge that the Earth is running out of resources, we’re constantly plagued with images and statistics supporting renewable energy and changing our way of thinking but what if we gathered resources from Space and gave the Earth a break from human pillaging? This is an idea from Read more
Michael Burton, Director, AOP On 27th July 2017, the RoI Minister John Halligan switched on I-LOFAR telescope, the largest radio telescope in the world, at Birr Castle in Co. Offaly. The Armagh Observatory and Planetarium is a member of the 8 institutions across the island of Ireland that came together to build I-LOFAR. Read more
Named after a famed 17th Century Italian-French astronomer the Cassini spacecraft took 10 years to reach a distant location in the Solar System, that of Saturn and its surrounding neighbourhood. Since its arrival in 2004 it has made a number of remarkable discoveries during its exploratory mission. The Cassini Read more
Would you like to live on Mars? This is a question that we here at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium ask on a daily basis. There never is a solid yes or no answer from any of the groups we ask, whether they be young or old. We usually Read more
Michael Burton, Director of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Have you been enthralled by the BBC’s Stargazing Live Australia, hosted by Brian Cox and Dara O Briain and shown over three nights at the end March this year? A spectacular show, hosted from Siding Spring Observatory in the Warrumbungles National Park Read more
The discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 exo-planetary system is a truly remarkable event in science. It is an exemplar of how an armada of telescopes – some located on the ground and some in space, and collectively owned by a league of nations – can work together to chart new frontiers Read more
Armstrong and Aldrin were the first two people on the Moon when Apollo 11 landed there in July 1969. This astonishing achievement (which it should not be forgotten was followed by five more successful landings) continues to fascinate our readers who are still eager to learn more about the details. Read more
Tim Peake is clearly a man who likes a challenge and has a keen sense of adventure, for in his spare time the father of two enjoys skiing, cross-country running, climbing and caving. However the UK-born former pilot from Chichester is due to embark on his greatest adventure before the Read more
Is this a new dawn for suborbital travel? The Blue Origin company’s New Shepard rocket test vehicle made a successful flight into space on its second mission from its West Texas launch pad on 23 November 2015. Blue Origin aims to develop a series of reusable passenger carrying space vehicles Read more
While suspicion, fear, and fantasy, at times were closely associated with the Cold War period in terms of how the USA and the USSR viewed one another’s respective actions, it became clear that space projects were not exempt from this mutual scrutiny either. One such project which did little to Read more
The space programmes of the USA and USSR began in a spirit of bitter Cold War rivalry but by the early 1970s internation tensions had eased a little into a détente and what had been unthinkable ten years earlier was possible. In 1975 the world saw the historic meeting in Read more
Recently the idea of people living on Mars has been the talk of the astronomy circle and has captured the minds of many. Once posed with this possibility, the natural inquisitiveness of people kicked in. Is it possible? Why are people doing it? How will they survive? What will they Read more
Some of us who have vivid memories of famous spacecraft and rockets that ‘had their day’ in the consciousness of the world may wonder what prominent space agencies are working on today that in stature could match their former technological achievements. If any of us have found ourselves pondering this Read more
Our Solar System is vast. We on Earth cruise around the Sun in an orbit with a radius of about 150 million km (93 million miles), but the most distant planet, Neptune, is about thirty times further from the Sun. Enormous distances and the limitations of rocketry means reaching the Read more
One year or 365.25 days, the length of time it takes the Earth to complete one orbital path around the Sun and the length of time American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will spend out of this world. Launching on 27 March 2015, these two men will Read more
When Chris Hadfield revealed the heavens to people across the world by making us feel like we were there with him with his beautiful images and excellent videos he really opened up what the job and duties of an astronaut is. The name astronaut is from the Greek words for Read more
If at one time or another any have considered NASA’s human space exploration program to have been rather uneventful, unambitious, or even stagnant since the days of the Apollo Moon missions, they will now need to sit up and pay attention so as not to miss another space exploration juggernaut Read more
Humans have been exploring mysterious lands and faraway civilizations for hundreds of years ever since they had the ability and knowledge to do so. A curiosity and a desire to investigate the unknown has helped humans learn more about the world around us. Technology today has also developed to allow Read more
The second human Moon landing might have ended in disaster 36 seconds after liftoff. It was 14 November 1969 and the mighty Saturn 5 rocket carrying the crew of Apollo 12 was steadily ascending into the Florida sky when it was hit by lightning. The mission’s commander, Charles “Pete” Read more
We all know of the pioneering journey of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and the sometimes forgotten third astronaut Michael Collins. Armstrong and Aldrin were the first astronauts to successfully land the Lunar Module (LM) Eagle on the Moon in 1969 whilst Collins orbited in the Command and Service Module (CSM) Read more
“Man must rise above Earth, to the top of the atmosphere and beyond, for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives” Socrates (circa 399BC). Of course the philosopher Socrates would not have been thinking about satellites or spacecraft at this time, but his famous quote Read more
In July 1969, those who could gathered around available television sets and radios for the moment that human life would leave their first trace on the Moon. At 0256 GMT Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Lunar Module Eagle. As his left foot touched the lunar surface, he declared the Read more
When asked about famous astronauts, children can usually name the big hitters such as the humble Neil Armstrong and his co-lunar lander Buzz Aldrin. Some can even throw in for good measure the third member of Apollo 11, Michael Collins and some can even surprise me by mentioning the awe Read more
Although the concept of something being “there” but being hidden from our eyes under the cover of darkness is one that has disturbed usually one or other of us once upon a time, when it comes to space it’s hard to find an idea that thrills scientists and astronomers more. Read more
It is almost three years since NASA’s Space Shuttle program flew its last mission in July 2011, after providing a mode of transport into space for various crews over a 30 year career. The retired fleet of four orbiters (Challenger, Endeavour, Discovery and Atlantis) are now pride of place in Read more
Comets are frozen lumps of ice (often called volatiles) and rock that come from distant parts of our Solar System. As they move closer and around the Sun, the frozen materials start to melt and this causes a tail to form. The spectacular sight of a visible comet without the Read more
If you have a spare nine minutes, grab a coffee and chocolate biscuit and sit back and enjoy the amazing video chronicling Friends School Lisburn’s entry into the space race! Wasn’t that fantastic? You can learn the true story about this voyage to the edge of space in the video Read more
When most people take their vacation for the year they tend to do their best to completely take their mind of their work and as I boarded the long flight to Orlando Florida and I did my very best to do just that! And while I had many exciting things Read more
On 25 December 2003 space exploration fans expected an extra Christmas gift. Beagle 2, a robotic spacecraft was to descend on the dusty plains of Mars. Once settled there, the tiny probe would play a musical call sign then start to photograph and poke the Martian soil in search of Read more
There are thought be thousands of satellites in working order in orbit around the Earth. If the count was to include all Earth satellites including broken parts and discarded pieces, there are thought to be 21,000 pieces of space junk greater than 10cm across up there. If we include fragments Read more
Our attempts to reach out into space and learn as much as we can about our Universe and also learn much more about the workings of our beautiful Blue Planet has come at a cost and the space agencies around the world have not ignored the growing space “graveyard” encompassing Read more
A rare astronomical event due to occur in the late 1970s inspired the desire to send a spacecraft to the most distant planets in our Solar System and beyond. That decision almost 40 years later has meant humans have created and launched a spacecraft which has travelled to the boundary Read more
Students in Northern Ireland hoping for careers in the exciting and increasingly important space sector now can pursue a course targeting their needs. The Council for the Curriculum Examinations & Assessment’s new QCF Level 2 Space Science Technology qualification has been accredited by Ofqual and is available for first teaching Read more
New research and findings are coming to light suggesting that that we Earthlings might just all really be descended from Martians instead of that fell down to Earth on a meteorite from the rusty Red Planet. I am not suggesting that the Martian meteorite cracked up to reveal a lost Read more
With the anniversary of the passing of one of the most iconic figures in mankind’s space exploration program, it affords us an excuse to re-examine the short but history-making space mission we all know today as Apollo 11. Landmark events in human exploration and scientific discovery can often capture the Read more
It is probably every rookie astronaut’s nightmare, and probably even a veteran astronaut’s nightmare…scratch that it’s probably every single astronaut’s biggest fear that their spacecraft is destroyed whilst out on a space walk and they are stranded in space completely alone with no way of contacting Earth! Well that just Read more
On 4 May 2013 astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn left the warmth and atmosphere of the International Space Station to repair a leak of ammonia coolant from the ISS. During the 5 hour, 30 minute spacewalk Cassidy and Marshburn removed a pump controller box from the truss (the girderwork Read more
Canadian born astronaut Chris Hadfield has made his country extremely proud over his many years in service, from his countless honours and experiences as a pilot, to being the first Canadian to walk in space. He was also the first Canadian to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the Read more
2013 marked 40 years since Skylab, NASA’s first post-Moon landings human spaceflight project, was sent into orbit. Here is an overview of this rather forgotten series of missions. So what was Skylab? Skylab was the first and so far last all-American space station to orbit the Earth. It Read more
Spacesuits or suits for space. The name appears explicitly clear. However as there is no definitive boundary marking the edge of Earth’s gradually diminishing atmosphere and the start of space, apart from a few more incontrovertible examples in our mind’s eye, we may feel that the actual parameters of the Read more
Ever fancied yourself in a spacesuit? Whether in fact you believe that a spacesuit makes desirable fancy dress, it is undoubtedly, more so than any other profession in which a high-profile uniform is worn, iconic. However compared to those occupations in which uniforms are primarily worn to draw attention, spacesuits Read more
The idea that the Apollo missions to the Moon were a hoax can be found in books, DVD documentaries and many websites. These claim that sending crews to the Moon was impossible so NASA faked the missions on Earth. Some put forward evidence to prove this. This conspiracy theory is Read more
In June 1882, at 30 years of age, John Dreyer was appointed Director of Armagh Observatory following the death of Thomas Romney Robinson, who had held the post for a lengthy 59 years. He was the first non-Irishman and non-cleric to hold the position. Dreyer is best remembered for creating Read more
After an amazingly brief 17 months of designing and testing, the ‘Moon buggy’, the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), or Lunar Rover was used from 1971-1972 as a key component of missions 15-17 of the Apollo Program. Created primarily to extend the range of terrain that the two Apollo crew members Read more
Music can be a great way to relax and unwind. Many people play an instrument, are part of a band or enjoying listening to their favourite song on the radio or TV. The iPod generation have music available to them at any time with their portable devices. Enjoying music however, Read more
Back in December 1972, astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmidt spent 75 hours on the Moon before joining their comrade Ron Evans in lunar orbit for the return to Earth. This was the Apollo 17 mission and was the last time to date that anyone walked on the lunar surface. Read more
Neil Armstrong was born in 1930 in Ohio and died in 2012 in Ohio. Between those two dates he became immortal on the Moon. Think about it, as long as there are human beings his name will be remembered. One day perhaps all the heroes and tyrants and martyrs and Read more
I’m sure you’ve heard the one:what do you get if you cross a sheep and a spacecraft?Or what about:what do you get if you cross a plane and a spaceship?Well to see if you come up with the same answers as me, read on… Over the years comic book illustrators Read more
NASA’s Curiosity rover’s safe arrival in Gale Crater,Mars,thanks to some innovative technology, is still being applauded throughout the world.It is easy to forget that the one-tonne robot is not the first Mars rover.The most incredible new-era technology had already been deployed on Mars by NASA, is executing crucial missions at Read more
NASA Mars Exploration Program Team are now achieving such a level of accuracy in landing craft on the Martian surface that the targeted landing area for Curiosity was like an arrow hitting the bull’s-eye from hundreds of kilometres away. Proportionally this bull’s-eye equates to a landing zone on Mars measuring Read more
I had my doubts, but NASA didn’t let us down when the Agency’s Curiosity rover was successfully landed in Gale Crater, Mars at 5.14 UTC on 6 August 2012. The first images are unimpressive (but are of course from the hazcams, small low resolution cameras for evaluating potential Read more
On 6 August, while many of us are enjoying the Olympics, staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will be nervously watching their monitors, waiting for a message from Mars.If all goes well, their Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft will scream through the tenuous Martian atmosphere, until its parachute cracks open, followed Read more
Space enthusiasts world-wide have been shocked and saddened by the death of NASA astronaut Sally Ride after a prolonged struggle with cancer.Dr Ride, a physicist, was recruited by NASA in 1978 in its Astronaut Group 8 (the first such group with female astronauts) and flew her first flight on the Read more
The Boeing X-37, also called the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is an unmanned American spacecraft. Its first orbital mission was on 22 April 2010 returning back to Earth on 3 December 2010. A second X-37 was launched on 5 March 2011 and has not yet returned to Earth at time Read more
In the upcoming weeks you will be hearing in the news the words “Dragon Spacecraft”, so Sinead McNicholl has the full story on what exactly this new vehicle is and what it will be used for. The Dragon is a spacecraft developed by a company called the Space Read more
Three years later after the first men walked on the Moon, the Apollo 16 mission, launched 16 April 1972 , landed men on the moon successfully for the fifth time and as the second such ‘J’-Mission to have been executed, again utilised the Lunar Roving Vehicle. This mission also took Read more
In December 2014, a Delta IV Heavy rocket will thunder skywards from Florida, launching NASA’s first Orion spacecraft to an altitude that has not been achieved by a human spacecraft flight since the last Apollo lunar landing mission forty years ago. Designated Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), this milestone test (to Read more
Once upon a time rockets were exciting symbols of a glorious and exciting future when everyone would get their chance to have a holiday on the Moon. Well the future is now and the lunar resorts are still not here. Launch vehicles are another dull but necessary piece of civilisation’s Read more
On 20 February 1962, John Glenn (1921-2016) became the fifth human to enter space. For his spaceflight Glenn, a US Marine Corps aviator was strapped into a tiny Mercury capsule (named Friendship 7) just as Alan Shepard and “Gus” Grissom, the two earlier US astronauts had been. There was a Read more
According to legend, centuries ago a Chinese official named Wan Hu attempted to visit the Moon. His spacecraft was a large wicker chair to which were fastened 47 large rockets (bamboo tubes packed with gunpowder). His underlings rushed forward to light the fuses then retreated. A moment later there was Read more
Fewer than 600 people have ever seen our world from space and only a couple of dozen have travelled far enough away to seen the Earth as a planet against the infinity of space. All have found viewing their homeworld from beyond to be a profound experience. Russian cosmonaut Read more
Space will never be conquered! Sad, but true. Let me explain how I’ve reached this conclusion. Planet Earth is big! The furthest you can travel from home across the Earth’s surface is about 20 000 km (any further and you’re on the way home again). How long would it Read more
St Patrick’s Academy in Dungannon is hosting a fantastic public event for stargazers this Saturday evening. This local school has its own observatory and astronomy club for the students but this event on 3 December is for anyone interested in astronomy (details below). The venue is St. Patrick’s Academy, Read more
A few years ago there was a vogue among historians to write about ‘counterfactuals’.A counterfactual examines the importance of an event for subsequent history by asking what if that event had taken a radically different course.What if the Nazis had invaded the UK in 1940? What if Napoleon had won Read more
Before Yuri Gagarin made the historic first orbit around the Earth in 1961, animals had already visited the unknown. They were used to collect medical data and to test the spacecraft’s durability before sending manned missions. Once the survivability of spaceflight was confirmed, humans then began to travel where previously Read more
Back in December 2009, with great fanfare, space tourism company Virgin Galactic unveiled the vehicles their fare-paying passengers will ride in as they ascend into space. Built by the Spaceship Company (a coventure of Virgin and that supremely adventurous aircraft manufacturer Scaled Composites), the pair are engineering marvels. The huge Read more
This month’s image is a NASA diagram of the classic 1960s Gemini spacecraft. Ten of these craft carried twenty astronauts into orbit between March 1965 and November 1966, filling the gap between the pioneering Mercury flights and the Moon-focused Apollo missions. These were essential to investigate just how to perform Read more
On 14 September 2011, NASA revealed the design of its new rocket, the Space Launch System. This titanic vehicle may send American astronauts to the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids or even further into deep space. The SLS is intended to carry NASA’s proposed new crewed spacecraft, the Multi-Purpose Crew Read more
The Lunar Module was an iconic spacecraft which carried two-man crews to and from the Moon’s surface during NASA’s Apollo Program of the 1960s and ‘70s. Along with the Saturn 5 rocket and the Apollo Command and Service Modules (CSM), the Lunar Module is the third of the trinity of Read more
Apollo 15 was sent to the Moon in July 1971, its primary mission goals to explore the spectacular Hadley-Appenine region, carry out scientific experiments from orbit and evaluation of new and improved Apollo equipment,including the Lunar Rover. Here is the story of possibly the most ambitious Apollo moon landing. Read more
Spirit, one of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers has finally transmitted its last data back to Earth. We look back upon the career of this valiant space explorer. Our neighbouring planet Mars came closer to Earth than it has for thousands of years, in August 2003. NASA had decided in 2000 Read more
Space technology is transforming archeology. Use of satellite imagery is revealing details of the past previously inaccessible to scholars of ancient times. Studying the ancient civilizations of the past is not always an easy feat. Limited resources, early languages and lost cities make exploring the past a challenge. Delving under Read more
The Shuttle era is coming to an end this year thirty years after the launch of Columbia. While it can boast many successes and certainly caught the imagination of the public this project also had some disasters and many critics. Columbia was the first shuttle to be launched on April Read more
It is June 30 1971, and a ground crew in Kazakhstan are waiting to recover three cosmonauts from the Soyuz 11 spacecraft. The trio, the first space station crew, are expected to be unused to terrestrial gravity after their weeks in micro-gravity. The recovery team are expecting to help the Read more
The first American in space, Alan Shepard, made his historic flight fifty years ago. Part of Project Mercury, the flight of Freedom 7 followed mere weeks after Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering spaceflight. The Space Race was underway! “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?” NASA astronaut Alan Read more
Yuri Gagarin made history fifty years ago, in the midst of the Cold War, the USSR succeeded in putting him in space. Aspects of his mission were kept secret at the time, but Martina Redpath has pushed aside the veil of secrecy. When pondering the successes of the space programs Read more
Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut, paved the way for space exploration and truly went where no man had been before. He was the first human in space, Sinead McNicholl tells his story. Gagarin’s triumphant 108 minute flight into space is one of the pivotal events of the 20th Century. It opened Read more
This year will see both the end of space flights by NASA’s Shuttle fleet and the thirtieth anniversary of the first orbital mission by this historic spacecraft. Our coverage of these milestones begins with an overview of the project’s chequered history. In the glory days of the Space Race, Read more
X-37: a spaceplane developed in secret for classified missions in Earth orbit. It sounds like something from a Cold War techno-thriller novel but the United States Air force’s X-37B is a real project and it is flying today. Tracy McConnell reveals the truth. (For more up to date information on Read more
Gleaned from NASA and Hubblesite.org, here are some facts you may not know about the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). 1. The HST’s history is longer than you might have thought, going back to just after World War II. In 1946, the astronomer Lyman Spitzer (1914-97) identified the main advantages Read more
Europe’s ATV spacecraft has a vital role in maintaining and supplying the International Space Station, recently astronaut Paolo Nespoli and his crewmates had a unique view of this high-tech cargo vehicle. Another shot of the Earth from space, you may think, but look a little closer. See that little hair-thin Read more
Forty years ago, NASA’s Apollo 14 mission landed the fifth and sixth men on the Moon. Apollo 14 was a triumph for one man in particular. Alan Shepard fought debilitating illness for the chance to walk on another world. On 31 January 1971, Alan B. Shepard Jr. was NASA’s Read more
Today is the anniversary of the deaths of the crew of the shuttle Challenger in 1986. The tragedy was of course recognised world-wide and letters of sympathy flooded in to NASA and the White House. Historian Dwayne Day located a letter from a well-wisher among the papers of the late Read more
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is to use a unique system called a “sky crane” to touch down next year on the Red Planet. Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have just released a video of this previously untried mechanism under test. (UPDATE: it all worked perfectly, for more detail see Read more
Christmas 1968 saw three men from Earth make a remarkable and unprecedented voyage of exploration. A dramatic and hurriedly planned mission gave the crew the first human view of the Moon’s farside and the whole human race saw our homeplanet in a new way. This is the story of Apollo Read more
This year we could have witnessed a Christmas-time shuttle flight as November’s STS-133 mission had been re-scheduled to 17 December, but once again Discovery’s final flight has been postponed, this time to February. Sinead McNicholl has the details. Originally Discovery had been set to launch on 1 November, but this Read more
While you are opening your presents under the Christmas tree, singing some Christmas carols or sitting down to tuck into your turkey dinner on 25 December, spare a thought for a few people above you! Yes, indeed, there will be people onboard the International Space Station spending their Christmas amongst Read more
Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company founded by Richard Branson, is celebrating the first glide test of its SpaceShipTwo spaceplane this weekend. Piloted by Pete Siebold and Mike Alsbury, the VSS Enterprise was released from its WhiteKnightTwo mothership at an altitude of 13.7km (45 000 ft) for a unpowered Read more
I’d like to tell you that I’m on the surface of an asteroid called Itokawa. I travelled there on a Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency mission called Hayabusa and was left behind. Yes, I’m there, millions of miles away, among the rocks on Itokawa, right now as I’m typing this.You must Read more
The team at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency deserve congratulations for the amazing (and hopefully record-breaking) Hayabusa mission to asteroid 25143 Itokawa. Launched in 2003 (the spacecraft was called MUSES-C at launch, but was renamed in flight), this mission has battled against an extraordinary run of bad luck and technical Read more
That amazing instrument, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), has just celebrated its twentieth anniversary since it was placed in orbit. Since then, (after a rocky start, remember that dodgy mirror?) it has revolutionised not only what we know about cosmology, star formation, exoplanets and so on, but also how we Read more