Nancy Atkinson
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Nancy Atkinson
@nancyatkinson.bsky.social
Space and science journalist, author of “Eight Years to the Moon” and “Incredible Stories From Space “
Reposted by Nancy Atkinson
We simply had to intentionally destroy the world’s strongest economy while dismantling our scientific and educational infrastructure to ensure that a team with a trans girl would never finish second place in the Mountain West volleyball standings again
April 2, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Reposted by Nancy Atkinson
From. The. Rooftops.

You're not going to find a magic money-printing machine that will give you these types of reliable returns year-after-year. NOAA and NWS don't just keep us safe - they create immense value for the American taxpayer.
All NWS services: data, forecasts, radar, satellite, IT infrastructure, costs each American taxpayer $4/yr. Less than a latte. And each person gets back 73 x $4 = $292 a year in value for that service.

I think that’s a pretty good deal.
73:1 return on investment #ams2025
February 5, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Here’s a great starter pack list of women in space, astronomy and scicomm!
Decided to create a starter pack to highlight some of the awesome women of BlueSky that are connected to space in some way! ✨ If you don't want to be on this list (for any reason), please let me know, and I'll be happy to remove you. If I missed someone, suggestions are welcome!
go.bsky.app/No8DWnZ
December 4, 2024 at 9:44 PM
Back in the 1990s I worked on a unique educational project called The World Timecapsule, which was inspired by the Voyager Golden Records. I now had the chance to write a remembrance of the project for @Supercluster and it feels like a great wrap up for my career www.supercluster.com/editorial/re...
Remembering the World Timecapsule Project
There have also been other attempts over the years — some little known — to duplicate the Voyager record’s noble goals. One of those projects was called the World Timecapsule.
www.supercluster.com
November 27, 2024 at 3:01 PM
What the heck, my Threads account was suspended! Have no idea why
November 22, 2024 at 8:33 PM
I wrote an article back in 2007 about how engineering experts in Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) thought it might not be possible to land a human mission on Mars. I checked in with Rob Manning from JPL for an update, and the outlook has changed considerably.www.universetoday.com/169697/the-n...
The New Mars Landing Approach: How We'll Land Large Payloads on the Red Planet
Back in 2007, I talked with Rob Manning, engineer extraordinaire at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and he told me something shocking. Even though he had successfully led the entry, descent, and landin...
www.universetoday.com
November 19, 2024 at 9:40 PM
Some personal news: I'm retiring from my career as a space & science journalist! I've been thinking about it for a while and have a milestone birthday coming up next year so decided to go for it. I chose today to retire, as it is a culmination of round numbers: 1/8
November 18, 2024 at 7:22 PM
Need to see something beautiful and calming? These breathtaking images from the New Zealand astrophotography competition will do the trick! www.universetoday.com/169293/our-b...
Our Breathtaking Cosmos: New Zealand Astrophotography Winners Announced
The New Zealand Astrophotography Competition showcases and recognizes some of the most stunning images of the southern hemisphere’s night sky. This year, photographers from across New Zealand have cap...
www.universetoday.com
November 14, 2024 at 2:21 PM
Not fun to report on this .... Another round of layoffs at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, lab Director Laurie Leshin said in a memo to staff, “This is a message I had hoped not to have to write." www.universetoday.com/169291/nasas...
NASA's JPL Lays Off Another 325 People
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab has announced a second round of layoffs for 2024, this time laying off 325 people – about 5% of its workforce. The announcement was made on Nov. 12 in a memo sent to employee...
www.universetoday.com
November 13, 2024 at 9:55 PM
I live-tweeted an evacuation of the astronauts from the International Space Station when a piece of debris was possibly going to hit the ISS. I knew NASA had a new livestream of various com loops between the ISS & the ground & obviously not many people knew about it. My # of followers tripled
I have a game. What were you "known" for on Twitter?

I'll go first. I'm the woman who caused Dave Ramsey to mass-block Royals Twitter.
November 13, 2024 at 1:56 AM
Dang…
Awful news for friends and colleagues at JPL, with a further 5% staff reduction (325 people) "across technical, business, and support" to balance the books this year. Can't imagine the stress this will produce tomorrow :-(

www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/jpl-wor...
JPL Workforce Update
Workforce statement and memo to employees
www.jpl.nasa.gov
November 12, 2024 at 10:40 PM
Here's a fun way to use astronomy! An astronomer used 19th-century maps to discover the exact location of a famous Vincent van Gogh painting, and then used astronomical calculations to determine which date the Sun would be in the exact position as the painting.www.universetoday.com/169086/astro...
Astronomer Calculates When van Gogh Painted This
One of my favorite paintings is Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh — for obvious astronomical reasons. But another favorite of van Gogh’s works is Lane of Poplars at Sunset. This painting depicts the se...
www.universetoday.com
October 31, 2024 at 2:53 PM
Lovely #aurora tonight in Central Minnesota
October 11, 2024 at 1:22 AM

The 2024 Astronomy Photographer of the Year winners have been announced by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, and like every year the photos are STUNNING! Take a look!!
www.universetoday.com/168457/and-t...
And the Winner is.... Astronomy Photographers of the Year 2024 Announced
Every year, the “Astronomy Photographer of the Year” competition provides incredible images of our night sky — whether they are stunning views of distant galaxies or dramatic photos of aurorae or othe...
www.universetoday.com
September 13, 2024 at 1:12 AM
NASA has announced three science instruments and their plans for planetary science during the Artemis III mission, currently planned for 2026. www.universetoday.com/166321/nasa-...
NASA Reveals its Planetary Science Goals for Artemis III
If all goes well, NASA’s Artemis III mission will bring humans back to the Moon as early as 2026, the first time since the Apollo 17 crew departed in 1972. It won’t be a vacation, though, as astronaut...
www.universetoday.com
March 27, 2024 at 5:48 PM
ECLIPSE GLASSES! Have yours yet for the April 8 total solar #Eclipse2024 ? Support @astro4equity an awesome org that uses astronomy & space to improve lives and communities for the most marginalized communities. Order/find out more here: astro4equity.org/product/sola...
March 17, 2024 at 4:29 PM
So cool: music, cosmology, astronomy, particle physics and more, all together in one piece. "Composer expresses the origins of the universe using string instruments," from @npr one.npr.org/?sharedMedia...
🔊 Listen Now: Composer expresses the origins of the universe using string instruments
Morning Edition on NPR One | 7:02
one.npr.org
January 17, 2024 at 7:10 PM
What message would YOU send to an alien civilization? You might have a chance to do so with a next-generation "Voyager Golden Record"-type project called "Message in a Bottle," www.supercluster.com/editorial/a-...
A Golden Record for the Next Generation
The new MIAB has two main purposes: to propose a message for Extraterrestrials or future Earth beings that emphasizes diverse perspectives on human civilization
www.supercluster.com
December 20, 2023 at 5:21 PM
Thinking of purchasing a telescope this holiday season? I review the
Unistellar eQuinox 2 and new solar filter on Universe Today. Lots of upsides for beginners and even seasoned observers!

www.universetoday.com/164740/revie...
Review: Unistellar's eQuinox 2 Telescope and New Smart Solar Filter
I recently had the chance to try out one of Unistellar’s smart telescopes, the eQuinox 2. Unparalleled in its ease of use, I was literally viewing distant nebula, galaxies, and star clusters within ...
www.universetoday.com
December 12, 2023 at 9:45 PM
About to commence the annual swear-fest that is printing out the address labels for my holiday cards. Anyone else have this happen year?
December 3, 2023 at 5:24 PM
The crazy contact binary moon that was discovered around asteroid Dinkinesh by NASA's Lucy mission just got its own name: Selam. And those three names (Dinkinesh, Selam and Lucy) are all connected www.universetoday.com/164566/the-n...
The New Asteroid Moon Discovered by Lucy Just Got its Own Name
When NASA’s Lucy mission flew past asteroid Dinkinesh on November 1, 2023, it made the surprising discovery the asteroid had a tiny moon. Then came another surprise. This wasn’t just any moon, but...
www.universetoday.com
November 30, 2023 at 7:25 PM
Amazon has steep discounts on books right now, including my books at less than half of list price. "Eight Years to the Moon" is under $16
www.amazon.com/Eight-Years-...
November 30, 2023 at 4:24 PM
A new paper says that the Chinese Long March rocket booster that struck the Moon last year (yes, it really was theirs) must have had an additional undisclosed payload on board because the impact created two craters. www.universetoday.com/164379/a-chi...
A Chinese Booster (and Additional Secret Payload) Caused a Double Crater on the Moon
Last year, astronomers warned that a large piece of debris was on a collision course with the Moon. Initially, they speculated that it was a SpaceX booster but later zeroed in on a Chinese Long March ...
www.universetoday.com
November 21, 2023 at 7:53 PM
The Sun today, just a few moments ago as seen by the Unistellar Equinox2 with a solar filter. A sunspot group can be seen near the right limb; the Sun's granulation —or the bubble-like features due to convection currents in the solar interior— are also visible across the entire surface.
November 15, 2023 at 5:53 PM
Chicago area friends, I'll be part of a fun 'all about the MOON' event this coming Sunday, November 12 at 5 pm: Beth Mund's Casual Space Podcast LIVE at the amazing (and aptly named) Moonlight Theatre in St. Charles, IL. Find out more: www.bethmund.com/events
Events — Beth Mund
www.bethmund.com
November 10, 2023 at 10:11 PM