Nola Taylor Tillman
Nola Taylor Tillman is a contributing writer for Space.com. She loves all things space and astronomy-related, and enjoys the opportunity to learn more. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Astrophysics from Agnes Scott college and served as an intern at Sky & Telescope magazine. In her free time, she homeschools her four children. Follow her on Twitter at @NolaTRedd
Latest articles by Nola Taylor Tillman
![In this image, streamlines showing magnetic fields overlay a color image of the dusty ring surrounding the Milky Way's supermassive black hole. Warm material falling toward the black hole creates a Y-shaped structure, with the black hole lying near the intersection of the two arms.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BjABTeaChGkr8a5HEfNY6k-320-80.png)
Magnetic Fields May Muzzle Milky Way's Monster Black Hole
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
The mysteriously quiet behavior of the Milky Way's supermassive black hole may be influenced by magnetic field lines.
![Charles Lindbergh](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sHmHGaNmsDbNZpCMdSQk2A-320-80.jpg)
Charles Lindbergh and the First Solo Transatlantic Flight
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
"Lucky Lindy" electrified the world and changed public opinion about air travel.
![Artist's concept showing DG CVn — a binary system consisting of two red dwarf stars — unleashing a series of powerful flares seen by NASA's Swift spacecraft on April 23, 2014.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HgaCHZDNppE6e52yeDACo6-320-80.jpg)
Red Dwarfs: The Most Common and Longest-Lived Stars
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
Most of the star nearest to Earth are red dwarfs, but they are too dim to be seen with the naked eye.
![Neil Armstrong's footprint on the moon as the first human to set foot on the lunar surface as a member of the Apollo 11 crew.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iw85gV7SH2LsRAZA3czVAB-320-80.jpg)
Apollo 11: First Men on the Moon
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
Apollo 11 astronauts were the first to leave footprints on the moon.
![This head-on photograph of NASA's space shuttle Columbia was taken during post-landing servicing on Rogers dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CGWtj5KGrmNrPejc7uWrx8-320-80.jpg)
The First Space Shuttle Flight Into Space
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
The first launch of the space shuttle Columbia touched off a new era in space flight.
![Planets don't last forever.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rpiPBTXKDmDxLDxGjPsobK-320-80.jpg)
How and Why Do Planets Die?
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
Fire, ice, volcano or star — planets have a variety of ways to die.
![The plains of Lakshmi on Venus are made up of smooth lava flows. A tessera feature is located near the center. The abrupt edge of dark plains against it suggest that the tessera has been partially covered by lava. Additional blocks of tessera are located along the left hand edge of the image.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6B9s4bpdtkhYRNT3qatvb6-320-80.jpg)
Fingerprints of Venus Transformation May Be Hidden in Plain Sight
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
The transformation of a water-rich Venus to an overheated world may be preserved in its complex geological features.
![The original image of HD 15115, captured by Hubble, revealed that the disk around the star is stretched out asymmetrically, leaving astronomers puzzled for over a decade.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UDeSf6NYuaagTvgUVChp8H-320-80.jpg)
An Ice Giant and Warped Disk? Weird Star's Mysteries Just Get Weirder
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
For over a decade, a warped disk around a young star puzzled astronomers — but new research suggests explanations for two of the mysteries it poses.
![As two supermassive black holes spiral around one another and merge, they create gravitational waves. With enough energy, they can "kick" themselves out of their starting spot, or even completely out of their home galaxy.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/g9ZXYfkmTrg5mHjV6hjE67-320-80.jpg)
A Newborn Monster Black Hole May Get the Boot When Its Parent Galaxies Collide
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
The most massive black hole mergers can hurl the new, combined object free from their galaxy.
![NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft revealed that as much as 22 percent of the material found in Shackleton crater, at the lunar south pole, may be made up of ice. This split image shows an elevation map (left) and a shaded-relief map (right) of Shackleton.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TpHghK5jWbMf2jcaQ6ZJP5-320-80.jpg)
The Lunar South Pole Is a Rich Target for NASA's 2024 Moon Goal
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
Pence's five-year lunar challenge targets the moon's south pole, an area rich in water and science.
![The label of this Touchdown beer celebrates Hayabusa2's sample collection.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/odM8xpcky56M3CExVEtVCP-320-80.jpg)
Toast Japan's Hayabusa2 Mission with These Ryugu-Themed Drinks
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
The asteroid Ryugu may be surprisingly dry, but that doesn't mean you have to be.
![The distant galaxy MACS1149-JD1, shown in the insert, appears as it was 13.3 billion years ago, only 500 million years after the Big Bang. Oxygen distribution detected by ALMA appears in red.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xfh2z3eknWuPCLJaQmpJWM-320-80.jpg)
Universe Quickly Spawned Stars After Big Bang, Ancient Galaxy Shows
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
Observations of the most distant galaxy ever identified revealed traces of oxygen from at least one previous generation of stars, a sign that star formation got off to an early start.
![Artist's impression of NASA's IBEX spacecraft studying the edge of our solar system.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UvWnTQ4MHBQwhBTNH6sHMe-320-80.jpg)
NASA's IBEX Mission: Exploring the Edge of the Solar System
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
IBEX is helping astronomers figure out where the edge of our solar system ends and the rest of space begins.
![NASA's Stardust spacecraft carried comet and interstellar particles back to Earth in January, 2006.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7pVY7G8R2QiANPkooZPBva-320-80.jpg)
NASA's Stardust Mission: The Space Probe That Brought Stardust to Earth
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
Over the course of 11 years, Stardust visited an asteroid and two comets and sent pieces of space matter back to Earth.
![NASA's Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) satellite was part of NASA's New Millennium Program. The satellite was decommissioned in 2017, but will remain in orbit until the 2050s.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uZydnsxfVPg8rk6JpHFXTd-320-80.jpg)
NASA's New Millennium Program: Taking Risks to Reduce Future Danger
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
The New Millennium Program explored new technology in space to reduce mission costs.
![Large and Small Magellanic Clouds over Las Companas Observatory](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tsADupQc5pWUzhS2wcUAdJ-320-80.jpg)
After a Slow Start, Milky Way's Neighbors Have Upped Their Star-Forming Game
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
As they prepare for their first lap around the Milky Way, our galaxy's nearest neighbors have shown a dramatic increase in star formation.
![Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) (2006-present)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bDMmLP3Cbn3zNRF49bqHNP-320-80.jpg)
NASA's STEREO mission: A quest to learn more about the sun
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
Although one of the twin spacecraft is no longer in contact with Earth, NASA's STEREO mission continues to provide insights about the sun.
![Large Magellanic Cloud bubbles](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/imMmSj7aXJWrcpePQ8GxSQ-320-80.jpg)
These Bubbles of Star Birth in the Milky Way's Galactic Neighbor Look Spectacular!
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
A beautiful image of the Milky Way's closest galactic neighbor provides insight into how stars form.
![Deep Impact Comet Collision, July 4, 2005](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KGQRYiH2omogHPSwQjCCPD-320-80.jpg)
Deep Impact: The Deep-Space Comet Hunter
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
NASA's Deep Impact mission was the most-traveled deep-space comet hunter of its time.
![Full Snow Supermoon, february 2019](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jaNvH5P9TT2gzhqUrFNnH3-320-80.jpg)
It's the Year of the Pig! Google Doodle, White House and More Celebrate
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
The lunar new year kicked off today with the Year of the Pig.
![Earth's moon formation](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zjXqkgiofxU7VJqSgQBbhk-320-80.jpg)
Super-Earth Smackdowns May Explain Diverse Worlds
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
Crashing a giant space rock into a young planet can strip off some or all of its atmosphere, creating a wealth of different types of worlds.
![voyager 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SseM7EXmPrFcg4rborBy53-320-80.jpg)
What Spacecraft Will Enter Interstellar Space Next?
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
Pioneers 10 and 11, Voyagers 1 and 2, and New Horizons are the only spacecraft currently capable of leaving the solar system. Which one will be the next to go?
![Dawn spacecraft art](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PywL8TiBrCHfTauSWfSCm6-320-80.jpg)
Dawn Mission: Shedding Light on Asteroids
By Nola Taylor Tillman published
The Dawn spacecraft broke several records when it visited Vesta and Ceres in the asteroid belt.