Mario Livio
@mariolivio.bsky.social
Astrophysicist
Author: The Golden Ratio; Brilliant Blunders; Galileo and the Science Deniers;
🌏 Is Earth Exceptional w/ Jack Szostak, OUT NOW 🌍
🔭 Formerly with Hubble Space Telescope for 24 years
Author: The Golden Ratio; Brilliant Blunders; Galileo and the Science Deniers;
🌏 Is Earth Exceptional w/ Jack Szostak, OUT NOW 🌍
🔭 Formerly with Hubble Space Telescope for 24 years
This ESO infrared image covers the Orion A molecular cloud, the nearest known massive star factory, lying about 1,350 light-years from Earth. It reveals many young stars and other objects normally buried deep inside the dusty clouds.
November 27, 2025 at 3:18 PM
This ESO infrared image covers the Orion A molecular cloud, the nearest known massive star factory, lying about 1,350 light-years from Earth. It reveals many young stars and other objects normally buried deep inside the dusty clouds.
Today is November 27. On this date in 1754 mathematician Abraham de Moivre passed away. Best known for de Moivre's formula, a formula that links complex numbers and trigonometry, and for his work on the normal distribution and probability theory.
November 27, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Today is November 27. On this date in 1754 mathematician Abraham de Moivre passed away. Best known for de Moivre's formula, a formula that links complex numbers and trigonometry, and for his work on the normal distribution and probability theory.
This image features the spiral galaxy NGC 691, imaged in fantastic detail by Hubble . The galaxy is about 120 million light-years away from Earth.
November 26, 2025 at 1:32 PM
This image features the spiral galaxy NGC 691, imaged in fantastic detail by Hubble . The galaxy is about 120 million light-years away from Earth.
Today is November 26. On this date in 1857 linguist Ferdinand de Saussure was born. His ideas on structure in language laid the foundation for much of the approach to and progress of the linguistic sciences in the 20th century.
November 26, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Today is November 26. On this date in 1857 linguist Ferdinand de Saussure was born. His ideas on structure in language laid the foundation for much of the approach to and progress of the linguistic sciences in the 20th century.
This ESO infrared image shows the star-forming region 30 Doradus, highlighting its bright stars and pinkish clouds of hot gas.
November 25, 2025 at 2:13 PM
This ESO infrared image shows the star-forming region 30 Doradus, highlighting its bright stars and pinkish clouds of hot gas.
Today is Nov 25. On this date in 1841 mathematician Ernst Schröder was born. A major figure in the history of mathematical logic. Summarized and extended work of George Boole, Augustus De Morgan, Hugh MacColl, Charles Peirce. Best known for monumental "Lectures on the Algebra of Logic."
November 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Today is Nov 25. On this date in 1841 mathematician Ernst Schröder was born. A major figure in the history of mathematical logic. Summarized and extended work of George Boole, Augustus De Morgan, Hugh MacColl, Charles Peirce. Best known for monumental "Lectures on the Algebra of Logic."
A beautiful Hubble image of the galaxy UGC 11397, which harbors at its center a supermassive black hole of about 174 million times the mass of the Sun.
November 24, 2025 at 6:23 PM
A beautiful Hubble image of the galaxy UGC 11397, which harbors at its center a supermassive black hole of about 174 million times the mass of the Sun.
Today is Nov 24. On this date in 1925 physical engineer Simon van den Meer was born. He received the 1984 @NobelPrize for Physics for his contribution to the discovery of the massive, short-lived subatomic particles designated W and Z that were crucial to the unified electroweak theory.
November 24, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Today is Nov 24. On this date in 1925 physical engineer Simon van den Meer was born. He received the 1984 @NobelPrize for Physics for his contribution to the discovery of the massive, short-lived subatomic particles designated W and Z that were crucial to the unified electroweak theory.
Enlarged view of the head of Column 2 of the Eagle Nebula, as seen by ESO . The bright blue-yellow source embedded in nebulosity near the tip is a young star.
November 23, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Enlarged view of the head of Column 2 of the Eagle Nebula, as seen by ESO . The bright blue-yellow source embedded in nebulosity near the tip is a young star.
Today is Nov 23. The date's digits, when written as 11/23, form the first 4 numbers of the Fibonacci sequence (1,1,2,3,5,8,...). See my book "The Golden Ratio."
November 23, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Today is Nov 23. The date's digits, when written as 11/23, form the first 4 numbers of the Fibonacci sequence (1,1,2,3,5,8,...). See my book "The Golden Ratio."
This sparkling scene of star birth was captured by Webb . What appears to be a craggy mountaintop is actually a cosmic dust-scape being eroded away by the blistering winds and radiation of nearby, massive, infant stars. The star cluster is called Pismis 24.
November 22, 2025 at 2:51 PM
This sparkling scene of star birth was captured by Webb . What appears to be a craggy mountaintop is actually a cosmic dust-scape being eroded away by the blistering winds and radiation of nearby, massive, infant stars. The star cluster is called Pismis 24.
Today is Nov 22. On this date in 1904 physicist Louis Néel was born.He received Nobel Prize for Physics in 1970 for studies of magnetic properties of solids.His contributions to solid-state physics have found numerous applications, particularly in the development of computer memory units.
November 22, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Today is Nov 22. On this date in 1904 physicist Louis Néel was born.He received Nobel Prize for Physics in 1970 for studies of magnetic properties of solids.His contributions to solid-state physics have found numerous applications, particularly in the development of computer memory units.
NGC 2074 and NGC 2081, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, are an open cluster of stars swaddled by ionized, glowing gases. The little red nebula at the bottom of this ESO image is known as SUMSS J053917-693329.
November 21, 2025 at 4:06 PM
NGC 2074 and NGC 2081, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, are an open cluster of stars swaddled by ionized, glowing gases. The little red nebula at the bottom of this ESO image is known as SUMSS J053917-693329.
Today is Nov 21. On this date in 1694 philosopher, satirist, and historian Voltaire was born. Famous for his wit and his criticism of the Catholic Church and of slavery. He was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.
November 21, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Today is Nov 21. On this date in 1694 philosopher, satirist, and historian Voltaire was born. Famous for his wit and his criticism of the Catholic Church and of slavery. He was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.
A dramatic triplet of galaxies takes center stage in this Hubble image. The system is known as Arp 195.
November 20, 2025 at 2:18 PM
A dramatic triplet of galaxies takes center stage in this Hubble image. The system is known as Arp 195.
Today is November 20. On this date in 1889 astronomer Edwin Hubble was born. He played a crucial role in establishing the field of extragalactic astronomy and is generally regarded as the leading observational cosmologist of the 20th century.
November 20, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Today is November 20. On this date in 1889 astronomer Edwin Hubble was born. He played a crucial role in establishing the field of extragalactic astronomy and is generally regarded as the leading observational cosmologist of the 20th century.
A beautiful ESO image of SNR 0543-689, the remnant of a supernova explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).
November 19, 2025 at 2:06 PM
A beautiful ESO image of SNR 0543-689, the remnant of a supernova explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).
Today is Nov 19. On this date in 2013 biochemist Frederick Sanger passed away. One of only 5 to have won the Nobel Prize twice! Was awarded the prize in 1958 for his determination of the structure of the insulin molecule, and in 1980 for determining the base sequences in nucleic acids.
November 19, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Today is Nov 19. On this date in 2013 biochemist Frederick Sanger passed away. One of only 5 to have won the Nobel Prize twice! Was awarded the prize in 1958 for his determination of the structure of the insulin molecule, and in 1980 for determining the base sequences in nucleic acids.
The galaxy in this Hubble image, catalogued as AM 0644-741, is a member of the class of so- called "ring galaxies." It lies about 300 million light-years away.
November 17, 2025 at 2:08 PM
The galaxy in this Hubble image, catalogued as AM 0644-741, is a member of the class of so- called "ring galaxies." It lies about 300 million light-years away.
Today is Nov 17. On this date in 1902 physicist Eugene Wigner was born. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963 "for his contributions to the theory of the atomic nucleus and the elementary particles, particularly through the discovery and application of fundamental symmetry principles"
November 17, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Today is Nov 17. On this date in 1902 physicist Eugene Wigner was born. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963 "for his contributions to the theory of the atomic nucleus and the elementary particles, particularly through the discovery and application of fundamental symmetry principles"
This image, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. These are the expanding remains of a star that exploded hundreds of years ago.
November 16, 2025 at 2:03 PM
This image, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. These are the expanding remains of a star that exploded hundreds of years ago.
Today is Nov 16. On this date in 1717 mathematician Jean le Rond d'Alembert was born. A co-editor of the Encyclopédie. D'Alembert's formula for solutions to the wave equation is named after him. The fundamental theorem of algebra is named after d'Alembert in French.
November 16, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Today is Nov 16. On this date in 1717 mathematician Jean le Rond d'Alembert was born. A co-editor of the Encyclopédie. D'Alembert's formula for solutions to the wave equation is named after him. The fundamental theorem of algebra is named after d'Alembert in French.
The colliding galaxies in this Hubble image are known collectively as Arp 107. The duo is about 465 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy on the left is a Seyfert galaxy, it harbors an active galactic nucleus.
November 15, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The colliding galaxies in this Hubble image are known collectively as Arp 107. The duo is about 465 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy on the left is a Seyfert galaxy, it harbors an active galactic nucleus.
Today Nov 15. On this date in 1630 Johannes Kepler passed away. A key figure in 17th-century Scientific Revolution. Best known for laws of planetary motion, and his books. The impact of his work made him one of the founders of modern astronomy, the scientific method, and modern science.
November 15, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Today Nov 15. On this date in 1630 Johannes Kepler passed away. A key figure in 17th-century Scientific Revolution. Best known for laws of planetary motion, and his books. The impact of his work made him one of the founders of modern astronomy, the scientific method, and modern science.
The Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the closest galaxies to our own. Astronomers have used the power of ESO’s Very Large Telescope to explore the star forming region NGC 2035.
November 13, 2025 at 2:59 PM
The Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the closest galaxies to our own. Astronomers have used the power of ESO’s Very Large Telescope to explore the star forming region NGC 2035.