The Lightest (i.e., Least Massive) Known Star, OTS 44 [3000 X 2400]

Bad: aliens that insist upon referring to human women as “feeeeemales”.

Good: aliens that insist upon dividing humans into binary categories, but the binary in question is based on something we’d regard as trivial and bizarre.

the three BLACK WOMEN (mary jackson, katherine g. johnson, and dorothy vaughan) that changed astronomy and history.

mary jackson, an accomplished engineer, broke down barriers as the first african american woman to work as an engineer at NASA. her expertise and determination paved the way for future generations of women in the field.

katherine johnson, a brilliant mathematician, calculated the trajectory for john glenn's historic 1962 spaceflight, making her an invaluable asset to NASA's space task group. her calculations were pivotal in ensuring a successful mission

dorothy vaughan was a talented mathematician and the first african-american supervisor at NASA. she was instrumental in introducing computer programming skills to her colleagues, which played a significant role in advancing the space program.

through their dedication and groundbreaking achievements, mary jackson, katherine johnson, and dorothy vaughan left an indelible mark on history, proving that talent knows no boundaries, and that anyone, regardless of their background, can reach for the stars. their triumphs were celebrated in the 2016 film hidden figures, a personal favorite of mine.

i urge you all to read up on these magnificent women and their astronomical (no pun intended) impact on the world. celebrate and encourage black women in STEM. they are magical

Jupiter’s Bands of Clouds

This enhanced-color image of Jupiter’s bands of light and dark clouds was created by citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran using data from the JunoCam imager on NASA’s Juno spacecraft.

Three of the white oval storms known as the “String of Pearls” are visible near the top of the image. Each of the alternating light and dark atmospheric bands in this image is wider than Earth, and each rages around Jupiter at hundreds of miles (kilometers) per hour. The lighter areas are regions where gas is rising, and the darker bands are regions where gas is sinking.

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt /Seán Doran

The planet Uranus. Taken on November 14th 2009 at 3:52 am. Using the 98 in Hooker telescope.