NASA Blueshift

Blueshift - October 6, 2015: Spontaneous Complexity

Jasmin Evans is an undergraduate student in astronomy and physics at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. She shadowed us for the week and while she was here,

Blueshift - September 26, 2013: Finding Herschel

In July, we featured a guest post on our blog from astronomer Nick Howes about how he was able to image the Herschel observatory, which sat a million miles away from the

Blueshift - September 9, 2013: "How We Learn," Part 4 of our interview with Dr. Phil Plait

This is the last part of our interview with Dr. Phil Plait, the so-called "Bad Astronomer." Phil is a scientist who now writes about science for the public, with a large

Blueshift - June 26, 2013: "Go outside and look up!," Part 3 of our interview with Dr. Phil Plait

This is part three of four of our interview with Dr. Phil Plait, the so-called "Bad Astronomer." Phil is a scientist, writer, and specializes in debunking bad science. In

Blueshift - May 29, 2013: Ring around the Exoplanet

A college friend of Maggie's, Dr. Eric Mamajek, discovered a cool potential exoplanet system that might also have a ring system - we reported on it last January after the

Blueshift - May 15, 2013: The Art of Space, Part 2

This is the second episode of our two-part interview with space artist Ron Miller. In this episode, Ron talks specifically about how he illustrates exoplanets, and we dis

Blueshift - May 6, 2013: The Art of Space, Part 1

Blueshift recently interviewed space artist Ron Miller. Not only is he an amazingly talented illustrator, but he’s also the author, consultant, and former art director fo

Blueshift - April 25, 2013: Studying Simulated Stardust

Dust - on Earth, it's a nuisance. But in space, it's a valuable natural resource, a raw material essential to the formation of nearly any object imaginable. NASA Postdoct

Blueshift - December 20, 2012: Hubble's Scientific Successor

As you might imagine, the James Webb Space Telescope is a pretty big deal here at NASA Goddard, because much of it is being assembled here. As a companion to all our tech

Blueshift - December 4, 2012: Science in a Nutshell, Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Phil Plait

As science educators, encouraging critical thinking and skepticism is something we think is really important. We interviewed the "Bad Astronomer," Dr. Phil Plait, to get

Blueshift - October 12, 2012: NuStar: NASA's Newest X-Ray Eyes

It's an exciting experience for any space geek to watch a new satellite launch into orbit. Earlier in 2012, we were excited about the launch of NuSTAR, a small explorer X

Blueshift - September 10, 2012: Keeping Skepticism Alive, Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Phil Plait

At its heart, science is about asking questions - looking at the universe around us and asking, "How? Why?" Science takes our natural curiosity and adds structure and rig

Blueshift - May 21, 2012: Astrophysicist to the Stars, Dr. David Saltzberg

In a follow-up to our previous interviews with co-creator of "The Big Bang Theory," Bill Prady, we interviewed Dr. David Saltzberg, the show's resident astrophysicist and

Blueshift - November 15, 2010: When Science Inspires Comedy

One of the bonuses of our set visit to The Big Bang Theory was that we got the chance to talk to co-creator and executive producer Bill Prady about how the show came to b

Blueshift - May 20, 2010: In the AstroZone

Wouldn't it be exciting to do astronomy in the Amazon, surrounded by the wild plants and animals of the rainforest? In January, visitors to the AstroZone event in Washing

Blueshift - April 30, 2010: At the Edge of Space

When you were a kid, dreaming of the future, did you expect to have a flying car someday? Or to live on the Moon? Traveling into space has fueled the dreams of many peopl

Blueshift - March 1, 2010: First Light, Last Paycheck?

Working at NASA can provide unique and exciting job opportunities. It can be the chance of a lifetime to work on a satellite and see the products of your hard work launch

Blueshift - January 31, 2010: A Meeting of the Minds

Professional meetings are a part of the lives of most scientists - but what actually goes on at one of these? It's not just sitting in meetings and listening to talks! Th

Blueshift - January 19, 2010: Science at the End of the Earth, Part II

A remote research outpost like McMurdo Station in Antarctica draws many different kinds of people - scientists, engineers, writers, artists, and more. The station provide

Blueshift - December 31, 2009: Science at the End of the Earth, Part I

Hunting for antimatter requires a serious expedition. Scientists aren't looking for run-of-the-mill particles - they're collecting cosmic radiation that could be the sign