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astronomical and space sciences posts

Astronauts didn’t make it to space this time News

by David Shaw, 18 October 2018 | 0 comments

A rocket flying up into the sky

Astronauts have nerves of steel. They ride controlled explosions, strapped to giant tanks of rocket fuel. And every now and then, things go wrong. Last Thursday, two space explorers didn’t quite make it to space – but they lived to tell the tale!

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Gravity well Activity

by David Shaw, 11 October 2018 | 1 comments

A hand placing a larger pink ball onto a piece of blue fabric which already has a small black ball on it.

Have you ever wanted to experiment with the orbits of moons and planets? Time to make a gravity simulator!

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What’s cool in space? Asteroids! News

by David Shaw, 30 August 2018 | 0 comments

Image of a spacecraft.

Sometimes space missions can seem a bit faddish. Four spacecraft are currently orbiting Mars, and at least three missions are looking for new planets outside our solar system. But the new hotness, it seems, is asteroids.

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Have a heart (or several?) – a quick quiz Quiz

by David Shaw, 18 July 2018 | 0 comments

Black lightning bolt in purple circle

We’re counting on you this Double Helix quiz, or perhaps you’re the one counting! Can you calculate what’s needed to get 100% this week? If you’re after more fun science for kids, subscribe to Double Helix magazine!  

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It’s rocket science – a quick quiz Quiz

by David Shaw, 4 July 2018 | 0 comments

Black lightning bolt in purple circle

Get serious about science with the Double Helix quiz. We put you to the test with rocket science and radiation, as well as plants and petrology! If you’re after more fun science for kids, subscribe to Double Helix magazine!  

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Mars storms a risk to rovers News

by David Shaw, 21 June 2018 | 1 comments

If you think the weather here on Earth is bad, be glad you don’t live on Mars. Storms currently cover much of the planet, with wind speeds of around 100 kilometres per hour. So spare a thought for the intrepid Mars rovers currently bearing the brunt of the storm.

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Before the Jurassic – a quick quiz Quiz

by David Shaw, 20 June 2018 | 0 comments

Black lightning bolt in purple circle

It’s time for another round of science trivia. This week, we’ve got ancient questions about what happened before the Jurassic, and a puzzler about what meteoroids are.

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Butterflies and big continents – a quick quiz Quiz

by David Shaw, 6 June 2018 | 5 comments

Black lightning bolt in purple circle

Time to test your scientific mettle. This week we’re asking questions about everything from tiny butterfly legs to huge continents. Good luck!

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The heart of Pluto News

by David Shaw, 10 November 2017 | 0 comments

Pluto

Sputnik Planitia is a gigantic, ice-covered area, one thousand kilometres across. This large, pale basin makes up one half of the famous ‘heart’ shape on Pluto’s surface. Despite its size, the Sputnik Planitia was discovered recently, and it only got its name this year!

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A wiggly photo shoot for the Moon News

by David Shaw, 19 July 2017 | 0 comments

A wiggly photo of a cratered surface.

If humans return to the Moon, they will need good maps. Luckily, one plucky little spacecraft has been making them. For the past seven years, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been painstakingly photographing almost all of the Moon’s surface. But the mission has not always gone to plan.

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