compiled by Arlene & David Kaplan

AP Photo

NASA, SpaceX launch astronauts from US soil
Kennedy Space Center- A SpaceX spacecraft carrying two NASA astronauts soared into outer space Saturday — marking the first time humans have traveled into Earth’s orbit from US soil in nearly a decade. Liftoff occurred just after 3:20 pm ET from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center…more

-NASA

SpaceX picture-perfect space station docking
Nineteen hours after a spectacular Florida launch, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule caught up with the International Space Station early Sunday and glided in for a problem-free docking, bringing veteran astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken…more

-NASA

NASA Names Dark Energy Telescope for Nancy Grace Roman
NASA announced Wednesday that one of its most ambitious upcoming space telescopes would be named for Nancy Grace Roman, who pioneered the role of women in the space agency. Dr. Roman was a pioneer at NASA, joining the agency in its early days and becoming its first chief astronomer…more

-Gemini Observatory

Scientists obtain ‘lucky’ image of Jupiter
Astronomers have produced a remarkable new image of Jupiter, tracing the glowing regions of warmth that lurk beneath the gas giant’s cloud tops. Astronomers have produced a remarkable new image of Jupiter, tracing the glowing regions of warmth that lurk beneath the gas giant’s cloud tops. The picture was captured in infrared by the Gemini North Telescope…more

-Open University

Mars: Mud flows on Red Planet behave like ‘boiling toothpaste’
An international team of researchers wondered how volcanoes that spew mud instead of molten rock might look on the Red Planet compared with their counterparts here on Earth. In chamber experiments, simulated Martian mud flows were seen to behave a bit like boiling toothpaste…more

-BBC

‘Nearest black hole to Earth discovered’
It’s about 1,000 light-years away, or roughly 9.5 thousand, million, million km, in the Constellation Telescopium. That might not sound very close, but on the scale of the Universe, it’s actually right next door. Scientists discovered the black hole from the way it interacts with two stars – one that orbits the hole, and the other that orbits this inner pair…more

PROJECT PHAEDRA – HENRIETTA SWAN LEAVITT #32
Help the Smithsonian transcribe the work of the Harvard Observatory’s women computers and see which stars shine the brightest. PLEASE NOTE: Please follow these special instructions when transcribing these notebooks.