Graveyard of Suns: Milky Way’s Galactic Underworld DiscoveredThe Milky Way is girdled by a gargantuan necropolis of ancient dead stars bigger than the galaxy itself. By Wilson da Silva BILLIONS OF black holes and neutron stars must have formed since our galaxy was born — but where they ended up is a mystery. A… Nov 25 22November 25, 2022Article at Medium
‘Cosmic Spiderweb’ Mystery SolvedA puzzling image from the James Webb Space Telescope, which had astronomers stumped for months, has finally been explained. By Wilson da Silva A BIZARRE IMAGE of the distant star surrounded by concentric squarish ripples, captured by the James Webb… Oct 24 22October 24, 2022Article at Medium
Have Rocket, Will Travel: The Coming Age of Intercontinental SpaceflightA boom in the global space industry will eventually see people flying anywhere on Earth in less than an hour. And that’s just the beginning. By Wilson da Silva IN THE 1930s, the notion that, within decades, people would be flying to any point on the… Sep 28 22September 28, 2022Article at Medium
Becoming a Spacefaring Civilisation — and Saving EarthWe need to expand beyond Earth, but not abandon it — just stop relying on Earth as our only quarry and only site for factories. By Wilson da Silva FEEL ANGUISHED about the state of our planet? Care about the future of human civilisation? Then you… Nov 19 21November 19, 2021Article at Medium
Neil Armstrong and the Rebirth of a Dream A decade ago, when the first man to walk the Moon called for a new age of space exploration, it was inspiring but fanciful. That’s no longer the case. WHAT DO YOU ask a man who walked on the Moon, and has never been able to live it down? All… Jul 18 21July 18, 2021Article at Vocal
Space Shuttle: Final Flight of a Legend What’s it really like to watch a space shuttle blast off? Even for someone who’s seen hours of footage, it’s literally breathtaking. IF HUMANITY HAS a beachhead to the stars, this is it: Cape Canaveral. This sandy promontory, jutting out into the… Jul 13 21July 13, 2021Article at Vocal
How Lasers and Wi-Fi Were Born – Thanks to Cosmology Truly revolutionary technologies come from the most unlikely places, like cosmology, which gave us lasers, GPS and even Wi-Fi. WHERE DO WE come from? How did we get here? They are questions which have been asked as long as there have been people.… Jul 08 21July 08, 2021Article at Vocal
‘Hello From Earth’: The Unlikely Story of an Interstellar Message This is the improbable story behind Australia’s first attempt to contact an extraterrestrial civilisation. By Wilson da Silva IMAGINE YOU could send a text message to an Earth-like planet far away, a planet that could well be home to an alien… Jul 01 21July 01, 2021Article at Vocal
Sudden Impact: The Day the Dinosaurs Perished On a clear day 66 million years ago, the sky abruptly caved in and 75% of all life became extinct. SIXTY-SIX MILLION years ago, in one cataclysmic flash, the Earth changed forever. Without warning, a mountain-sized rock pierced through the 480 km… Jun 25 21June 25, 2021Article at Vocal
Back to the Moon: The Birth of Self-Sustaining OutpostsA new space race is unfolding, driven by commerce and permanent bases on the Moon. To succeed, they’ll need to be self-sustaining. Wilson da Silva Jan 10 · 16 min read WHEN SOPHIA Casanova was 10, her parents bought her a telescope, and she fell head… Jun 14 21June 14, 2021Article at Medium
Neil Armstrong and the Revival of Lost Horizons A decade ago, when the first man to walk the Moon called for a new age of space exploration, it was inspiring but fanciful. That’s no longer the case. WHAT DO YOU ask a man who walked on the Moon, and has never been able to live it down? All… Jun 09 21June 09, 2021Article at Medium
The Man Who Coloured the Cosmos Once, all deep space photography was black-and-white. But when a chemist developed a new technique, colour exploded from the heavens. FEW PEOPLE have a building named after them, much less an asteroid, a planet or a star. But a whole galaxy? Filled… Jun 08 21June 08, 2021Article at Vocal
The Man Who Inflated the Universe Working late one night, Alan Guth struck upon a solution to the birth of the cosmos. Until then, he’d had trouble holding down a job. By Wilson da Silva ALAN GUTH still finds it amazing that he can understand anything about the first few moments… May 16 21May 16, 2021Article at Vocal
How a Drunk Driver Led to the Birth of Russia's Sputnik 1 In the milieu of the Cold War, a roadside accident three generations ago led to Sputnik 1, and the beginning of a new era: the Space Age. By Wilson da Silva HAD IT NOT BEEN for a collision with a tree by a vodka-sodden driver on the outskirts of… Apr 15 21April 15, 2021Article at Vocal
The High Frontier: The Birth of Self-Sustaining Space Outposts A new space race is unfolding, driven by commerce and permanent bases on the Moon. To succeed, they’ll need to be self-sustaining. By Wilson da Silva WHEN SOPHIA Casanova was 10, her parents bought her a telescope, and she fell head over heels for… Apr 13 21April 13, 2021Article at Vocal
Back to the Moon: A New Era of Space ExplorationAustralia’s mining expertise is at the forefront of a new era of space exploration that’s looking to the Moon and beyond. By Wilson da Silva SOPHIA CASANOVA HAS long been fascinated by the night sky, spending lazy summers in suburban Sydney during… Aug 06 20August 06, 2020Article at Australian Geographic
The Man Who Inflated the UniverseWorking late one night, Alan Guth accidentally struck upon a solution to the birth of the cosmos. Until then, he’d had trouble holding down a job. By Wilson da Silva ALAN GUTH still finds it amazing that he can understand anything about the first few… Jun 09 20June 09, 2020Article at Medium
Sudden Impact: The Day the Sky Fell InOn a clear day 66 million years ago, the sky abruptly caved in and 75% of all life became extinct. By Wilson da Silva SIXTY-SIX MILLION years ago, in one cataclysmic flash, the Earth changed forever. Without warning, a mountain-sized rock pierced… Apr 14 20April 14, 2020Article at Medium
How Lasers and Wi-Fi Were Born, Thanks to CosmologyTruly revolutionary technologies come from the most unlikely places, like cosmology, which gave us lasers, GPS and even Wi-Fi. By Wilson da Silva IT’S THE ULTIMATE question: where did we come from? How did we get here? They are questions which have… Mar 31 20March 31, 2020Article at Medium
‘Hello From Earth’: The Unlikely Story of an Interstellar Message A powerful beacon sent to an Earth-like planet has reached the halfway mark. This is the improbable story behind Australia’s first attempt to contact an extraterrestrial civilisation. By Wilson da Silva IMAGINE YOU could send a text message to an… Jan 15 20January 15, 2020Article at Medium
