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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

The Tarantula Nebula, also known as 30 Doradus, is more than a thousand light-years in diameter, a giant star forming region within nearby satellite galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud. About 180 thousand light-years away, it's the largest, most violent star forming region known in the whole Local Group of galaxies. The cosmic arachnid sprawls across this magnificent view, an assembly of image data from large space- and ground-based telescopes. Within the Tarantula (NGC 2070), intense radiation, stellar winds, and supernova shocks from the central young cluster of massive stars cataloged as R136 energize the nebular glow and shape the spidery filaments. Around the Tarantula are other star forming regions with young star clusters, filaments, and blown-out bubble-shaped clouds. In fact, the frame includes the site of the closest supernova in modern times, SN 1987A, at lower right. The rich field of view spans about 2 degrees or 4 full moons in the southern constellation Dorado. But were the Tarantula Nebula closer, say 1,500 light-years distant like the Milky Way's own star forming Orion Nebula, it would take up half the sky.

Photo by Robert Gendler

This is a reprint of what I wrote to my wife when,
she had been officially diagnosed with Dementia but was
moving towards Alzheimer disease. It continued until she passed,
on December 24, 2023.

Here I sit,
counting my blessings, once more.
How lucky I have been, in life,
yet I still want more.

More relationships,
I realize, I may be reaching,
for something, not possible.
I will keep on searching.

Dragon tails,
come into play,
when a Wizard
left, running away.

He couldn't
cast any spells.
Where he went?
No one tells.

When your mind is open
and imagination runs free.
There is nothing to stop you,
unless it's not within thee.

My thoughts
are racing to scenes.
Afloat in a Sea
of broken dreams.

Dreams my wife had,
about what we would do,
when retirement came,
and have a trip or two.

Those days were numbered,
we didn't know,
she'd have lung cancer,
and away we would go,

to 10 years of Dementia,
a most challenging scene,
of my beloved's life,
Alzheimer's destroying dream.

Now it's all over,
she passed away.
I remain here, alone,
waiting for judgement day.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Not the James Webb Space Telescope's latest view of a distant galactic nebula, this cloud of gas and dust dazzled spacecoast skygazers on March 3. The telephoto snapshot was taken minutes after the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket on the SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station. It captures plumes and exhaust from the separated first and second stages, a drifting Rorschach pattern in dark evening skies. The bright spot near bottom center within the stunning terrestrial nebulosity is the second stage engine firing to carry 4 humans to space in the Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour. In sharp silhouette just above it is the Falcon 9 first stage booster orienting itself for return to a landing zone at Cape Canaveral, planet Earth. This reuseable first stage booster was making its first flight. But the Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule has flown humans to low Earth orbit and back again 4 times before. Endeavour, as a name for a spacecraft, has also seen reuse, christening retired Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Apollo 15 command module.

Photo by Michael Seeley

Emotions,
running hot or cold.
Emotions,
new and old.

My emotions mired,
in an ugly mess.
My physical condition,
is under stress.

Innermost, the corners
of my mind,
Lie deep emotions,
which I'll find.

Loss of love,
at deepest point,
surpassing grief,
do not anoint.

An old fool, in action,
is a sight to see,
for his emotional response,
is like torching a tree.

I am an old fool.
I know I am,
but in my view of me,
I'm still a young man.

I seek not the people,
near me, for they are old.
I'm not attracted physically,
my feeling is cold.

I don't believe I'm better,
I hope you see,
for what I seek,
is certainly not thee.