Internet shopping and quick shipping can get that star-minded someone their gift fairly quickly with very little hassle 鈥� even if that someone is yourself.

Monthly magazine subscription

As a first step for someone new to astronomy, I recommend getting them a magazine subscription to either (or both)听辞谤鈥� (S&T). An added bonus is that when the magazine arrives each month it will be a reminder of you to that special stargazer. Astronomy and S&T also provide a digital version bundled with the print subscription, which comes in handy. These monthly magazines and their respective websites are chock-full of observing advice, astronomical equipment, pictures, book reviews, astronomy related ads, news and even monthly observing guides/star charts.

Full disclosure: I am an S&T subscriber and have been my whole life; I have also done major feature articles for them and twice have been a total solar eclipse cruise S&T staff member. S&T is .

Astronomical calendar

This is a nifty gift idea that provides your stargazer astronomical information on a daily basis accompanied by a beautiful and informative astronomical image. These can be used at work or at home. Two I recommend are Astronomy featuring 鈥渕ysteries of deep space鈥� and the options offered by the . Oh, and when you are on these two websites, shop around for other nifty gifts they have.

For the best daily coverage of the sky and the Universe as a whole for 2025, my Gold Standard听for decades has been the annual Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) Observer鈥檚 Handbook. Do an internet search on the title to find the best deal as it is offered by many vendors.

Books

There is a literary universe of astronomy- and space-related books out there. You鈥檙e likely familiar with and , which offer a wide selection of choices, but you could also try to support smaller local booksellers.

If you know what piques your stargazer鈥檚 interest, you can try and buy a book. But I recommend giving them a gift card they can use to buy a book of their choice. You may want to browse these websites in advance to make sure the gift card has a sufficient value to cover these usually expensive books. This has been a tried-and-true present to me from family members for decades.

Meteorite

For a truly out of this world gift, you can buy an actual space rock (or more realistically, a piece of one) from the asteroid belt, the moon or even Mars. I have been a meteorite collector for many years. Truth be told, your avid stargazer is probably frustrated at times with our cloudy weather. Nothing cures this frustration better than holding a piece of the solar system and contemplating where it came from and how it got to Earth.

When buying these amazing 4.5 billion-year-old rocks from space, you need to know your dealer. has what I consider to be the best and most reasonably priced presentation sets for purchase, which you can see when you scroll down their webpage. I have personally dealt with them and I highly recommend them. Beware buying blind!

Legos

Yes, LEGOS with wonderful space themed kits. For kids who love “,” this is a great kit. And here is the suitable for all ages.听

Movies

A great holiday sock stuffer is a space themed movie. The “Star Trek” movies (new and old), “Gravity,” “Europa Report,” “Cosmos the Series” (original or new versions), “The Martian,” “Interstellar,” or any of the space-themed offerings from National Geographic, Science Channel, Discovery Channel or the History Channel are excellent.

Binoculars

If you have a budding stargazer that wants to see more of the sky than just the eye allows, quality binoculars are the ticket. A whole new view of the sky becomes possible 鈥� and as an added bonus they can be used in daytime for bird watching and sporting events.

A good pair of binoculars will show impressive detail on the moon, a few galaxies, star clusters and nebulae (you need to know where to look) and (if you hold them steady enough) the four major moons of Jupiter. Star colors are richer in binoculars and very pretty to look at.

I recommend 鈥�7脳50鈥� binoculars 鈥� the 7 refers to the magnification while the 50 is the size of each objective lens in millimeters. This is a good compromise between magnification, light gathering ability and field of view. Less magnification means less detail but a wider field of view; more magnification reduces field of view while giving more detail. I would not go higher than an 8 in magnification or lower than 50 in objective size for a beginner. There are larger astronomical binoculars out there, but they are best for advanced users.

You can buy binoculars at sporting goods stores and all of the major chains like Costco, Walmart and Amazon. And there may be some good prices out there this weekend.

Telescope

This is the riskiest gift idea on my list. There is nothing quite like getting that first telescope and experiencing 鈥渇irst light鈥� 鈥� the first view of the universe through it. But it is risky, because telescopes are an investment, in money and in longevity. There is nothing worse than buying a 鈥榮cope that never gets used because it is too complicated, too heavy or of poor quality 鈥� they inevitably collect dust from disuse.

With the right purchase, there is no reason why a quality telescope will not last a person鈥檚 entire lifetime, or at least a good portion of it. Many nights of enjoyment and discovery at the eyepiece of a good telescope are pure joy to your stargazer. If this is a family member or significant other, you might even do your telescope observing together.

There are many telescopes out there and to pick just the right one for your stargazer is a real shot in the dark, so to speak, unless you have 鈥渋nsider information.鈥� If your astronomer has spent time studying telescopes and selecting a 鈥渇inal one鈥� and letting you know it 鈥� go for it. Otherwise, make sure there is a return policy that allows you to get your money back if things don鈥檛 work out.

My recommendation for first telescopes is this. Put together a gift package or card that says that you will bankroll the purchase of a new telescope (I recommend setting a price limit as telescopes can cost thousands of dollars) after a selection process has determined the best telescope to buy.

Here are some online sources you can look over to help you in your selection. and 听have sections on how to select a telescope and there are books on the subject as well.

Going to a or attending a star party can also provide an opportunity to 鈥渢est drive鈥� different types of telescopes. We have some great resources here in the DMV to do just this 鈥� refer to the Astronomical League list for your area.

Telescope technology has progressed to a point where we now have 听compatible with apps on your smartphone and tablet. These are amazing telescopes that literally do everything for you except physically setting them up and turning them on. They are expensive but they incorporate all you need to take astrophotographs with a click.

I have used and own two smart telescopes 鈥� the autofocusing Odyssey Pro and the EVSCOPE 2 鈥� and I love them. I observed and photographed more sky objects in the first few months using them than I had using other telescopes in 50+ years previously. I was able to find and photograph quasars billions of light years distant (!!!), James Webb Space Telescope, Artemis I, comets, planets, deep sky objects and the Sun with a safe solar filter. All with astounding ease and results.

Full disclosure: I am a , but it is a non-pay position and I am not beholden to the company as a sales representative. I have been involved in beta testing Unistellar telescopes and associated technology/software upgrades. I am telling you like it is for me and 25,000+ other worldwide Unistellar users.

To complement my Unistellar telescope, last year I purchased a new and much smaller Smart Telescope, the . I bought it for its small size (portable for cruise ship trips),听larger coverage of the sky, and use as a daytime ultra-telephoto lens. I am impressed with the images taken with it.

The parent company, ZWO, has come out with a new which is smaller and less money than the S50. These are excellent smart telescopes for stargazers starting out.

Get online and check the myriad stargazer specials that are out there! To get a head start, has done shopping for you and posted hot telescope deals and user advice.

I hope this has helped you on your out of this world holiday shopping. Drop me an email if you have any questions.

Happy holidays and clear skies.

Follow Greg Redfern on听,听听and his听听to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration.

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If you’re a night owl or an early riser and like to look at the night sky, a big show is in store early Wednesday: The annual is expected to peak between midnight and dawn.

The Leonids were first seen in 902 A.D. and 鈥渟torm鈥� every few decades, producing hundreds to thousands of meteors an hour. The last Leonid storm was in 2001. This year, a dark sky site should produce 10 to 15 Leonid meteors an hour, but the presence of the moon will wash out dimmer Leonids.

Each year at this time, our planet encounters a debris stream of cometary particles made by Comet Temple-Tuttle as it orbits the sun. As Earth moves in its orbit around the sun, it collides with this debris stream, and the particles hit our atmosphere at 45 miles per second (i.e., 155,000 mph) to become 鈥渟hooting stars” or “falling stars.鈥�

Earth encounters about a dozen major meteor showers a year.

The best place to see the Leonids is a dark sky location that is away from lights and obstructions, such as trees and buildings. This will give you the best chance to see the peak of 10 to 15 meteors an hour. If you are a city dweller, you still may see the brightest Leonids as long as you are not staring into a street light or nestled in amongst tall buildings. Out in the country or along the beach is the best place to be.

You do not need any equipment or know how to enjoy this meteor sky show. Just find a place where you can put a lounge chair or blanket to see the sky toward the east and overhead. Starting after midnight, when the constellation Leo the Lion is starting to rise above the horizon, look toward the east.

A meteor that is part of the shower can be traced back to the constellation Leo, which will be completely above the eastern horizon a little after 1 a.m. As the night wears on, Leo will rise higher in the sky and move toward the west due to Earth鈥檚 rotation.

Sporadic meteors that are not part of the shower can be normally seen during the night as well.

The key to watching the shower is being comfortable — in other words, warm. The Leonids can appear anywhere in the sky, but looking at least halfway up in the sky facing the east gives you the widest viewing area. This is where the lounge chair, sleeping bag or blanket come in handy. Enjoy the shower with family, friends or your significant other. Some music, food and beverages are an added plus.

Photographing meteor showers such as the Leonid . It just requires some kind of camera and tripod.

The weather should be clear, , so enjoy!

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On Wednesday, May 26, half of the planet will be treated to a total .

That鈥檚 the good news, as it will be the first total lunar eclipse in almost 2 1/2 years.

The bad news is that it will not be that great of an event for the D.C. area. In fact, it might not be able to see the Earth鈥檚 shadow on the moon at all, because the eclipse will be happening just before sunrise and as the full flower supermoon is setting in the southwest.

because of all the flowers in bloom, and this will be the closest full moon for the whole year. To experienced moon watchers, the full flower supermoon will look a bit larger and brighter.

I have witnessed lunar eclipses under these types of conditions before, and it is difficult to see the Earth鈥檚 shadow. If you want to try to see the eclipse, the best locations to do so are places where the southwestern horizon is clear of trees and buildings. The southwest-facing turnouts of would be excellent. They provide a decent horizon and elevation for a good view of the setting/partially eclipsed moon. Be sure to check the park鈥檚 website for any updates before going there.

Binoculars will help immensely and are highly recommended 鈥� mandatory really 鈥� to try to see any shading on the moon. The sun rises at about 5:54 a.m. EDT for our area, while the full flower supermoon sets at 5:58 a.m. EDT.

The light outer shadow of the Earth, called the penumbra, begins to intercept the moon at 4:47 a.m. EDT and will not be visible without a telescope or possibly binoculars in all probability. The dark inner shadow of our planet, called the umbra, intercepts the moon at 5:45 a.m. EDT, just minutes before sunrise and moonset. It will be hard to see even with binoculars because of the brightening sky.

You may see references to this total lunar eclipse as which is a phrase used to describe the reddish color the moon takes on during the totality phase of the eclipse. The color is caused by sunlight passing through the Earth鈥檚 atmosphere and falling upon the surface of the moon. Because our planet is totally blocking out the light of the sun, this reddish color 鈥� just like we can see at sunrise/sunset here on Earth 鈥� is the only light reaching the moon. The D.C. area will not see the totality phase at all.

As stated by Sky & Telescope: 鈥淭he entire event will be livestreamed . One of those streams is unique in that it will be focused on the changing ground scenery and sky rather than on the moon itself. Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles will also host a live online broadcast on on May 26 from 4:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. EDT.鈥�

For our readers who will be at a location where they can see the totality phase, it is worth trying to .

Save the date two days later (Friday, May 28) for . Brilliant Venus and bright Mercury will be in the northwestern sky as it gets dark. They will only be a half degree or so apart — that is close! They will be easy to spot if your horizon is clear, with Venus being the brighter of the two inner solar system planets. Binoculars will enhance your view, and you should try to take a picture of the two with a smartphone or other camera. The two planets will remain visible but moving farther apart for the rest of the month.

We鈥檒l have another sky sight to see in June, so stay tuned!

Follow to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. You can email me at skyguyinva@gmail.com.

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It was just over two years ago that with the (EHT).

You can appreciate Wednesday鈥檚 EHT image even more after viewing two videos and seeing what the parent galaxy, M-87, looks like.

and takes you into the heart of the galaxy to reveal Wednesday鈥檚 black hole image.

If you want to experience a breathtaking ride into a supermassive black hole like M-87, go to a dark room with all of the lights off, set your computer’s display to full brightness and full screen and ! It is so stunning, it almost gave me vertigo.

That virtual reality simulation by Jordy Davelaar and colleagues shows a black hole surrounded by luminous matter. This matter disappears into the black hole in a vortex-like way, and the extreme conditions cause it to become a glowing plasma. The light emitted is then deflected and deformed by the powerful gravity of the black hole.

For comparison with the black hole image at the center of M-87, here is to the Hubble Space Telescope. You can clearly see the jet running out away from the galaxy, which is caused by the supermassive black hole.

EHT also took data over a year ago of our Milky Way Galaxy’s own supermassive black hole, . It is a 4.4 million solar mass beast at the center of our galaxy.

I spoke to Peter D. Edmonds, public information officer for the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard-Smithsonian, by phone to ascertain the status of the Sgr A* image. “That’s a good question. The Sgr A* EHT image work is quite complicated and it is ongoing. We currently do not have a release date for that image,” Edmonds said.

Hopefully, one day we will see the image of our own galaxy’s resident supermassive black hole.

When we do, that will be another historic day.

ALSO:听Huge space news Wednesday and potentially Thursday 鈥� a commercial Israeli spacecraft . The moon landing attempt will be broadcast live between 3 and 4 p.m. EDT.

Follow me at Twitter and my daily blog at to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. You can email me at skyguyinva@gmail.com.

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While at , I had to see Space Shuttle Discovery again. You don鈥檛 realize how big the shuttles were until you stand next to Discovery. Seeing the spaceship in a post-landing configuration only feet away is pretty amazing. in their 30 years and 135 flights.

It has been almost eight years since the last flight of the space shuttle program took place. To put it in another way, it has been almost eight years that the only way for humans to access space, or low Earth orbit (LEO) more precisely, has been through the . NASA currently buys seats on the venerable Soviet Union holdover at . The Soyuz has been ferrying astronauts and cosmonauts to and from the (ISS) and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

Last Friday also saw a milestone that hasn鈥檛 been witnessed in almost 50 years to the day: the splashdown of a human-rated spacecraft, in the Atlantic Ocean. with its three-man crew splashed down in the Atlantic March 13, 1969 following a successful 10-day mission of the Apollo Command and Service Modules and the Lunar Excursion Module.

Next stop for Apollo was the Apollo 10 dress rehearsal for landing on the moon and then Apollo 11 actually doing so. It was pretty cool at Udvar-Hazy to see the famous 鈥淗ornet Plus 3鈥� trailer that housed the Apollo 11 crew to start their 18-day quarantine period following their return from the moon landing.

The uncrewed Crew Dragon splashdown marked the successful conclusion to the SpaceX Demo-1 mission which launched March 2 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket; the first stage successfully landed offshore on a ship so that it can be refurbished and launched again. Under automatic control, Demo-1 rendezvoused and . The hatches between the two spacecraft were eventually opened and the ISS crew got to float around inside Crew Dragon which made for some spectacular live video feed.

The successful Demo-1 mission was a huge step forward for NASA鈥檚 (CCP), which is designed to provide U.S. launch capability for crewed missions to and from the ISS from commercial providers SpaceX and Boeing. Boeing鈥檚 is scheduled for its uncrewed mission test next month. The next few months will be busy ones for SpaceX and Boeing as they .

While the CCP has been ramping up to actual crewed flights, NASA has been working on developing the crewed (SLS). Orion-SLS is how NASA plans to send crews to the Moon, asteroids and Mars. It has been 47 years this December 鈥� Apollo 17 鈥� since humans went beyond LEO. SLS can also access LEO and the ISS if needed. Orion-SLS are , Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) in 2020. If EM-1 is successful then , essentially a repeat of EM-1 but with a crew, will take place in 2023.

The Orion spacecraft has been successfully space tested as it was launched by a Delta IV-Heavy into LEO Dec. 5, 2014 and returned to Earth 4.5 hours later to complete (EFT-1). Some modifications were made to the spacecraft that reduced its weight and the EM-1 Orion is getting ready for its flight with its (ESA) Service Module at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

Almost a year ago, I wrote about humanity鈥檚 鈥�Return to the Moon.鈥� Since then, China鈥檚 Chang鈥檈 4 mission landed safely on the far side of the Moon in January of this year and is currently exploring the landing site via its Yutu 2 lunar rover. China hopes to return again this year to the Moon with its to Mons Rumker Crater on the near side of the moon.

The moon is also slated to be visited in April by the world鈥檚 first lunar lander built by a private space company, . If the Beresheet spacecraft lands and operates successfully it will open a whole new lunar enterprise. NASA has selected nine private companies for lunar surface access through its (CLPS) contract vehicle. The first CLPS mission could occur as soon as October 2019.

In another lunar first, Beresheet also has a 30 million page library onboard that is designed . The library is on a DVD-size metal disc that should last for millions of years.

As you can see, 2019 is shaping up as a new dawn for U.S. crewed spaceflight and NASA taking steps to return to the Moon 鈥� this time to stay. It is a U.S. space resurgence that we have not seen for quite a long time.

Time to light these candles 鈥�

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Want to get away to cool breezes, lush greenery and star-filled skies? 听is always your answer but now with an added bonus: the third annual A family friendly event packed with astronomy for all ages, the Night Sky Festival will occur over three days and nights, rain or shine.

Rooms may still be available and there are facilitate your stay. Last time I checked, Big Meadows was full, so we should have good attendance this year.

Aug. 10 to Aug. 12, Shenandoah National Park will be hosting presentations and outdoor activities with telescopes for viewing the night skies and the

This is an annual favorite of skywatchers because the Perseids always put on a good show of shooting stars from a dark sky site even without the moon. And that is exactly what we will have this year 鈥� no moon. Shenandoah National Park will host various Perseid-related events during the predicted peak days of Aug. 12 to 13. Observers at Shenandoah might see a meteor a minute.

While at Shenandoah, be sure to check out the view of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Due to light pollution, 80 percent of Americans cannot see the Milky Way.

At Shenandoah National Park, especially this time of year, the Milky Way is a celestial splendor that can be seen sprawling across the sky from the South to the North. Many park guests have never seen it and some are moved to tears when they view the milky band for the first time. The moon will be out of the sky for this year鈥檚 Night Sky Festival so the Milky Way will be at its best.

I hope you will join me and the Shenandoah staff at the Night Sky Festival. If you get the astronomy bug during the festival, the park鈥檚 continue throughout the season

See you there!

Follow Greg Redfern 听and his 听to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. You can email him at skyguyinva@gmail.com.

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Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot said, 鈥淲ebb is the highest priority project for the agency鈥檚 Science Mission Directorate, and the largest international space science project in U.S. history.”

“All the observatory鈥檚 flight hardware is now complete,” Lightfoot added. “However, the issues brought to light with the spacecraft element are prompting us to take the necessary steps to refocus our efforts on the completion of this ambitious and complex observatory.鈥�

The JWST consists of two separate elements: the optical telescope element, or OTE, and the spacecraft element to which the OTE is attached.

The OTE consists of the 6.5-meter telescope and its instruments. Over the years, it was built, assembled and tested at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, before being completed last year.

The OTE then underwent months of additional successful testing at NASA鈥檚 Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, Texas. In early 2018, the OTE was flown by a C-5 aircraft to California for integration and testing with the spacecraft element.

The spacecraft that the OTE will be integrated with was built by primary contractor Northrop Grumman. It consists of a five-layer sunshield the size of a tennis court to protect the OTE from heat of the sun, moon and Earth. The spacecraft also carries solar panels and batteries for power, radio communications and propulsion systems, and the avionics/on-board computer system.

The spacecraft will fly the OTE out to a gravitational point called L-2, 1 million miles from Earth, where the telescope will operate just 40 degrees above “absolute zero.”

For the first time in the project鈥檚 history, both elements are at the same facility in Redondo Beach, California, for integration and testing.

It was during the testing of the spacecraft element that several technical issues arose.

NASA said in, “Testing the hardware on the observatory鈥檚 telescope element and spacecraft element demonstrate that these systems individually meet their requirements. However, recent findings from the project鈥檚 Standing Review Board (SRB) [sic] indicate more time is needed to test and integrate these components together and then perform environmental testing at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, California, the project鈥檚 observatory contractor.”

Because JWST, consisting of both integrated elements, has to be folded up in order to fit into the payload fairing of the European Space Agency鈥檚 Ariane-5 rocket, a complex deployment sequence has to take place in the proper order.

Part of this sequence is the unfolding of the large sunshield. During testing of the sunshield鈥檚 folding process and subsequent deployment sequence, it was found that tears developed and the sunshield鈥檚 tensioning cables had to be redesigned, as the original design left too much slack.

Additionally, there were problems that developed with the spacecraft鈥檚 propulsion system, specifically thruster valve propellant leaks. A technical issue with transducers also developed.

The discovery and fixing of these issues, the ongoing complex integration of the two JWST elements, plus the time needed for rigorous and thorough testing of the completed integration all led to the slipping of the launch date.

Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA鈥檚 Science Mission Directorate, said, 鈥淲e have a 70 percent confidence level for the May 2020 launch date. Rigorous testing is needed; we need to do it right on the ground, and failure is not an option. We want to get to a higher confidence level and will take no shortcuts.鈥�

Besides the technical issues, JWST has a Congress-mandated spending cap of $8 billion. Lightfoot said, 鈥淣ASA has spent $7.3 billion so far. If JWST needs more funding than the $8 billion, it will take a reauthorization from Congress.鈥�

To determine more accurately the launch date and costs of JWST, NASA’s Tuesday press release revealed, 鈥淣ASA has established an external Independent Review Board (IRB) [sic], chaired by Thomas Young, a highly respected NASA and industry veteran who is often called on to chair advisory committees and analyze organizational and technical issues.”

“The IRB findings, which will complement the SRB data, are expected to bolster confidence in NASA鈥檚 approach to completing the final integration and test phase of the mission, the launch campaign, commissioning, as well as the entire deployment sequence,” NASA added.

“Both boards’ findings and recommendations, as well as the project鈥檚 input, will be considered by NASA as it defines a more specific launch time frame. NASA will then provide its assessment in a report to Congress this summer.鈥�

When I asked Zurbuchen what he thought was the most critical step going forward, he replied, 鈥淭o learn how to make the changes to ensure (JWST) mission success using lessons learned to get better, to do everything we could to ensure mission success.鈥�

JWST 鈥渕ission success鈥� will be a 10-year cycle of observations revealing what we have never seen in the universe before: the first stars and galaxies forming, new discoveries in our own solar system and other planetary systems, and, most tantalizing, things we have not even imagined.

Stay tuned for more updates on the听James Webb Space Telescope.

Follow to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. You can email me at skyguyinva@gmail.com.

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This will be the largest and brightest full moon for the entire year as it will be only four hours from its closest approach to Earth for all of 2018. To experienced moon watchers, the moon may appear brighter and a bit larger than other full moons.

The moon will be at full phase (directly opposite the sun) at 9:24 p.m. EST and at perigee as it is rising (closest to the Earth for the month) at 5 p.m. EST 鈥� less than 24 hours apart, hence the Supermoon.

This time of year will also make this supermoon brighter, as explained by NASA, “because the Earth will be at its closest to the sun (called perihelion) in early January (Jan. 3 at 1 a.m. EST), the sunlight reaching and reflecting off the moon this time of year is about 7 percent more intense (than at the farthest point from the sun, aphelion, in early July), making wintertime supermoons even brighter.鈥�

Go out the night of Dec. 31, 2017 and enjoy the . Another supermoon arrives in January 2018 鈥� and the second being a blue moon 鈥� that will also undergo a . For the D.C. area, it will only be a partial lunar eclipse before sunrise.

Oh, and when looking at the moon, wink at it 鈥� first human to walk on the moon.

Follow Greg on Twitter听听and his to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. Email him at skyguyinva@gmail.com.

This article was first published on Dec. 31, 2017. It was updated Jan. 1, 2018 with the latest photos.听

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No. 1: Kilonova: A meeting of two stars

This year really had some competition but one story rose above all the rest 鈥� the merger of two neutron stars.

This year鈥檚 pick is closely related to last year鈥檚 and shows how refined our ability to detect gravitational waves is becoming. There are now three gravitational wave observatories in the world and they are currently undergoing further upgrades to make them even more sensitive. I think the next big thing in gravitational-wave astronomy will be our detection of gravitational waves from the Big Bang, the event that brought our universe into existence. That may be years away and require space-based gravitational wave assets.

I feel compelled to add two other honorable mentions this year, my No. 2 and 3 picks.

No. 2: It came from outer space

In October 2017, astronomers discovered what they thought was an asteroid. But upon calculating its orbit they were stunned to learn that this was no ordinary asteroid 鈥� it originated from Named Oumuamua (OH鈥�-moo-ah-moo-ah), which in Hawaiian means 鈥渁 messenger from afar arriving first,鈥� this interstellar interloper also had another surprise in store for astronomers: it was shaped unlike any known asteroid in our solar system.

Oumuamua was long and slender and rather large. There was some speculation that this could be some sort of artifact from an alien civilization, perhaps a spaceship. Discussion about its actual composition and designation, whether it鈥檚 an asteroid, comet or alien artifact, is still ongoing. Follow-up observations were made and published papers as to the results will be forthcoming. The Green Bank Radio Telescope in West Virginia to see if any signals were coming from Oumuamual; to date, none have been reported.

No. 3: The great American eclipse

Truth be told, this would probably be everyone鈥檚 top pick of the year, as an estimated 200 million-plus people saw this celestial spectacle with their own eyes. NASA for the eclipse by conducting a multitude of observations by aircraft, spacecraft and ground-based assets. NASA also provided extensive public outreach about the eclipse. I saw it in Cookeville, Tennessee, and it was wondrous. I look forward to my third total solar eclipse somewhere in the future.

Speaking of NASA, here鈥檚 and what is in 2018. It is also worth highlighting what is going on with NASA鈥檚 , which will finally launch astronauts to the International Space Station using U.S. assets and no longer be solely dependent on Russia.

As you can see, 2018 already has a lot of potential candidates for top pick stories. Perhaps it will be one of them or maybe the universe will conjure up something on its own 鈥� only time will tell.

Have a marvelous and safe New Year鈥檚 celebration!

Follow Greg on Twitter听听and his听听to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. Email him at听skyguyinva@gmail.com.

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On Sunday night,听 is scheduled to launch a rocket that will be visible in the D.C. area. According to NASA, 鈥淭he window for a NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket launch to test a new ampoule ejection system designed to support studies of the ionosphere and aurora opens June 11 and runs through June 18. Lift-off for a June 11 launch is scheduled between 9:04 and 9:19 p.m. EDT.鈥�

The multi-canister ampoule ejection system will release blue-green and red vapor to form artificial clouds between 4 and 5.5 minutes after launch. These blue-green and red artificial clouds may be visible along the mid-Atlantic coastline, from New York to North Carolina.

The NASA Visitor Center at Wallops will open at 8 p.m. on launch day for viewing the flight. Check for updates.

Third gravitational wave discovered

Did you feel it? The fabric of space surrounding our planet was disturbed on Jan. 4, 2017 by the caused by two colliding black holes. You wouldn鈥檛 feel these waves as the displacement of spacetime is about 1/1000th the width of an atomic nucleus 鈥� very small indeed. This event happened twice as far away, billions of light years from us, than the previous two events.

I participated in the May 31 teleconference to learn more about the event from scientists who are part of the 1,000-member team involved in the discovery.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO, named the event and described it as follows:

鈥淭he newfound black hole, formed by the merger, has a mass about 49 times that of our sun. This fills in a gap between the masses of the two merged black holes detected previously by LIGO, with solar masses of 62 (first detection) and 21 (second detection).鈥�

LIGO鈥檚 ongoing observations are carried out by one in Hanford, Washington, which I visited just last month, and the other in Livingston, Louisiana, operated by Caltech and MIT with funding from the National Science Foundation.

One thing about LIGO that really excites me and what I asked the teleconference team about is the discovery of . It is expected that LIGO will eventually detect this type of event but they just can鈥檛 predict when. The good news is that LIGO is capable of doing so.

LIGO鈥檚 current observing run will end in August. What further discoveries await us?

NASA mission is headed to a star

NASA is launching a mission to a star that will actually fly through its atmosphere and come as close as 3.9 million miles from its surface. The star is none other than our sun.

The 听is scheduled for launch summer 2018 by a Delta IV Heavy and is being built and managed by in Laurel, Maryland. The mission is part of NASA鈥檚 to explore aspects of the sun-Earth system that directly affects life and society. The LWS program is managed by the agency鈥檚 Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA鈥檚 Science Mission Directorate in D.C.

Originally named Solar Probe Plus, the Parker Solar Probe is the first time NASA has named a spacecraft for a living individual, astrophysicist Eugene Parker.

As explained by a : 鈥淧arker鈥檚 work forms the basis for much of our understanding about how stars interact with the worlds that orbit them.” In the 1950s, Parker proposed a number of concepts about how stars 鈥� including the sun 鈥� give off energy. He called this cascade of energy the solar wind; and he described an entire complex system of plasmas, magnetic fields and energetic particles that make up this phenomenon.

Parker also theorized an explanation for the superheated solar atmosphere, the corona, which is 鈥� contrary to what was expected by physics laws 鈥� hotter than the surface of the sun itself.

Parker Solar Probe is designed to learn more about the sun from the closest we have ever been to this star. The probe will have to endure temperatures of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit and intense radiation. The spacecraft will be thermally protected by a 4.5-inch carbon-composite shield and will be hardened against radiation. At closest approach, the spacecraft will be hurtling around the sun at approximately 450,000 miles per hour, which is fast enough to get from Philadelphia to D.C. in one second.

Learning about the sun is vital to us. Consider this from the Parker Solar Probe webpage:

鈥淥ne recent study by the National Academy of Sciences estimated that without advance warning, a huge solar event could cause two trillion dollars in damage in the U.S. alone, and the eastern seaboard of the U.S. could be without power for a year. In order to unlock the mysteries of the corona, but also to protect a society that is increasingly dependent on technology from the threats of space weather, we will send Parker Solar Probe to touch the sun.鈥�

New astronaut class of 2017

Meet the . The 12 people will report to NASA in August and begin rigorous training to become full-fledged astronauts. The five women and seven men came from a wide, variety of backgrounds and were chosen from NASA鈥檚 largest applicant pool ever of 18,300.

Follow Greg鈥檚 daily blog to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. You can email Greg at skyguyinva@gmail.com.

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If it鈥檚 clear Friday night, the old crescent moon and the planet Mercury will adorn the western sky when it starts to get dark. You will need a clear view of the western horizon to see them. If you have binoculars, please use them. They will enhance your view.

You鈥檒l be able to see the moon鈥檚 dark side, the portion that isn鈥檛 illuminated by the sun. We call this 鈥�鈥�; it鈥檚 caused by the reflection of sunlight off our planet鈥檚 oceans and clouds, which illuminates the lunar surface. Tonight鈥檚 鈥淓arthshine鈥� should be particularly noticeable since the moon was closest to the Earth on Thursday. (It was a 鈥�,鈥� in fact.)

If you look to the lower right of the moon — about a fist width or so — you鈥檒l see a bright yellowish colored star, which is actually the planet Mercury. Mercury will be visible in the western sky all month, and this will be our best view of the year for the planet closest to the sun.

When it鈥檚 dark, you鈥檒l see bright Jupiter in the southeast sky all month. The four main moons of Jupiter can be seen in binoculars and mimics the view Galileo would鈥檝e had in his crude telescope in 1610 when he discovered them. NASA鈥檚 spacecraft is closing in on the king of the planets, and is due to arrive July 4, 2016.

If you are up late — around 1:30 a.m. — or an early riser before dawn, Mars and Saturn await your gaze. Mars will be closest to our planet next month. It鈥檚 very noticeable now as a reddish-colored star in the southeast sky. Do not confuse Mars with the reddish-colored star Antares that is almost directly below it. Mars will be brighter; the Greek name Antares means 鈥渞ival of Mars,鈥� and this month, you can see why the star got its name.

Mars has several active and exploring it from orbit and on the surface. It鈥檚 a fascinating world, and in amateur-sized telescopes, actual features can be seen for the next several months.

Saturn is a yellowish-colored star to the lower left of Mars. NASA鈥檚 has studied the ringed planet for 11 years and is still going strong.

Mars, Saturn and Antares make a beautiful triangle in the sky this month. If you have a dark sky, you can see the gorgeous Milky Way to their lower left.

The view will be best around 5 a.m. in the south over the next week before the moon starts to light up the sky as it approaches full on April 22. The waning gibbous moon will be in the heart of this celestial triangle on April 25.

In case you were wondering, Venus is too close to the sun now, otherwise we could have seen all five visible planets this month.

Not to be left out of this planetary parade, takes place April 22. The theme: 鈥淭rees for Earth.鈥�

As you can see, there鈥檚 much to enjoy in the sky this month. I hope you can join me at Shenandoah National Park for one of my lectures and .

Follow to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. You can email me at听skyguyinva@gmail.com.

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Finally, the last of the nine classic planets had been explored, and we were not disappointed.

It’s been . To me, this is one of the biggest discoveries ever made in astronomy. Known as extrasolar or exoplanets, they come in a large variety of sizes, masses and orbits around their stars.

The discovery of an Earthlike exoplanet 鈥� or commonly known as Earth 2.0 鈥� could be considered the Holy Grail in our search for exoplanets. Earth 2.0 would have to be similar in size and mass, have liquid water, an atmosphere comparable to ours and orbit a Sun-like star.

NASA on Thursday announced that its 听discovered. Known as Kepler 452-b, it is 鈥渢he first near-Earth-size planet in the 鈥榟abitable zone鈥� around a sun-like star,鈥� according to NASA. The habitable zone as defined by NASA is 鈥渢he area around a star where liquid water could pool on the surface of an orbiting planet.”

We know of 1,030 other exoplanets as of today, but many of them are gas giants like those in our solar system: Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune. Some exoplanet orbits are amazingly close to their star, which makes them very hot. Kepler also has another 4,696 exoplanet candidates it has discovered that require follow-up observations and analysis to verify they are actual planets. Research indicates that there may be .

To find an exoplanet a little larger than Earth, in the liquid water sweet spot around its Sun-like star, is quite a find. Astronomers have been able to determine the age of the parent star as being 6 billion years old, which makes the system 1.5 billion years older than ours.

Further observations need to be made of Kepler 452-b to see if it’s as rocky as Earth. And someday, we may be able to determine the composition of any atmosphere that the planet has.

Could Kepler 452-b have life? That’s certainly the $100 million question. On July 20, the 46th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon, we also saw the 听in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Breakthrough Prize Foundation and its founder, Internet investor Yuri Milner, made the 10-year, $100 million commitment to 鈥楤reakthrough Listen鈥� described as being 鈥渢he most comprehensive scientific SETI project yet.鈥�

Optical and radio telescopes will be used in the search for new exoplanets and searching for signals from other civilizations. Our local Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia will be part of the effort.

There may come a time when we discover life beyond our planet. It is possible that our own solar system harbors life, which is why we must continue to explore our own backyard.

Life 鈥� including intelligent life 鈥� might also exist on orbiting planets of other stars. As we discover more worlds beyond our own, and listen for signals from other civilizations, we might truly discover Earth 2.0 someday.

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WASHINGTON — Wow! They — Scott Kelly, Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka — are in orbit after a from night time Russia at 3:42 p.m. EDT, March 27, 2015.听My heart rate always听goes up on human space launches and reentries. Getting to space is听never easy.

Their Russian made rocket and Soyuz spacecraft performed perfectly to get the trio into space and begin the six-hour chase to rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station which currently has three crew members aboard. 听.

Both Scott and Mikhail (Misha) are beginning their epic that will provide medical data on two humans’ long term exposure to space. This acquisition of medical data is pivotal to identifying medical issues for humans on a projected 500 day mission to Mars and ways to overcome them. I have always said that is is really human issues, not technical issues, that will make getting humans to Mars so difficult.

Scott has an identical twin brother, Mark Kelly, who is a retired NASA astronaut. Comparison of medical data from Scott to Mark during the course of the one year mission will provide a unique opportunity in the history of manned spaceflight as I do not think such comparisons have ever been done before.

This mission also shows how space exploration brings out the best in us as Russia and America, who certainly are having Earth-bound issues – are still cooperating in the exploration of the Final Frontier. In order to survive and flourish humanity has to follow this model of international cooperation and expound on it. Failure to do so puts us at grave risk for humanity’s collective future.

You can follow the mission

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