One Of My Favorites From Last Night’s Images. The Wind Was Bothersome, But It Was An Otherwise Lovely

Finished!!! #lego #nasa #iss #internationalspacestation #solarsystemambassadors https://www.instagram.com/p/CbIIROlu0kJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

Had fun marking every single crater, boulder, and rock in images taken as part of the OSIRIS-REx Mission. Can’t wait for a sample of Bennu to be headed to Earth soon. #bennu #osirisrex #space #asteroid #nasa https://www.instagram.com/p/B4L43ncHzWk/?igshid=1y15577s74bmf

The giddiness you feel when your image is featured on the mission’s front page is real. #nasa #jupiter #juno https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Uz9X3n-WW/?igshid=5exigvns12by

Somebody is very pleased with her Samantha Cristoforetti doll. Now she just needs an @astro_nicole doll. Let’s see if Mattel can make that happen. #stem #womeninspace #iss #internationalspacestation #nasa #spacescience #barbie #barbiedoll #mattel https://www.instagram.com/p/CU3b4dIMZ0z/?utm_medium=tumblr

Looking Up -

When I was a kid, my parents bought me a pretty basic telescope. I’m sure it was only used less than fifty times. It was a pain to lug it outside and set up. The finder scope was always loose and impossible to align. Eventually, the telescope became part of my room decor.

It wasn’t all the telescope’s fault. I was naive and fell for the pretty pictures on the box showing me the universe. I thought I was going to set up in the backyard and find a comet in five minutes. I’d have my Doctorate by the end of the week...

Alas, the only thing I could line up was the Moon. I wasn’t patient enough to look for subtle differences from viewing to viewing. I was young, dumb, and bored. The telescope came out less often. Eventually, it quit getting brought outside at all.

Thirty five years later, a spark in me reignited. I found telescopes with red-dot finder scopes and computerized tracking. I now knew those incredible images on the old box required long exposures and specialized settings. I wanted to try again.

My new telescope has allowed me to see many aspects of the Moon I could never appreciate before. Also, with my camera mount, I can now see and photograph deep space objects. The joy I experienced on seeing my first nebula was overwhelming. I showed my wife my first picture like I was a schoolboy with an A+.

Now for the cool part... I get to share this with my daughter. At five years of age, she can identify the four major planets in the sky. I am jealous of the technology she’ll get to grow up with, but for now, we will use my telescope and maybe even find a comet.

Daddy’s “Digital Learning” as well. About two years ago, I was talking to a buddy of mine about the U.S. space program picking up speed. I told him I was going to be in the heart of it to the extent of my abilities. As things developed, I found my niche in education and outreach. Thanks to my wife’s support, I’ve seen so many cool things, attended live and virtual briefings, and taken class after class. I so dearly want to be in Texas, Alabama, and Florida. However, I will continue to do my part here at home... For now. https://www.instagram.com/p/CD0OtziDeOr/?igshid=1hp56kr86pvm9