Cosmic Perspectives from Amid the Stars:
Astronomy Blog

Artemis II brought humanity farther than it's ever traveled before. Along the way they collected a vast array of stunning imagery of not only the Moon, but Earth and space as well. Join me as we explore my favorite of the best images from the Artemis II mission and break down any interesting science behind the photos.

The true size of the universe boggles the mind. It’s so large that it is simply impossible to truly grasp its size. Even light, which travels faster than anything else, takes time to travel through space. For light, it’s eight minutes from the Sun to Earth, four years to the closest star, and a hundred thousand years to cross the Milky Way. To truly appreciate these vast distances, a scale model is necessary.

You might have heard before that the nearest star is 4.24 light-years from Earth. Or that the closest galaxy is 2.5 million light-years from the Milky Way. Or even that the most distant observed objects are 33.8 billion light-years away. But how do we measure these distances in space? After all, there’s no such thing as a cosmic ruler. That’s where the cosmic distance ladder comes in.

Stargazing is a simple pleasure, but also a rewarding one. It is nature’s light show and in its simplicity, it hides realms of complexity. It is simply looking up into the sky that led to many scientific understandings throughout history. But how exactly does one go about stargazing? There’s no right or wrong way. Just look at the stars. But, if you want to enhance your experience, there are factors to consider. The Right Location In the modern age of dense cities and streetl