Please note I am not a scientist nor do I work for NASA. But I have always been fascinated by space and planets and all that exists outside of our little blue world. I’m a graphic designer by trade and have always loved anything about space. I especially enjoy the photographs of exotic locations around our solar system that robotic orbiters, rovers and satellite observatories have been able to provide. They are our modern pioneers, capturing stunning images of alien locations in unprecedented detail, showcasing the amazing variations of scenery found on the little points of light we see in our night sky.
You can contact me at the email below and follow me on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram @jpmajor for more up-to-date space and science news and images.
Have a question? Email me at lightsinthedark “at” me.com.
-– JM
PS: Yes, sometimes I might be found on your TV screen…
Lights in the Dark 
Bill turned me on to your site after I expressed pretty much the same feelings about losing RwR .
Thanks to you I can return to a near-daily fix.
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Hi Jason,
I for one (and I’m sure there are lots of others out there…) am extremely grateful that you’ve built this fabulous site.
Like you, I was very sad when Bill stopped doing RwR after viewing and enjoying it every day. He did a magnificent job.
But this is a truly worthy successor and I’m more than happy to support you and spread the good word to all of us space junkies out there.
Thanks again and long may you keep up the good work.
David Mallet
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Thanks for the kind words and support David. And Terry too of course! I’m glad to be able to keep sharing these views of our little family of planets. 🙂
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can i use the sun pic for my school project ? i half to make a websight
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Brian: yes, of course, you just need to include the same image credit note that I put on these photos. All these photos are the result of someone’s talent and hard work and financial funding by lots of people!
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Dear Jason,
Thanks for sharing my image with Phil Plait and for your generous comments and good press… your blog is really good work.
all the best,
Alan
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My pleasure Alan, thank you for all the beautiful images for us to enjoy!
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Absolutely love the pictures and explanations. Moreso, I enjoy your enthusiasm and excitement!
Keep up the fantastic work!
Terry
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http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/01/plasma-jets-make-suns-corona-so-much-hotter-than-the-surface.ars
picture is beautiful and article interesting—wasn’t sure best way to send this to you so am posting it in here.
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Thanks….I’ll share that on my Facebook/Twitter feed!
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– Thanks for the comment, Jessi! Now that you say it, it totally does look like rhinestones. Not a bad idea actually…could get a little tiresome tho!
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I just happened upon your site by accident. I love astronomical photography, and your site is a very nice addition to my internet travels.
Thanks for putting in the time and the effort to bring this to people like me.
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Thank you for enjoying it!
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heip. Ihania kuvia. Hienosti tavoitettu tunnelmat. Ja jopa minä näytän ihmiseltä. Mä lainaan kans pari kuvaa, kun mulla noita kuvia itsestäni ei oikein ole.
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i followed you over from Earth & Sky to here….you have been commenting on some of my photos, today….what a terrific website! And, i have to laugh because you are just like me. your math and science skills are bad, you are “tragically lazy”, and you love astronomy- you must be my long lost twin!!! LOL!! keep up the awesome work…i will introduce your site to some of my astro societies…..cheers!! lizzy
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Thanks lizzy! Glad you like it !
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Hi!
Just wanted to say thx for an awesome web site. Will be visiting it often!
//Phil
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Hi Jason,
I just added the link to your site to the list of my featured weblogs. Aside from the content, I really love its graphic design and layout.
Keep it up! 🙂 To the stars.
Raven
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Thanks Raven! I’ll return the favor!
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YOU DO GOOD WORK!!
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Wow, what wonderful things one finds while surfing for “ripples have ridges”.
Thank you.
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What do you say regarding Comet Elenin and how it was aligned with the sun and earth on the days of the New Zealand and Chile earthquakes?
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I say there was zero effect from any “alignment”. The gravity of Elenin is miniscule, and at its distance it has virtually no effect on Earth. If the Sun isn’t creating earthquakes (and it’s not) then a <10km-wide loose aggregation of ice and rock certainly isn't either.
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Am so excited to have found your site. Am 88 years old woman, have no knowledge
in astronomy but am somewhat emotional at the idea to witness the discovery of all those Stars. What a beautiful and rich life I have.First the Underwater world which was my passion and now the Space. Thank you for the beautiful photos and the sharing of your discoveries. Am with you every day. Micheline
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Thanks Micheline! I’m glad you are enjoying the site! I am learning something new every day as well. Stick around, there’s much more to come!
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I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your website. I look forward to my daily “news from space” and all the images of the solar system. When I was a kid, my dad bought me a board game called Space Quest, which was a sort of solar system Monopoly, and it started my love affair with space.
I don’t really remember how I came upon the site, but I am certainly glad that I did. Thank you for the great site!!!
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Thanks for visiting and enjoying it!
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Absolutely Fabulous Jason. I had enjoyed RwR and now I enjoy this even more. I use it to educate students and kids. Blessings to everyone in our team. Maha
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Thanks Maha I’m happy you like it and are sharing it with others!
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very very nice work.i like it.
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hi, I really liked your site, and I intend to be Astronomer me I was wondering if you had something very interesting space videos photos and anything you could send me?
thank you.
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Hi, I really like your site, and I intend to be an astronomer and was wondering if you had something very interesting space videos photos and anything you could send me?
Thank you.
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Hi Marcos
Thanks very much. Your best bet would be to check out NASATelevision on YouTube and follow them on Twitter, along with any other NASA resource. The Goddard Space Flight Center is a good site for videos. Check out the links in my sidebar they will take you to many great astronomy resources too. Good luck!
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thank you
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Hai, nice to meet you.. blogwalking here
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Hey Jason,
There isn’t more news on “LIghts in the Dark” since 1st june…
I hope only that all it’s cool and that you’re in holidays and not sick…
Best Whishes.
Jeff Barani from Vence (France)
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Hello Jason,
I’ve just today discovered your website, and what a delight that was! I was already enjoying your articles on Universe Today, which was already my #1 source of information on space matters! Now, I can add your site to my favorites also!
Thank you so very much for the work that you put, maintaining your wonderful site. For all of us who share the same enthousiasm about the Universe and space exploration, websites like yours are trully A Light in the Dark!
And I particularly enjoyed your entry on this year’s anniversary of Apollo 11.
It only saddens me (and angers me so) that millions of people (inside and outside the US) just spit upon this marvelous achievement, riding the conspiracy badwagon. It’s just too painful to watch any single video on the web today concerning the Apollo program, and having to be exposed to the ridiculous flodding of conspiracists comments.
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Thank you! Yes, it’s a pet peeve of mine that people don’t honor this achievement as much as they should. It was quite the event, only possible because of a lot of people’s hard work and dedication.
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james,i am so sorry to hear about otis,it is a very strong bond that is hard to let go,our dog hank loved to go for rides! everytime i fired up the vw camper he would bark endlessly til we gave him a ride,it is so hard to go on ,cherish the memories and i know that both of our guys are playing and waiting patiently for us to someday meet them at the rainbow bridge,still lost without my buddy in nebraska,kevin
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Hi Jason,
This website is terrific!! I will keep following.
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Hi Jason,
I’m about to turn 50. And I’m uplifted to find a youngster like you looking toward our destiny…it gives me back hope in our future! Scott
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Hey Jason,
Please could you note my new e-mail address because I cannot send messages with my news e-mail address.
Here the new address : jean-francois.barani@numericable.fr
Thanks my Friend 😉
Jeff Barani from Vence (France)
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Still me Jason,
Here my news address e-mail : jean.francois.barani@numericable.fr
Note it !!
Jeff Barani from Vence (France)
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Because I don’t can to send message with it.
Also make that go on… with this address e-mail : jean.francois.barani@numericable.fr
Still thanks.
Jeff Barani from Vence (France)
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I love the concept Jason. I’m a beginning blogger and will eventually start blogging about the great Universe as well (and science).
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All my exes live in Vortexes
That is why I live out in the sea.
Recently I calculated the gravitational force of the sun on the moon, and the force of the sun on the earth, the force of the earth on the moon and the force of the moon on the earth using the force expression F = Gm2m1/x2.. The force of the sun on the moon, Fsm, divided by the force of the earth on the moon, Fem, or Fsm/ Fem = 2.1.
The moon orbit around the earth is popularly known as a ‘near circular orbit’. The separation distance of the moon and earth is, 384,403 ±5 km on average. The eccentricity is 0.0549, while the apsides, the major lunar axis, process around the moon’s axis at a slow plugging repetitious rate of one rotation every 8.85 years. With ratio of the two forces being approximately 2.1 a strong solar perturbation is demanded by the Newton’s Universal Law of Gravity*.
Turning to the force of the sun on the earth, Fse and the force of the moon on the earth , Fme the respective ratio of these forces is, Fse/Fme = 180, approximately.
In the case of the gravitational forces of the sun and moon on the earth as, Fse/Fme = 180 a truly remarkable result when, as here, the “spring tides” occur on the earth when the sun and moon are aligned with the earth; and further, under ideal conditions, assumed here, the ocean water is assumed as evenly distributed over a spherical earth. The moon’s influence is observed to raise the ocean water levels to 54 cm, while the sun’s influence raises the water level 25 cm.
There is a conclusion I am leaning toward which is the inapplicability of the law of gravity as demonstrated by the examples discussed above. The principles of the conservation of energy and angular momentum has, from this wretched perspective, made an intuitive leap into a rational model that resolves the inequities discussed when determining that the law of gravity is not demonstrated in the solar- lunar influences on the ocean water high-tide peaks as generated and as discussed. Likewise, lunar-earth orbit requires another law of stellar object perturbation mechanisms.
With the Fsm/ Fem = 2.1 the physics of Newton’s gravity should result in a consistent perturbed lunar orbit at the instant of lunar orbit capture.
I prepared a short note linking solar linear motion with orbiting planets and included a physical spring to simulate planetary trajectories. I delivered the note to the “science” master at a local high school. The teacher was so shocked by the note that the local law enforcement officer assigned to maintain school security that then contacted me and asked what I was attempting to accomplish. When I asked the police officer what he thought the planet trajectories would be if orbiting a straight-line motion of the sun. The police officer immediately grasped the correct answer. I never heard from the teacher, my unannounced purpose was to educate the student body and raising the student body’s level of scientific knowledge and for this the ‘science teacher’ dropped a dime on me for my brazen and emotionally shocking scientific information. This is a true story.
Newton attempted to remove his name aas author of the universal law of gravity. Newton discovered that his force term,
F = KM1M2/x^2,
says nothing about energy or force exchanges and he finally concluded that “the simultaneous action at a distance” was far beyond his personal philosophical ability to understand. a look at some of Tom van Flanders papers will expand little on the action at a distance matter. However, when this instantaneous force exchanges stimulates relativity theorists objections the naivety of relativity theory is exposed. Instantaneous is not a word describing objects moving very fast instantaneous means right now as postulated by the late John Bell. See his collection of papers, “Thinkable and unthinkable in quantum mechanics’.
Michael Hernan
Fort Mohave, Arizona
stillegal@live.com
928 514 4103
Ciao
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Hey Jason, Like your blog! Nice site, great theme
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Enjoyed your post on the comet…
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That’s very nice to know this website, thanks for leading me to here, i will introduce it for my friends, they are also interested in astro and cosology. If you have time, visit mine for fun trinhmanhdo.com. Thank you much 😉
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Jason, I’ve been tagging with you on twitter forever, but haven’t had a chance to get to your site until now. I love this site of yours! Really glad you do this. Thanks for sharing your passion for astro-images with all of us. What a treat! – Sarah
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You have a really wondrous blog! Informative and fun!
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Absolutely fantastic page. I love reading it and I always visited RwR. Those places (and few other fantastic people) made me stop what I’m doing and start studying astronomy from grounds up at the age of 32. And it’s been fantastic ever since. Currently I’m trying to implement the same passion you have in my own country – in Polish language for those not English-speaking to enjoy the fantastic views of the Solar System and beyond. Would you mind if i shared any of the stuff I find here on my prospective Polish-language page? As of now to test the territory i set up a Facebook fanpage (www.facebook.com/pulskosmosu) and it easily racked up a 1000 followers. Now thinkin of switching to a webpage like this one.
Anyways, keep up the good work!
Best regards,
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The waiting is over today for Pluto, looking at it together and say “Hello” to Pluto today!!
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Its very nice n informative. I liked the opening line -the universe is waiting.
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I am sorry , the line was universe is loading .
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I grew up from Kindergarten and into 5th grade (1960-65) next to NASA in Houston (Clear Lake, Seabrook, El Lago) area. Some of my best friends were the children of the astronauts. Specifically, Grissom, Conrad, Carpenter, Aldrin and Lovell. This gave me a love for Science Fiction and I have voraciously read hundreds of books. Anytime I get back to Houston, I’m always looking up Timber Cove where many of them lived – along with other NASA engineers and employees. Just last week I drove by their homes and enjoyed some good memories.
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Nobody even went to the Moon yet. Orion engineers DLEARLY STATE WE DANNOT GET MEN SAFEKY PAST THE VAN ALLEN HELTS-THEY ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. RADIATION BELTS ARE MAJOR OBSTACLE TODAY-THEY ADMIT IT.
THE MOON LANDINGS NEVER HAPOENED. GET. OVER. IT. THE MINION WORKERS SO NOT KNOW WHAT THE TOP BRASS DOES IN A CORPORATION. SUCH IS THE CASE WITH NASA-SAME SCENARIO.
WATCH SIBRELXS FOOTAGE OF ARMSTRONF, COLLINS ALDRIN HANGING OUT IN LOW EARTH ORBIT JULY 19 1969 USING A TRANSPARENCY TO FAKE BEING HALF WAY TO THE MOON…… PROOF POSITIVE.
THEN, WATXH THE ASTRO-NOTS REACTIONS WHEN CONFRONTED WITH FOOTAGE IN “ASTRONAUYS GONE WILD”.
YOU HABE ZERO ARGUMENT ,JASON……. YOU ARE IN TOTAL D E N I A L.
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You’re a lying liar. Pants on fire.
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Hi Jason,
My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m Founder of Feedspot.
I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Lights in the Dark has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 60 Space Blogs on the web.
http://blog.feedspot.com/space_blogs/
I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 60 Space Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!
Also, you have the honor of displaying the badge on your blog.
Best,
Anuj
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Chris, thanks for the kind words. I’m so glad you got to hang out with David, I was really bummed we didn’t get together for the trip in January, something tells me we’ll make up for it in Bali 😀
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These photos ARE “painted”. (See NASA Blue Marble / Robert Simmon)
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“…And I particularly enjoyed your entry on this year’s anniversary of Apollo 11.
It only saddens me (and angers me so) that millions of people (inside and outside the US) just spit upon this marvelous achievement, riding the conspiracy badwagon. It’s just too painful to watch any single video on the web today concerning the Apollo program, and having to be exposed to the ridiculous flodding of conspiracists comments.” (Leonidas 7/24/2012)
…I just hope by now that Leonidas has been able to get over the “pain”
and take a look at how we have all been deluded by NASA.
Yes, the truth hurts sometimes.
Another person who simply REFUSES
to do any research. Sad.
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I just shake my head at people like you who believe that Apollo 11, for example, actually carried any astronauts to and then from the moon. The photos you even published are enough for someone with critical thinking to realize that we didn’t. You have the blind faith of the average religious person and no amount of logic will dissuade you. Walter Cronkite himself knew it was Disney “b/s”. Growing up listening to him deliver the news, you got used to the guy’s mannerisms. If you had this sort of experience and then you listened to his coverage of all this, you’d recognize the tell-tale signs of ridicule, sarcasm and a sense of weariness from the man. He absolutely knew it wasn’t the truth at the time it was supposed to be happening. Rather than joy, this man of integrity was forced to lie to the American public and he hated every minute of it.
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Hey Jason !
I was browsing your blog after finding it on Google. I love what you’re posting—especially the article of Nasa releasing thousands of hours on Apollo 11. I’ve been reading your blog for a while, and wanted to reach out to see if I could be included in your linking feature?
I am 52 years old, living in Paris, France. (Yes, that does mean I drink too much wine and eat too much cheese) . Since the age of 21, I became a big fan of Space Exploration as I studied in Cap Canaveral in Florida, and worked with the engineers that put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Alfrinon the moon. So, this is perhaps the reason why I became a pasionate Space Collectioner : Mainly photos from the space race in the 60’s from Nasa and Russian programs.
So I was wondering, if we could exchange links beetween our sites ?
Thanks in advance
Hervé
https://www.space-collectibles.com
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Beautiful site! Could you tell me which theme you are using?
I am building a site to with WordPress b
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Beautiful site!
Can you tell me which theme you are using?
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Love the pictures of Ganymede – My prize bull is named after him, so I linked to your page.
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