A Road Trip with Commander Chris

Happy Trails! Send me a postcard!

The life-giving secret of protoplanetary disks? Dust. December 1, 2025
The complex molecules required for life on Earth might never have formed if it wasn’t for cosmic dust.
The Universe Was Warm Before It Was Bright December 1, 2025
There is a period in the Universe known as the cosmic dark ages. It lies between the recombination of the first atoms and the ignition of the first stars, when the Universe was thought to be cold and dark. Now astronomers have looked at the faint glow of atomic hydrogen to find that while the […]
Did JWST Find an Exomoon or a Starspot? December 1, 2025
Searching for exomoons - moons the orbit around another planet - was one of the most exciting capabilities expected of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) when it launched in late 2021. So, after four years of operation, why hasn’t it found one yet? Turns out it’s really, really hard to find a moon around […]
Jupiter’s Fast Rotation Creates Uneven Water Zones December 1, 2025
What can water in Jupiter’s atmosphere teach scientists about the planet’s composition? This is what a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated the distribution of water with Jupiter’s atmosphere. This study has the potential to help scientists better understand Jupiter’s […]
New Radiation-Proof Method Could Boost Space Solar Panels November 30, 2025
What steps can be taken to improve and enhance the lifetime of space solar cells? This is what a recent study published in Joule hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated new methods for improving both the lifetime and performance of space solar cells from the harshness of space weather and radiation. […]