Damien Pine

Damien Pine

Live Science contributor

Damien Pine (he/him) is a freelance writer, artist, and former NASA engineer. He writes about science, physics, tech, art, and other topics with a focus on making complicated ideas accessible. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut, and he gets really excited every time he sees a cat.

Articles by: Damien Pine

a close-up of a Martian rock with a bubbly texture

Perseverance rover spots peculiar 'spider egg' rock on Mars — and scientists have no idea how it got there

By Damien Pine published

On March 11, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover spotted a mysterious rock made of hundreds of tiny spheres that resemble spider eggs. Studying its formation could help us look for fossilized remains of microbial life on Mars.

An abstract illustration of blobs of wavy light

Scientists turn light into a 'supersolid' for the 1st time ever: What that means, and why it matters

By Damien Pine published

For the first time, researchers transformed light into a quantum crystalline structure to create a "supersolid" that's both solid and liquid at the same time. Here’s what that means, and why it's such a big step forward.

an image of Earth as seen from the Blue Ghost lander

Blue Ghost spacecraft captures rare, stunning views of Earth eclipsing the moon

By Damien Pine published

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost spacecraft took some unique photos of our home planet on its Mission 1 flight to the moon in late January and early February. The spacecraft is now in orbit around the moon, with a planned landing date of March 2.

A fuzzy image of space with one light blue pixel

Pale Blue Dot: The iconic Valentine's Day photo of Earth turns 35 today — and you're probably in it

By Damien Pine published

On this day 35 years ago, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft took a picture that changed how we see our planet. The iconic "Pale Blue Dot" image is just as awe-inspiring today.

Frozen sand dunes sit locked in place in Mars' northern hemisphere, stuck until the spring thaw melts their icy shells

Giant 'kidney beans' spotted in Mars satellite images could point to signs of water and life

By Damien Pine published

A NASA satellite has spotted frozen "kidney beans" on Mars' sand dunes trapped in place until springtime. Photographing them can help us determine if there was ever enough water on Mars to sustain life.