Magazine Posts

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, toward the constellation Aquarius, a sun-like star is dying. The dying star's last few thousand years have produced the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), a well studied and nearby example of a Planetary Nebula, typical of this final phase of stellar evolution. Combining narrow band image data from emission lines of hydrogen atoms in red and oxygen atoms in blue-green hues, it shows tantalizing details of the Helix, including its bright inner region about 3 light-years across. The white dot at the Helix's center is this Planetary Nebula's hot, central star. A simple looking nebula at first glance, the Helix is now understood to have a surprisingly complex geometry.

Photo by Tommaso Stella

Lights twinkling,
reflection on glass,
a beautiful sight,
for a Christmas Mass.

I hear music,
a melodious sound,
a chorale of voices,
musical notes abound.

Sounds of the voices,
all in the choir,
are the sounds I love,
for me they inspire.

To do better now,
not stuck in the race
and for this year,
put on my Happy Face.

Grey the day,
cold, crisp.
Background music,
a plethora of
Christmas Carols,
bringing back
memories of
happier days.

The ball bounced funny,
for it was quite flat,
while the noise it made,
sounded like a "splat."

"Moore v. Harper is a test of whether this Supreme Court can ever be trusted with power." Click to read th full article at Vox

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

What’s happening inside this interstellar mountain? Stars are forming. The mountain is actually a column of gas and dust in the picturesque Eagle Nebula (M16). A pillar like this is so low in density that you could easily fly though it -- it only appears solid because of its high dust content and great depth. The glowing areas are lit internally by newly formed stars. These areas shine in red and infrared light because blue light is scattered away by intervening interstellar dust. The featured image was captured recently in near-infrared light in unprecedented detail by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched late last year. Energetic light, abrasive winds, and final supernovas from these young stars will slowly destroy this stellar birth column over the next 100,000 years. Astrophysicists: Browse 2,900+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library

“Left to ourselves, mechanistic and autonomic, we hanker for friends… Maybe altruism is our most primitive attribute, out of reach, beyond our control.”

When I am old
and gone away,
will you remember
when you pray?

Will life be delayed?
How would that happen"
Time is fleeting.
We try to delay
life or love.
We, as mortals have,
as someone said,
"A shelf life."
When our time is up,
it is up, so
enjoy life to the
fullest, every day.
Wait for no one.
"Carpe Diem."

A skiff of snow,
for a few minutes.
Nothing more
Now it's clear,
I wait,
patiently for thee.

I tire of writing
of sadness.
I will try to write
of joyfulness.
Write songs,
of love.
Write odes
of promise.
Write verse
of memories.
Write poetry
of life.

"Northwest SOIL promised to help students with serious disabilities. But when school districts urged action, the state let the private school stay open and receive millions in tax dollars..... For years, the complaints languished with Washington state education officials." ...."Northwest SOIL’s corporate owner, Universal Health Services, has for years skimped on staffing and basic resources while pressuring managers to enroll more students than the staff could handle..." Read more at ProPublica