Blog Profiles: Astronomy Blogs

Welcome to Blog Profiles! Each week, we select a topic and handful of blogs that do a great job contributing to the conversation. This week, we’re recognizing a few out-of-this-world astronomy blogs. Do you have a blog that deserves recognition? Tweet our writers at @BeyondBylines.

I know I wasn’t the only one who loved watching the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory team celebrate the recent landing of the InSight Lander on Mars.

Even though I ended up taking a very different route with my career, the astronomy classes I took in college were some of my favorites.

So, I decided to check out some of the field’s popular blogs.

They did not disappoint. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. NASA

Obviously, I can’t create a list of astronomy blogs without including NASA.

There are multiple blogs on the site covering different missions and departments. SpaceX and International Space Station are a couple of my favorites.

There are multiple new posts each day, so you’ll have plenty to read.

Also, I’d strongly suggest putting some time aside to browse the stunning image galleries on the site.

I enjoyed reading Crew Prepares to Split Up While Researching Space Biology, Commercial Crew: 2018 Year in Review, and Jenna Kay Foertsch: Meeting the Challenge at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Follow @NASA on Twitter.

2. Sky & Telescope

Sky & Telescope magazine has been around since 1941. Amateur and professional astronomers make up the team of editors and have all “built a telescope, written a book, done original research, developed a new product, or otherwise distinguished him or herself,” according to the site.

The website has four unique blogs that cover stargazing, astrophotography, spaceflight, and the possibility of life on other planets.

Stargazer’s Corner has reader-contributed stories that make for great reads.

Check out these posts: Astrophotography: Let’s Get Linear, Osiris-REX Arrives at Asteroid Bennu, Clouds: A Nebulous Existence

Follow @SkyandTelescope on Twitter.

This week in astronomy news: Inflated helium atmospheres surround two exoplanets, and the @NASAKepler captures the moments around a supernova that hint at a companion star triggering the explosion. https://t.co/Fr233oJwJr #60sAstroNews #space #astronomy #science #MondayThoughts pic.twitter.com/7ZPmReNrt8

— Sky & Telescope (@SkyandTelescope) December 10, 2018

3. EarthSky

EarthSky, managed by Deborah Byrd and her team, is a fun blog to explore.

Byrd began writing about astronomy in 1976 and her work led to a popular radio show, StarDate, that’s still on the air. The blog was launched in 1994.

Posts include interviews, news, and videos that appeal to nature-lovers, photographers, star-gazers, and more.

I recommend reading Take 2 trips around Earth, from space, Photos of 2018’s Geminid meteor shower, and Astronomers spy most distant solar system object yet

Follow @earthskyscience on Twitter.

What is the Local Group? 🌌🤔 How many galaxies are now known to lie within our Local Group of galaxies? How does our Milky Way rank, size-wise? And what about the vast superclusters beyond? Answers here: https://t.co/wni8WhHkry

Image via Wikimedia Commons. 📸 pic.twitter.com/3rvimdYrwB

— EarthSky (@earthskyscience) December 16, 2018

4. Universe Today

Universe Today is managed by Fraser Cain and has posted over 20,000 articles on space and astronomy news and education since 1999.

The blog features a weekly roundup of industry articles in its Carnival of Space section, a convenient way to keep up with the latest news.

Visitors to the site can also access a forum with reader discussions and the Guide to Space, an in-depth education reference on all things space and astronomy.

These posts caught my eye: Here are 20 Protoplanetary Disks, With Newly Forming Planets Carving Out Gaps in the Gas and Dust, Here’s the First Image of the Sun from the Parker Solar Probe, Of Course You’ll Want to See InSight’s First Selfie.

Follow @universetoday on Twitter.

P.S. Ever wonder how we come up with ideas for our blog profiles? Our handy list of industries and subjects on PR Newswire for Journalists stays top of mind. If you’re a blogger or journalist looking for astronomy or science news, let us know. We can customize a newsfeed for you.

Rocky Parker works in Audience Relations at PR Newswire. Check out her previous posts for Beyond Bylines. When she’s not working, Rocky typically can be found cooking, binge watching a new show, or playing with her puppy, Hudson.