Life in space is hard. Most orbiting observatories retire well before their 20th birthday. Yet the Hubble Space Telescope has survived and continues to thrive well into its 30s. Astronomers celebrated the observatory’s 36th birthday in April by releasing a new image of the Trifid Nebula (M20). This stellar nursery lies about 5,000 light-years fromContinue reading "Hubble captures a corner of M20"

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If a satellite’s velocity increases as it approaches a planet during a slingshot maneuver, why does it not decrease by the same amount when it leaves the planet? How can it experience a net gain in velocity? Robert WaltyStephens City, Virginia Slingshot maneuvers can seem counterintuitive. We know that a spacecraft speeds up as itContinue reading "How do slingshot maneuvers work to propel spacecraft?"

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