Mario Livio
@mariolivio.bsky.social
Astrophysicist
Author: The Golden Ratio; Brilliant Blunders; Galileo and the Science Deniers;
🌏 Is Earth Exceptional w/ Jack Szostak, OUT NOW 🌍
🔭 Formerly with Hubble Space Telescope for 24 years
Author: The Golden Ratio; Brilliant Blunders; Galileo and the Science Deniers;
🌏 Is Earth Exceptional w/ Jack Szostak, OUT NOW 🌍
🔭 Formerly with Hubble Space Telescope for 24 years
The galaxy in this Hubble image, catalogued as AM 0644-741, is a member of the class of so- called "ring galaxies." It lies about 300 million light-years away.
November 17, 2025 at 2:08 PM
The galaxy in this Hubble image, catalogued as AM 0644-741, is a member of the class of so- called "ring galaxies." It lies about 300 million light-years away.
Today is Nov 17. On this date in 1902 physicist Eugene Wigner was born. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963 "for his contributions to the theory of the atomic nucleus and the elementary particles, particularly through the discovery and application of fundamental symmetry principles"
November 17, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Today is Nov 17. On this date in 1902 physicist Eugene Wigner was born. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963 "for his contributions to the theory of the atomic nucleus and the elementary particles, particularly through the discovery and application of fundamental symmetry principles"
This image, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. These are the expanding remains of a star that exploded hundreds of years ago.
November 16, 2025 at 2:03 PM
This image, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. These are the expanding remains of a star that exploded hundreds of years ago.
Today is Nov 16. On this date in 1717 mathematician Jean le Rond d'Alembert was born. A co-editor of the Encyclopédie. D'Alembert's formula for solutions to the wave equation is named after him. The fundamental theorem of algebra is named after d'Alembert in French.
November 16, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Today is Nov 16. On this date in 1717 mathematician Jean le Rond d'Alembert was born. A co-editor of the Encyclopédie. D'Alembert's formula for solutions to the wave equation is named after him. The fundamental theorem of algebra is named after d'Alembert in French.
The colliding galaxies in this Hubble image are known collectively as Arp 107. The duo is about 465 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy on the left is a Seyfert galaxy, it harbors an active galactic nucleus.
November 15, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The colliding galaxies in this Hubble image are known collectively as Arp 107. The duo is about 465 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy on the left is a Seyfert galaxy, it harbors an active galactic nucleus.
Today Nov 15. On this date in 1630 Johannes Kepler passed away. A key figure in 17th-century Scientific Revolution. Best known for laws of planetary motion, and his books. The impact of his work made him one of the founders of modern astronomy, the scientific method, and modern science.
November 15, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Today Nov 15. On this date in 1630 Johannes Kepler passed away. A key figure in 17th-century Scientific Revolution. Best known for laws of planetary motion, and his books. The impact of his work made him one of the founders of modern astronomy, the scientific method, and modern science.
The Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the closest galaxies to our own. Astronomers have used the power of ESO’s Very Large Telescope to explore the star forming region NGC 2035.
November 13, 2025 at 2:59 PM
The Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the closest galaxies to our own. Astronomers have used the power of ESO’s Very Large Telescope to explore the star forming region NGC 2035.
Today is November 13. On this date in 2010 astronomer Allan Sandage passed away. He determined the first reasonably accurate values for the Hubble constant and the age of the universe.
November 13, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Today is November 13. On this date in 2010 astronomer Allan Sandage passed away. He determined the first reasonably accurate values for the Hubble constant and the age of the universe.
A stunning Hubble image of the galaxy Centaurus A, also known as NGC 5128. The galaxy is well known for its dramatic dusty lanes of dark material.
November 12, 2025 at 2:10 PM
A stunning Hubble image of the galaxy Centaurus A, also known as NGC 5128. The galaxy is well known for its dramatic dusty lanes of dark material.
Today is Nov 12. On this date in 1842 Lord Rayleigh was born. He provided the first theoretical treatment of the elastic scattering of light by particles much smaller than the light's wavelength, a phenomenon now known as Rayleigh scattering, which notably explains why the sky is blue.
November 12, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Today is Nov 12. On this date in 1842 Lord Rayleigh was born. He provided the first theoretical treatment of the elastic scattering of light by particles much smaller than the light's wavelength, a phenomenon now known as Rayleigh scattering, which notably explains why the sky is blue.
RCW 108 in this ESO image is a molecular cloud that is in the process of being destroyed by intense ultraviolet radiation from massive and hot stars in the nearby stellar cluster NGC 6193.
November 11, 2025 at 1:55 PM
RCW 108 in this ESO image is a molecular cloud that is in the process of being destroyed by intense ultraviolet radiation from massive and hot stars in the nearby stellar cluster NGC 6193.
Today is November 11. On this date in 1875 astronomer Vesto Slipher was born. He performed the first measurements of radial velocities for galaxies. Was first to discover that distant galaxies are redshifted, thus providing the first empirical basis for the expansion of the universe.
November 11, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Today is November 11. On this date in 1875 astronomer Vesto Slipher was born. He performed the first measurements of radial velocities for galaxies. Was first to discover that distant galaxies are redshifted, thus providing the first empirical basis for the expansion of the universe.
Today is November 10 -- World Science Day for Peace and Development: www.un.org/en/observanc...
World Science Day for Peace and Development | United Nations
World Science Day for Peace and Development aims to ensure that citizens are kept informed of developments in science.
www.un.org
November 10, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Today is November 10 -- World Science Day for Peace and Development: www.un.org/en/observanc...
The pair of interacting galaxies known as Arp 174 in this image is about 300 million light-years away from Earth. Credit: Legacy Surveys / D. Lang (Perimeter Institute).
November 9, 2025 at 3:04 PM
The pair of interacting galaxies known as Arp 174 in this image is about 300 million light-years away from Earth. Credit: Legacy Surveys / D. Lang (Perimeter Institute).
Today is Nov 9. On this date in 1934 astronomer Carl Sagan was born.His best known scientific work is his research on possibility of extraterrestrial life and demonstration of production of amino acids from chemicals by exposure to light. Assembled 1st physical messages sent into space.
November 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Today is Nov 9. On this date in 1934 astronomer Carl Sagan was born.His best known scientific work is his research on possibility of extraterrestrial life and demonstration of production of amino acids from chemicals by exposure to light. Assembled 1st physical messages sent into space.
Hubble captured the iridescent tapestry of star birth in our neighboring galaxy (The Large Magellanic Cloud) in this panoramic view of glowing gas, dark dust clouds, and young, hot stars. The star-forming region is catalogued as N11B.
November 8, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Hubble captured the iridescent tapestry of star birth in our neighboring galaxy (The Large Magellanic Cloud) in this panoramic view of glowing gas, dark dust clouds, and young, hot stars. The star-forming region is catalogued as N11B.
Today is Nov 8. On this date in 1848 logician Gottlob Frege was born.He reconceived the discipline of logic by constructing a formal system which constituted the first ‘predicate calculus’.In this formal system he formalized the notion of a ‘proof’ in terms that are still accepted today.
November 8, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Today is Nov 8. On this date in 1848 logician Gottlob Frege was born.He reconceived the discipline of logic by constructing a formal system which constituted the first ‘predicate calculus’.In this formal system he formalized the notion of a ‘proof’ in terms that are still accepted today.
A spectacular Hubble image of the interacting galaxies Arp 87, a system of two galaxies: NGC 3808A (right) and NGC 3808B (left).
November 7, 2025 at 1:19 PM
A spectacular Hubble image of the interacting galaxies Arp 87, a system of two galaxies: NGC 3808A (right) and NGC 3808B (left).
Today is November 7. On this date in 1867 Marie Curie was born. She conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize , the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields.
November 7, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Today is November 7. On this date in 1867 Marie Curie was born. She conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize , the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields.
This fantastic image by Webb shows a large stellar jet at the outskirts of our Milky Way galaxy, in the proto-cluster Sh2-284.
November 6, 2025 at 2:39 PM
This fantastic image by Webb shows a large stellar jet at the outskirts of our Milky Way galaxy, in the proto-cluster Sh2-284.
A stunning Hubble image of The Bubble Nebula, also known as NGC 7635. This is an emission nebula located about 8,000 light-years away.
November 5, 2025 at 2:33 PM
A stunning Hubble image of The Bubble Nebula, also known as NGC 7635. This is an emission nebula located about 8,000 light-years away.
Today is November 5. On this date in 1906 astronomer Fred Whipple was born. Among his achievements were asteroid and comet discoveries, the "dirty snowball" hypothesis of comets, and the invention of the Whipple shield.
November 5, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Today is November 5. On this date in 1906 astronomer Fred Whipple was born. Among his achievements were asteroid and comet discoveries, the "dirty snowball" hypothesis of comets, and the invention of the Whipple shield.
Today Nov 4. On this date in 1929 the "Human Computer" Shakuntala Devi was born. In 1977, she computed the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in 50 seconds. Her answer, 546,372,891, was confirmed by calculations done at the US Bureau of Standards using the UNIVAC 1101 computer.
November 4, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Today Nov 4. On this date in 1929 the "Human Computer" Shakuntala Devi was born. In 1977, she computed the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in 50 seconds. Her answer, 546,372,891, was confirmed by calculations done at the US Bureau of Standards using the UNIVAC 1101 computer.
An ESO image of the polar ring galaxy NGC 4650A.
November 3, 2025 at 3:49 PM
An ESO image of the polar ring galaxy NGC 4650A.
Today is November 3. On this date in 1560 painter Annibale Carracci was born. He was influential in recovering the classicizing tradition of the High Renaissance from the affectations of Mannerism.
November 3, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Today is November 3. On this date in 1560 painter Annibale Carracci was born. He was influential in recovering the classicizing tradition of the High Renaissance from the affectations of Mannerism.