Tag Archives: astronomy

White Paper: “Sleeping Satellite” by Tasmin Archer (1992): Authorial Intent, Documented Meanings, and Critical Reception

Posted on October 10, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive summary Drawing on published interviews with Tasmin Archer and her co-writers as well as contemporary retrospectives, this white paper finds that “Sleeping Satellite” is explicitly about the achievement and aftermath of the Apollo Moon landings and the disappointment that … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Music History, Musings | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Under Alien Skies

Posted on May 24, 2024 by nathanalbright

Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer’s Guide To The Universe, by Philip Plait, Ph.D The author of this book is a professional astronomer, and that combination of creative imagination as well as professional knowledge gives this book an interesting and complex … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Alone in The Universe

Posted on February 17, 2024 by nathanalbright

Alone in The Universe: Why Our Planet Is Unique, by John Gribbin At the core of this relatively short book is a pretty simple concept: there are few enough habitable zones and they are close enough to earth, that if there was … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, History | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies

Posted on February 16, 2024 by nathanalbright

Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies: The Age Of Earth And Its Cosmic Surroundings, by G. Brent Dalrample There is in this book a profound point about struggle to understand our origins, but the author, unfortunately, spends so much time at the beginning … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Super Volcanoes

Posted on January 17, 2024 by nathanalbright

Super Volcanoes: What they Reveal About Earth And The Worlds Beyond, by Robin George Andrews Typically, volcanoes are viewed as a negative aspect of existence, as a threat to the well-being of people. This book seeks to do something unusual, and that … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Where Have You Gone, Mr. Moon?

Posted on July 19, 2022 by nathanalbright

As I have commented elsewhere, the first song that I can remember being my favorite song was the sentimental ballad “Somewhere Out There,” a duet that was part of the soundtrack for a movie I also greatly enjoyed as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Last Stargazers

Posted on February 14, 2021 by nathanalbright

The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story Of Astronomy’s Vanishing Explorers, by Emily Levesque This book could have been much better than it was, as is often the case. There are really a couple of issues with this book that prevent … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Quest For Ultima Thule

Posted on January 2, 2019 by nathanalbright

As I have commented before on several occasions, I have since my youth been a partisan of the minor planet Pluto [1].  When Pluto was first discovered by astronomers some nine decades ago or so, the planet seemed particularly eccentric.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Galileo’s Daughter

Posted on November 19, 2018 by nathanalbright

Galileo’s Daughter:  A Historical Memoir Of Science, Faith, And Love, by Dava Sobel Admittedly, the life and times of Galileo have been picked over pretty cleanly and it takes a great deal of creativity on the part of a writer … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Planets

Posted on November 19, 2018 by nathanalbright

The Planets, by Dava Sobel This book, as one might expect, is very much a product of its time.  It also has some of the most insightful comments as to why Pluto is such a big deal for some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, History | Tagged , , | 1 Comment