Exploring The Self

Sometimes progress is slow. Nothing exemplifies this more than the crawler-transporter that is used to transport rockets from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to launchpads out at Kennedy Space Center. It’s not surprising that the crawler makes for an incredible mental health metaphor as it encompasses the principles of stability, balance, and safety. We may not always see the progress in the moment, but with each steady step, we are getting closer to where we are meant

On our visit to Mount Wilson Observatory, we met a celebrity of sorts. The final stop of the tour was the telescope Edwin Hubble used. Hubble, as in the man the Hubble Space Telescope was named after. Standing inside the dome and looking through the same instrument he once worked with made time feel suspended. My mind kept circling the idea that some of humanity’s greatest discoveries about the universe were made right there, in that very room. Hubble’s most famous contributi

60-inch Telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatory-September 2025 Sometimes the part of you with the greatest potential is the one that has been waiting the longest to be understood. If you drive up the winding mountain road through the San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena, California, you eventually reach the Mount Wilson Observatory. Founded in 1904 by George Ellery Hale and supported by the Carnegie Institution, the site became one of the most influential observatories of th

Analog Astronaut looks up at The Milky Way from Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii Disclaimer: These articles are written by a licensed mental...

Falcon 9 booster from the Crew-11 launch landing at Landing Zone 1 (LZ!) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. When we watch a rocket...

Image of the Sun taken on July 16, 2025 from Central Florida using a Seestar S50 telescope. On the morning of July 16 around 8:30 AM in Central Florida, I took this photo of the Sun. The sunspots have been particularly active lately due to the Sun being in solar maximum, making the surface look vibrant. What solar maximum means is that the Sun is at the peak of its 11-year activity cycle. The sunspots are abundant and highly active. It also means that solar flares and coron

‘Tis the season for globular clusters! With a clear sky last night, I couldn’t resist imaging a few. What started as one target turned into a full-on globular cluster marathon… a “Globulathon,” if you will. I captured M92, M53, M3, M12, and M13, each a brilliant swarm of ancient stars. Now here’s where it gets interesting: what do these stellar formations have to do with mental health? As it turns out, more than you might think. They echo the mind in some surprising and mea

Perseverance rover successfully launched on July 30, 2020, aboard the Atlas V 541 rocket, initiating its 7-month interplanetary cruise to Mars for surface exploration, sample collection, and astrobiology research. I’m sure we can all think of someone in our lives who you’d describe as being perseverant. This person has an incredible determination to achieve, despite difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. It’s the quality of persisting in a course of action, even when fac

The Whirlpool Galaxy, elegantly captured from Central Florida using a Seestar S50, showcases its stunning spiral structure amidst a backdrop of twinkling stars. At first glance, the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) is a remarkable sight. Its beautiful spiral arms and luminous core have captivated astronomers and stargazers alike. In true form to The Blue Marble Project, we’ll look at a layer beneath its beauty. M51 houses a powerful metaphor, one that speaks to the intricacies of our i

Trust and vulnerability begin like a night launch; quiet at first, then radiant, rising into uncertainty. Like the Inspiration4 mission blazing above the Exploration Tower, vulnerability lifts us beyond the familiar, lit by purpose and the courage to be seen. Building Trust & Vulnerability: Personal Growth Worksheet Step 1: Emotional Awareness & Regulation Building trust and learning to be vulnerable in relationships can feel like preparing for a space mission. Just as astro