Contributor Posts

There are many reasons,
for seeking solitude.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

How did a star form this beautiful nebula? In the middle of emission nebula NGC 6164 is an unusually massive star. The central star has been compared to an oyster's pearl and an egg protected by the mythical sky dragons of Ara. The star, visible in the center of the featured image and catalogued as HD 148937, is so hot that the ultraviolet light it emits heats up gas that surrounds it. That gas was likely thrown off from the star previously, possibly the result of a gravitational interaction with a looping stellar companion. Expelled material might have been channeled by the magnetic field of the massive star, in all creating the symmetric shape of the bipolar nebula. NGC 6164 spans about four light years and is located about 3,600 light years away toward the southern constellation Norma. New Mirror: APOD now available via WhatsApp

Photo by Rowan Prangley

Trip the light fantastic,
please don't fall out of bed,
for I need to see you,
before you have fled.

Please tell me tomorrow,
if you still feel this way.
If you don't, I'll understand,
then I'll go away.

You mean more to me,
than my words can say.
If the feeling is mutual,
then, here I'll stay.

Do you think it's right,
to pass judgement on me?
Found all of my flaws,
so, you can now, see?

When your hatred,
exceeds ice in a iced tea,
you will be a sinner,
The same as me.

Don't say you love me,
even if you do,
I will vanish now,
and there will only be you.

It was year 2001,
we knew nothing,
about, what was to come.
We were happy,

the Century was done.
We, never thought,
we'd see the World succumb.
Yet here we are,
my wife is gone,
and I must pretend,
to live my life, like a song.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

What created this giant X in the clouds? It was the shadow of contrails illuminated from below. When airplanes fly, humid engine exhaust may form water droplets that might freeze in Earth's cold upper atmosphere. These persistent streams of water and ice scatter light from the Sun above and so appear bright from below. On rare occasions, though, when the Sun is near the horizon, contrails can be lit from below. These contrails cast long shadows upwards, shadows that usually go unseen unless there is a high cloud deck. But that was just the case over Istanbul, Türkiye, earlier this month. Contrails occur all over planet Earth and, generally, warm the Earth when the trap infrared light but cool the Earth when they efficiently reflect sunlight. The image was taken by a surprised photographer in the morning on the way to work.

Photo by Fatih Ekmen

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Yes, but can your volcano do this? To the surprise of some, Mt. Etna emits, on occasion, smoke rings. Technically known as vortex rings, the walls of the volcano slightly slow the outside of emitted smoke puffs, causing the inside gas to move faster. A circle of low pressure develops so that the emitted puff of volcanic gas and ash loops around in a ring, a familiar geometric structure that can be surprisingly stable as it rises. Smoke rings are quite rare and need a coincidence of the right geometry of the vent, the right speed of ejected smoke, and the relative calmness of the outside atmosphere. In the featured image taken about two weeks ago from Gangi, Sicily, Italy, multiple volcanic smoke rings are visible. The scene is shaded by the red light of a dawn Sun, while a crescent Moon is visible in the background.

Photo by Dario Giannobile

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 since 1970. It is a time to demonstrate support for environmental protection and an important reminder that we all have a role to play in protecting the planet. For Earth Day 2024 on April 22nd, EARTHDAY.ORG is reinstating its unwavering commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040

 Credit for the Earth Day idea goes to Gaylord Nelson, an American politician from Wisconsin and leading figure in the fight against environmental degradation and social injustice. Rachel Carson, a marine biologist and best-selling author provided the spark for this movement with the 1962 publication of her book, "Silent Spring" which showed the devastating effects of modern pesticides on the natural world.

When it is over,
will you relent,
or have the damages,
left you with your nose bent?

Anger, should be,
to understand,
except when your feet,
are stuck in the sand.

We are Actors,
in our own life's plays.
We play actors in life,
until the end of days.

Our roles, all different,
as they should be,
for we are all players,
in the scenes, we see.