Robert Lea @RobertLea@qoto.org

The small UK town Winchcombe was lit up in 2021 when a fireball #space rock exploded in its skies and crashed into a home’s driveway there. I spoke to researchers Queenie H. S. Chansons Mark Sephton about the secrets locked within the #meteorite including amino acids that could be the precursors to life! #astronomy #scicomm https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/meteorite-that-struck-a-driveway-in-small-uk-town-holds-key-ingredients-for-life/

What is dark energy and why is the universe expanding at an ever-accelerating rate? I asked cosmologist Luz Angela Garcia 10 pressing questions about the expansion of the #universe for @PopMech #Space #scicomm #physics #astronomy https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a42570996/expert-answers-your-dark-energy-questions/

Just watched the Menu. It’s absolutely brilliant. Fantastic satire of the the restaurant industry and food criticism. Anya Taylor-Joy is fantastic and Nicholas Hoult is wonderful as a snivelling sycophant! https://youtu.be/C_uTkUGcHv4

New survey of the galactic disc of the Milky Way reveals a stunning 3.3 billion celestial objects. #space #astronomy #MilkyWay #SciComm https://www.space.com/dark-energy-camera-milky-way-survey

Hope you had a fantastic #NewYear2023 how would you feel about doing it all over again on Jan 5? A newly discovered hot Jupiter #exoplanet whips around its star once every 5 days. Pass the aspirin. #astronomy #SciComm #space https://www.space.com/hot-jupiter-exoplanet-rapidly-spinning-star

The Inside No 9 Christmas special the Bones of St Nicholas didn’t disappoint. What a lovely atmospheric tale with a pure Tales of the Unexpected twist. In fact, it was jaw dropping!

What’s on the menu for Christmas dinner; turkey, beef, lamb, the shredded remains of a star you destroyed with tidal forces? A distant black hole isn’t just feasting on a star, it’s created it’s own plasma party hat! #Space #astronomy #scicomm https://www.space.com/black-holes-snacks-on-dead-star-corona

Another win for the #jameswebbspacetelescope the most powerful telescope ever put into orbit images the faint light from orphan stars that exist between galaxies in galactic clusters. #Space #astronomy #scicomm #SpaceNews #Science #sciencenews https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-ghostly-light-between-galaxies

Astronomers have spotted a ghostly glow around the solar system, but don’t get spooked this ghost light has got a rational explanation… probably. #Space #scicomm #astronomy #sciencenews https://www.space.com/hubble-space-telescope-solar-system-glow

Long Gamma Ray bursts are the most powerful explosions in the known universe but there sources are shrouded in mystery. Now the incredible Fong Group astronomers at Northwestern university have traced such a blast to merging neutron stars! #Space #astronomy #SciComm https://www.space.com/gamma-ray-burst-merging-neutron-star-kilonova

Astronomers have discovered the closest #blackhole to Earth after a number of false alarms. I spoke to Harvard astrophysicist Kareem El-Badry about this astounding discovery how it was made and what it’s implications are. #Space #astronomy #SciComm https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a42136486/closest-black-hole-to-earth-discovered/

Astronomers using the ESO’s Very Large Telescope have imaged the exposed heart of a galaxy #astronomy #Space #Science #scicomm https://www.space.com/vlt-eris-image-exposed-heart-of-galaxy

An incredibly distant black hole is feasting on stellar material and blasting its leftovers straight at Earth. #space #SciComm #astronomy #blackhole #sciencenews https://www.space.com/black-hole-eating-star-jet-points-earth

Andromeda the galaxy next door is a cosmic cannibal that has been growing by feasting on smaller galaxies. #space #SciComm #astronomy #SciComm https://www.space.com/andromeda-galaxy-cannibalism-finding-remains

Astronomers have used a phenomenon first predicted by Einstein in 1915 to observe an ancient #supernova. I spoke to Jose Maria Diego and Wenlei Chen the scientists behind this incredible #space #astronomy research. #SciComm https://physicsworld.com/a/early-stages-of-an-ancient-supernova-observed-using-gravitational-lensing/

A weird new super-Jupiter exoplanet challenges theories of how such #planets are born. Despite having the same radius as Jupiter, the #exoplanet has 8 times its mass, making it twice as dense as Earth! #space #astronomy #scicomm https://www.space.com/weird-super-jupiter-planet-very-dense

Want to avoid a discussion on politics at the #Thanksgiving dinner table? You could talk about #darkenergy instead. My explainer for @SPACEdotcom published today. #space #SciComm #astronomy https://www.space.com/dark-energy-what-is-it

When I first committed to being a professional #science #SciComm #space journalist, one of my first stories was about the Lightsail 2 craft. On Thursday this revolutionary craft burned up on the atmosphere. I said goodbye to it in Space. https://www.space.com/lightsail-2-solar-sailing-mission-ends

Want to read about some sweet #space and #astronomy research? Scientists have discovered that neutron stars could have hard or soft centres like cosmic chocolates! #SciComm https://www.space.com/neutron-star-structure-cosmic-candies

Researchers have discovered evidence of a massive 3.5 billion year old shoreline on #Mars indicating an ocean once existed in its northern hemisphere. I spoke to Penn State’s Benjamin Cardenas about the evidence behind this big claim. #SciComm #spacescience #planetary https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/massive-shoreline-hints-at-an-ancient-ocean-on-mars/