iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 29/09/2026

While Superman can speed around the world and catch up to the day, he can never catch up to the light beam that eradicated the night. As he tries, all that will happen is his time will slow so that light always appears to fly the same rate. patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/newsle...

patreon.cosmoquest.org

Newsletter: Variable time | CosmoQuestX

Director's Notes, 28 Sep 2026 One one the most powerful things I've come to understand as an astronomer is that the tick of time isn't const

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 24/09/2026

Are you a Lunar Mapper? Have you seen weird indents ending in boulders? Scattered through the images are boulder trails - places where boulders rolled across the landscape smushing things as they went. Geology gets weird sometimes! Map: mappers.psi.edu Support: patreon.cosmoquest.org

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 21/09/2026

Help! We no longer have ads! That is a mixed message we know, but ... We dropped the ads. We're turning up the content. For this to financially work, we need your help. Subscribe: www.patreon.com/cw/CosmoQues... One time contribution: planetaryscienceinstitute-bloom.kindful.com?campaign=142...

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 20/09/2026

All was going well when I started the stream early so we could share the quiet interaction of the Moon and Clouds. Then, as if clouds can read clocks, just as the official start time approached, the roof came for us, like a wave of sheet metal, engulfing the telescope in disappointment and darkness.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 19/09/2026

THERE IS A LOT GOING ON AROUND COSMOQUEST. And I had caps lock on, but you know, that was an fitting cry for your attention. COME LOOK AT ALL THE STUFFS. Oh, and Pamela wrote a rambling intro about choosing science and why she hates economic drivers. patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/newsle...

patreon.cosmoquest.org

Newsletter: Human Spaceflight Blues | CosmoQuestX

Director's Notes, 19 Sep 2026 This week I am particularly grateful to all of you who are paying members of our Patreon or who have made one

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 19/09/2026

Happy International Observe the Moon Night day to all who celebrate (& you should be celebrating). Don't have plans? We got you! We're doing a live stream with Moon views and mapping (we may go live early, so notifications on!) Join us on Twitch.tv/CosmoQuestX & youtube.com/live/s9VbMlJ...

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Reposted by CosmoQuest

Astronomy Cast @astronomycast.com · 17/09/2026

9 away... Can we do this tonight? Pamela is observing with the teacup telescope and will stay up late we remain hopeful we will see 800 podcasts, 20 years, and 1000 patrons all come together in one glorious week.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 11/09/2026

Sometimes the name of an astronomical object can trigger paradolia to strike. This image is the Western Veil Nebula, and I can't help but see a ghostly bride, a face clinging veil draped over her face and her piled up hair, as she stares into void. patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/c-34-w...

patreon.cosmoquest.org

C 34, The Western Veil Nebula | CosmoQuestX

20,000 years ago, when an ice age sent early man into caves and hovels constructed of mammoth bone and skins, a supernova would have lit up

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 10/09/2026

Preview of coming attractions: Ally weighs in on Trump's proposed Starship Troopers-inspired Space Force Uniforms. A little light rage bait, as a treat.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 05/09/2026

Tonight! Join us on YouTube and Twitch for a virtual star party starring a teacup telescope. We will be joined by the Galactic Center, Nebula, Andromeda, some top-notch stars, and even a comet. Exposures start at 11pm Eastern / 10pm Central / 8pm Pacific youtube.com/live/qduj_-F...

youtube.com

Seestar Star Party with Astrophysicist Dr. Pamela L. Gay

YouTube video by Starfront Observatories

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 30/08/2026

Weather willing, @starstryder.space is going to drag herself out of bed for the launch of Roman Space Telescope far too early tomorrow morning. Join her for a Watch Party starting at 7am Eastern / 4am Pacific. Join her on twitcht.tv/cosmoquestx

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 28/08/2026

Going Live on Twitch and YouTube with Dr. Kirby Runyon to talk about our Lunar Melt related Citizen Science Programs. Come check it out. YouTube: youtube.com/live/fqrcqF_...

youtube.com

Accelerating Lunar Science with Help from Volunteers

YouTube video by CosmoQuest

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 28/08/2026

In the most "Blame Pamela's Cloud Attraction" feat of bad luck, the dark clear site where our remote telescope is located as a spectacularly unfriendly weather situation. We're going to Moon map at mappers.psi.edu for a bit and see what happens.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 27/08/2026

TONIGHT: Partial Lunar Eclipse for Europe, Africa, Americas. Have bad weather? Not a fan of the outside? We got you. We'll be streaming on Twitch: twitch.tv/CosmoQuestX YouTube: youtube.com/live/RgVChgL... Starting 9pm EST / 6pm PST / 1am GMT / 11am+1d AEST

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 13/08/2026

Pssst - Pamela is going live with a teacup telescope and citizen science at twitch.tv/CosmoQuestX

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 04/08/2026

Sometimes the trash takes itself out. An empty Falcon 9 stage that is just a piece of drifting space debris at the moment is about to become part of a brand new crater on the Moon. patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/falcon...

patreon.cosmoquest.org

Falcon 9 space debris to hit Moon Aug 4-5 | CosmoQuestX

TL:DR: On the night of August 4 into the morning of August 5, an empty Falcon 9 second stage will hit the Moon in the vicinity of Moseley,

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 04/08/2026

It just wouldn't update all that often, so we keep it in the mix.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 27/07/2026

With the landing of Soyuz MS-28 in Kazakhstan, the total number of toilets in space has dropped to 9.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 23/07/2026

Not following the CosmoQuest newsletter yet? We got you! Click here to check it out without subscribing (but we'd love it if you did subscribe at least for free!) patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/newsle...

patreon.cosmoquest.org

Newsletter: Teacup Telescope | CosmoQuestX

Director's Notes, 23 July 2026 The summer is when our team tries new things. With EVSN and Astronomy Cast on hiatus, we have time to play, a

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 23/07/2026

Who decided it's Grabby Satellite Summer? This is a theme we were not prepared for. With India's Cosmoserve Space launching the Embrace mission, Katalyst Space launching the LINK Swift Reboost Mission, & SpaceLogistics/Northrop Grumman launching the Mission Robotic Vehicle-1, orbit is grabby grabby

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 20/07/2026

It is International Moon Day and we're celebrating! @starstryder.space is live on Twitch.tv/CosmoQuestX and patreon.cosmoquest.org/events/16437... with Lunar Goodness. Come hangout?

twitch.tv

CosmoQuestX - Twitch

International Moon Day

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 17/07/2026

Thing we learned this week: If your house get's hit by a meteorite, your first priority is to put on medical gloves and use foil and mason jars to collect the space rocks. Then call your insurance company. www.seti.org/news/alien-w...

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 16/07/2026

Join us for a StarShip 13 watch party on Twitch.tv/CosmoQuestX. Launch is scheduled for 5:45 pm and we will go live about 30 minutes before with Moon Mapping and more.

Starship 13 on pad waiting to launch with cloudy skies and a wet landscape.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 14/07/2026

With the launch of Soyuz MS-29 carrying crew to the ISS, the total number of toilets in space has incremented up to 10! International Space Station: 4 Crew Dragon Docked at ISS: 1 Soyuz Docked at / on way to ISS: 2 Tiangong Space Station: 2 Shenzhou Docked at TSS: 1 Total: ten toilets in space

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 07/07/2026

It happened! It finally happened! Tianwen-2 shared a picture of Earth’s tiny quasi moon. Orbiting the Sun at our side, this space rock could be a chip off the Moon or a near earth asteroid. #space #asteroid #tianwen2 #kamooalewa youtube.com/shorts/as-MK...

youtube.com

Tianwen 2 at Kamoʻoalewa - First Image!

YouTube video by CosmoQuest

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 06/07/2026

Asteroids come in a lot of varied shapes, but some shapes are more common than others, such as "weird looking peanut." Lucy discovered the Asteroid DonaldJohanson is a weird looking peanut shape. patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/lucy-i...

patreon.cosmoquest.org

Lucy in the Sky with a Peanut | CosmoQuestX

A new paper from a team working with the Lucy mission imaged the asteroid Donaldjohanson in April of 2025. As it passed this space rock on

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 05/07/2026

Just like we expect certain plants in certain climates, we expect to find certain astronomical objects in certain settings. This star cluster made all of us ask, "How did you get there?" This object looks like a globular cluster but is in the galactic bulge! patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/mispla...

patreon.cosmoquest.org

Misplaced Star Cluster is Relic of Galaxy Formation | CosmoQuestX

Another common question astronomers must answer is, “How exactly did you get there?” From weirdly placed planets to galaxies before we expe

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 03/07/2026

It's double trouble among the stars! For the first time, researchers have found evidence of both stars in a binary system exploding as supernovae. patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/double...

patreon.cosmoquest.org

Double Supernova Trouble | CosmoQuestX

A remarkable amount of astronomy revolves around asking stars, and stellar remnants, “Exactly what did you do?” Stars evolve in dramatic way

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 01/07/2026

CosmoQuest will always be a place that embraces people of all kinds. We don't care who you love; we only hope that you find love in this world. This image is released under a cc-by license. Please use it, and link back to the post below to share all related credits & information on the meanings.

Please go to https://patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/pride-flag-but-162620451 for a complete description

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 23/06/2026

June endures, & so do we. As we continue to create a science-themed Pride Flag, today we add the white, pink and teal that represents the Trans community. Our images are the sky, a star forming region, & the nebula of binary dying stars. Learn More: patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/161878...

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 19/06/2026

Next stripes bsky.app/profile/cosm...

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 19/06/2026

in the images used to represent them, showing the brown of rich soil that will provide us what we need to survive, using the rich soil of Earth (our Planet) and the the light of the most distant cosmos. This holds together what supports life, and what supports dreams.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 19/06/2026

Happy Juneteenth! This Pride we're redoing the Pride flag with space and looking at the meaning of each color for pride and for science. The brown & black stripes on the Pride flag represent the people of color who are so often the pillars & defenders of the queer community. We wrap the cosmos...

The black wedge is the darkness of space pricked with stars and galaxies while the brown shows healthy soil with a single leaf.

Credits: Glan Carrie on Unsplash, ESA/NASA/CSA/the JADES Collaboration

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 16/06/2026

Gonna be real for a moment: Our financial reserves are completely exhausted. We expect this to happen in September, at the end of our fiscal year. Bad days came early; donations have been, ah, shit, in 2026, so we need to ask for your help now. If you have extra, please donate: cqx-fy26.org

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 15/06/2026

Today is purple, a color that during Pride represents Spirit. In astronomy, my favorite example of purple is its use to trace out the large scale structure of our universe in simulations. The image used here comes from the Millennium Simulation. patreon.cosmoquest.org/posts/161185...

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 12/06/2026

Going live in moments. And seriously, there is a lot to cover. This book inspired so many ideas and we hope it will inspire you too.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 12/06/2026

In today's After Hours, Pamela is joined by @chanda.blacksky.app, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, to discuss her new book, The Edge of Space Time. It's AMAZING & generated a paper storm of notes on Pamela's desk. Join us at 2pm Boston / 7pm London twitch.tv/CosmoQuestX or www.youtube.com/live/bLxzNK-...

youtube.com

Our shape shifting Universe with author Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

YouTube video by CosmoQuest

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 11/06/2026

Thinking about the SpaceX IPO? Read our deep dive into the related mission fundamentals first. Did you know they plan to launch as much mass in Data Centers as US Farmers grow in soybeans? patreon.cosmoquest.org/CosmoQuestX/...

patreon.cosmoquest.org

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 11/06/2026

Let's look at the SpaceX IPO's numbers as they relate to science. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIEJ...

youtube.com

Tails, SpaceX Fails, Heads We Lose the Earth

YouTube video by CosmoQuest

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 08/06/2026

In the pride flag (& most contexts), green represents nature and prosperity. When it comes to aurora, green means oxygen has been excited by particles from the Sun, and after spending some time in that excited state, the electrons are settling back down and releasing a green photon as they go.

A pride flag that has for its green strip a section of an aurora photo by Chris Marquardt https://www.flickr.com/photos/nubui/13092548463

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 05/06/2026

Yellow is the color of the Sun, which supports all life... at least when it comes to the Pride flag. Our real Sun is technically white, but our atmosphere makes it look yellow. Science sometimes lacks poetry. In science, yellow is doubly ionized Oxygen and warm gas in the Rosetta Nebula.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 05/06/2026

At the top of the hour (2pm Eastern / 7pm London) we're going live with this week's CosmoQuest After Hours. Join us as we discuss exploring physics thru space flight with guest Trisha Muro, author of It's (Just) Rocket Science. Twitch.tv/CosmoQuestX

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 03/06/2026

The orange stripe represents healing & reminds us fun / celebration are healing activities. We used a segment of Mars that includes Hebes Chasma (left dark splotch). The color is just rust. Seriously. Mars has a lot of iron oxide minerals in its rocks & soils that are orange in color because rust.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 02/06/2026

Join us in exploring the pride flag. The queer community has paid with blood to live their truth and that red stands for passion and the blood of life. In astronomy, red is the color of glowing hydrogen, the most common atom in our Universe. Image: The Horsehead nebula by Ivan Bok.

The intersex pride flag with the top band of red replaced is a section of the horsehead nebula, which is a star marked band of red with a cloud of dust and gas blocking light and making a silhouette of a horse.

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 01/06/2026

Happy Pride! This year NASA isn't allowed to celebrate. We're going to do our best to celebrate so hard no one can deny there is a place in space sciences for everyone. Our first goal is to do the pride flag using space images. What are your favorite colors among the stars?

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 29/05/2026

There is one less toilet in space. With the safe return of Shenzhou 21 and its 3 person crew, there are now only nine (9) toilets in space. International Space Station: 4 Crew Dragon Docked at ISS: 1 Soyuz Docked at ISS: 1 Tiangong Space Station: 2 Shenzhou Docked at TSS: 1

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CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 26/05/2026

Celebrate Space with us every day. Join with 20% off using code MAYDAY20 at patreon.cosmoquest.org Image: gravitational lensing by the foreground galaxy (center) distorts a background galaxy into a surrounding spiral. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. Mahler

From NASA: In the centre is an elliptical galaxy, seen as an oval-shaped glow around a small bright core. Around this is wrapped a broad band of light, appearing like a spiral galaxy stretched and warped into a ring, with bright blue lines drawn through it where the spiral arms have been stretched into circles. A few distant objects are visible around the ring on a black background.

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