Ted Stryk
@tedstryk.bsky.social
Interplanetary Dumpster Diver. Asteroid (230728) Tedstryk
Images I post are Copyright Ted Stryk (processed or taken by me) unless otherwise noted. Professor at Roane State CC in Oak Ridge, TN
Images I post are Copyright Ted Stryk (processed or taken by me) unless otherwise noted. Professor at Roane State CC in Oak Ridge, TN
In February of 1972, Luna 20 was on the moon in the Apollonius highlands, with its sampling arm hard at work finding a place to drill and then burrowing into the surface. This would be the only one of the three successful Soviet sample return missions to photograph the surface...maybe...
February 16, 2026 at 2:38 PM
In February of 1972, Luna 20 was on the moon in the Apollonius highlands, with its sampling arm hard at work finding a place to drill and then burrowing into the surface. This would be the only one of the three successful Soviet sample return missions to photograph the surface...maybe...
The deposits around the volcano Pele on Io looked like a heart as Voyager 1 approached in March of 1979. For today, I rotated it around to emphasize that. By the time Galileo saw it in 1996, the indentation at the top of this image was mostly gone. Happy Valentine's Day!
February 14, 2026 at 5:47 PM
The deposits around the volcano Pele on Io looked like a heart as Voyager 1 approached in March of 1979. For today, I rotated it around to emphasize that. By the time Galileo saw it in 1996, the indentation at the top of this image was mostly gone. Happy Valentine's Day!
Mariner 10 receding from humanity's first encounter with Mercury in March of 1973. New features slowly rotate into view, including the large crater "Mozart" just below the center of the terminator.
February 7, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Mariner 10 receding from humanity's first encounter with Mercury in March of 1973. New features slowly rotate into view, including the large crater "Mozart" just below the center of the terminator.
I hope you enjoyed the 40th anniversary tour of the Uranian system. I hope we see this it again as soon as possible.
February 7, 2026 at 3:51 AM
I hope you enjoyed the 40th anniversary tour of the Uranian system. I hope we see this it again as soon as possible.
Io, moon of Jupiter, from the Galileo spacecraft on April 4, 1997. The dark spot surrounded by the red circle is Pele, a large volcano. The caldera Loki can be seen as a black spot with an island in the middle near the terminator.
February 5, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Io, moon of Jupiter, from the Galileo spacecraft on April 4, 1997. The dark spot surrounded by the red circle is Pele, a large volcano. The caldera Loki can be seen as a black spot with an island in the middle near the terminator.
This is my image processing work, as my bio makes clear - that's what I use this account for. And I am very familiar with historical image sets. So anyway, just so you are aware, you aren't hot about anything here, you're just really, really lazy.
February 4, 2026 at 8:58 PM
This is my image processing work, as my bio makes clear - that's what I use this account for. And I am very familiar with historical image sets. So anyway, just so you are aware, you aren't hot about anything here, you're just really, really lazy.
Io from the Juno spacecraft on February 3, 2024. The night side can be seen in reflected light from Jupiter. The quality of this dataset is truly stunning.
February 4, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Io from the Juno spacecraft on February 3, 2024. The night side can be seen in reflected light from Jupiter. The quality of this dataset is truly stunning.
Sixty years ago today, on February 3, 1966, Luna-9 was the first spacecraft to survive landing on the surface of another world. It is wild to think that the Space Age is so young that there are still millions alive now who were adults when this happened.
February 3, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Sixty years ago today, on February 3, 1966, Luna-9 was the first spacecraft to survive landing on the surface of another world. It is wild to think that the Space Age is so young that there are still millions alive now who were adults when this happened.
Oberon, the second largest moon of Uranus, got the worst coverage of all. Still, it can be seen that there is some dark intrusion on the floor of the ray crater near the center of the moon, hinting that it was once active. The last image is Puck, smaller than Miranda, the only one showing detail.
February 2, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Oberon, the second largest moon of Uranus, got the worst coverage of all. Still, it can be seen that there is some dark intrusion on the floor of the ray crater near the center of the moon, hinting that it was once active. The last image is Puck, smaller than Miranda, the only one showing detail.
With the Uranian moon Umbriel, we enter the territory of worlds which we can only marginally call explored. It is about the same size of Ariel, but with a dark, cratered surface which is punctuated by some bright spots and a bright crater rim called "Wunda."
January 31, 2026 at 3:01 PM
With the Uranian moon Umbriel, we enter the territory of worlds which we can only marginally call explored. It is about the same size of Ariel, but with a dark, cratered surface which is punctuated by some bright spots and a bright crater rim called "Wunda."
Titania is the largest of the Uranian moons. While Voyager couldn't fly close to it and still get to Neptune, it recorded more images of it than any other moon. The surface appears cratered with some clear tectonic features. The highest resolution images were at 4.5 km/pixel.
January 30, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Titania is the largest of the Uranian moons. While Voyager couldn't fly close to it and still get to Neptune, it recorded more images of it than any other moon. The surface appears cratered with some clear tectonic features. The highest resolution images were at 4.5 km/pixel.
In addition to Miranda, Ariel, the next-innermost major moon of Uranus, received a decently close flyby from Voyager in 1986, revealing a complex, tectonically altered, and just-possibly active moon.
January 29, 2026 at 2:43 AM
In addition to Miranda, Ariel, the next-innermost major moon of Uranus, received a decently close flyby from Voyager in 1986, revealing a complex, tectonically altered, and just-possibly active moon.
Flying by Miranda with Voyage 2 in 1986. Forty years ago, this moon, with its jumbled surface, awed the world.
January 27, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Flying by Miranda with Voyage 2 in 1986. Forty years ago, this moon, with its jumbled surface, awed the world.
Like I thought, my account on the old site is basically a zombie account with phantom followers now. Which means there's no reason to save it in case the site is sold.
January 26, 2026 at 5:05 AM
Like I thought, my account on the old site is basically a zombie account with phantom followers now. Which means there's no reason to save it in case the site is sold.
Today in 1986, Voyager 2 made humanity's first and only encounter with Uranus, revealing its clouds, rings, and fascinating zoo of moons.
January 24, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Today in 1986, Voyager 2 made humanity's first and only encounter with Uranus, revealing its clouds, rings, and fascinating zoo of moons.
Neptune and its moon Triton from Voyager 2 on June 24, 1989, and from the Hubble Space Telescope on July 10, 1991.
January 16, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Neptune and its moon Triton from Voyager 2 on June 24, 1989, and from the Hubble Space Telescope on July 10, 1991.
239 years ago, William Herschel discovered Oberon & Titania, the largest Uranian moons. All but a few of Uranus' moons are named after characters from Shakespearean plays. Oberon and Titania pay homage to the fairy king and queen in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
January 11, 2026 at 1:20 PM
239 years ago, William Herschel discovered Oberon & Titania, the largest Uranian moons. All but a few of Uranus' moons are named after characters from Shakespearean plays. Oberon and Titania pay homage to the fairy king and queen in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
The members of the Pluto system, to scale at 1 km per pixel in the original version, from New Horizons in 2015.
January 7, 2026 at 3:19 PM
The members of the Pluto system, to scale at 1 km per pixel in the original version, from New Horizons in 2015.
The moon from various spacecraft (left to right): Top Row - Nozomi, Cassini, Deep Impact Middle Row - Nozomi, NEAR, Stardust (takes up two rows) Bottom Row - Messenger, Hayabusa.
January 4, 2026 at 1:30 PM
The moon from various spacecraft (left to right): Top Row - Nozomi, Cassini, Deep Impact Middle Row - Nozomi, NEAR, Stardust (takes up two rows) Bottom Row - Messenger, Hayabusa.
I'm so used to posting about moons that this was the original version of this post 😂
January 3, 2026 at 2:39 PM
I'm so used to posting about moons that this was the original version of this post 😂
Uranus with its rings on January 23, 1986, as Voyager 2 approached, looking down on the planet's south pole.
January 3, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Uranus with its rings on January 23, 1986, as Voyager 2 approached, looking down on the planet's south pole.
Triton, moon of Neptune, seen in front of Neptune from the receding Voyager 2 in 1989.
December 31, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Triton, moon of Neptune, seen in front of Neptune from the receding Voyager 2 in 1989.
Today in 2023, NASA's Juno spacecraft flew by Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, sending back amazing imagery and other data, including this view.
December 30, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Today in 2023, NASA's Juno spacecraft flew by Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, sending back amazing imagery and other data, including this view.
Ganymede, moon of Jupiter, on March 4, 1979, from Voyager 1. At the top are the component images used to to create the final image. They have been colored to indicate what filter was used for each image.
December 27, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Ganymede, moon of Jupiter, on March 4, 1979, from Voyager 1. At the top are the component images used to to create the final image. They have been colored to indicate what filter was used for each image.
Today in 1989, the Space Shuttle Atlantis launched the Galileo spacecraft, the first orbiter and entry probe at a giant planet. When I watch it recede from the shuttle, I can't help but want to scream to open the antenna first (it never opened). They were still able to salvage an amazing mission.
December 8, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Today in 1989, the Space Shuttle Atlantis launched the Galileo spacecraft, the first orbiter and entry probe at a giant planet. When I watch it recede from the shuttle, I can't help but want to scream to open the antenna first (it never opened). They were still able to salvage an amazing mission.