Hello everyone,

 I’m writing a first blog post just to say thank you to all of you who have supported the project so far. We are not even three months into the book crowdfunding and we have got over one-third of the way there.

 So hopefully we get the other two-thirds done faster than that, and you can get your hands on my little work of blood, toil, tears, and sweat. Nah, it is a pleasure to write! To give you a quick update: I have written about half of the book and interviewed most of the people on my dream list to include in the book. Tomorrow I’m interviewing an astronomer who studies supernovae in infrared.

 I have had a few people asking how they can help get the project over the line: my only ask is that you tell other people about it. I’m never not talking about the book, so a few more voices would be appreciated. And mention that there are many levels to pledge for – from eBooks to becoming a Patrons; all are varying price points! There are also a few limited experiences available such as a stargazing trip with me or a ticket to a cosmic cocktails masterclass.

Obviously, I don’t believe in asking you to do something for nothing (beyond making sure you are getting the book as soon as we can), so here is a little thank you…

Fun fact: Across South Africa and Australia, scientists are building a new radio observatory. It’s called the Square Kilometer Array and will be a wonderfully sensitive instrument. But what’s exciting (or terrifying) is that if there’s an alien civilization within 10 light-years from Earth with a similar observatory it would already know we are here because it would detect our airport radar and mobile phone towers.

Isn’t that just brilliant?

Wishing you all a wonderful time and clear skies until our next update,

Alfredo