Contributor Posts

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Globular star cluster Omega Centauri, also known as NGC 5139, is some 15,000 light-years away. The cluster is packed with about 10 million stars much older than the Sun within a volume about 150 light-years in diameter. It's the largest and brightest of 200 or so known globular clusters that roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. Though most star clusters consist of stars with the same age and composition, the enigmatic Omega Cen exhibits the presence of different stellar populations with a spread of ages and chemical abundances. In fact, Omega Cen may be the remnant core of a small galaxy merging with the Milky Way. Omega Centauri's red giant stars (with a yellowish hue) are easy to pick out in this sharp, color telescopic view.

Photo by Ignacio Diaz Bobillo

I have a word,
in the back of my mind,
which I hope is flattery,
and not too unkind.
Words full of richness,
not those of despair,
but words of happiness,
for all; everywhere.

Ripe avocados, salt, a squeeze of lime, chiles, onions, some chopped tomato and cilantro. It makes for a great dip or served on top of tacos or enchiladas. Click the image below to see Elise Bauer's recipe at Simply Recipes

Of all of the what's
and all of the how's,
why is it now, I'm up
before all of the cows?

My mind is so lost,
for it is seldom home,
as here, in the World,
it remains by itself; alone.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

What's going on near the center of our galaxy? To help find out, a newly detailed panorama has been composed that explores regions just above and below the galactic plane in radio and X-ray light. X-ray light taken by the orbiting Chandra Observatory is shown in orange (hot), green (hotter), and purple (hottest) and superposed with a highly detailed image in radio waves, shown in gray, acquired by the MeerKAT array. Interactions are numerous and complex. Galactic beasts such as expanding supernova remnants, hot winds from newly formed stars, unusually strong and colliding magnetic fields, and a central supermassive black hole are all battling in a space only 1000 light years across. Thin bright stripes appear to result from twisting and newly connecting magnetic fields in colliding regions, creating an energetic type of inner galactic space weather with similarities to that created by our Sun. Continued observations and study hold promise to not only shed more light on the history and evolution of our own galaxy -- but all galaxies.

"Aside from basic needs, your financial priorities are up to you. Resist short-termism by keeping in mind your values and goals....... Continue reading

A fish out of water,
not close to the Sea,
not what I asked for,
it is what it will be,
to work hard for family,
in this The land of the Free.

There is nothing like
writing poetry and prose,
to describe all the beauty,
as seen in a Rose.

Are sins of our Fathers
our sins too?
Are we responsible for
acts we never would do?
How can you be accountable,
if you were a child?
Yet here we are now,
accepting all the guilt,
which our Fathers avow.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

What are those streaks across Orion? They are reflections of sunlight from numerous Earth-orbiting satellites. Appearing by eye as a series of successive points floating across a twilight sky, the increasing number of communications satellites, including SpaceX Starlink satellites, are causing concern among many astronomers. On the positive side, Starlink and similar constellations make the post-sunset sky more dynamic, satellite-based global communications faster, and help provide digital services to currently underserved rural areas. On the negative side, though, these low Earth-orbit satellites make some deep astronomical imaging programs more difficult, in particular observing programs that need images taken just after sunset and just before dawn. Planned future satellite arrays that function in higher orbits may impact investigations of the deep universe planned for large ground-based telescopes at any time during the night. The streaks across Orion are not from Starlink but rather satellites in high geosynchronous orbit. The featured picture, taken in 2019 December, is a digital combination of over 65 3-minutes exposures, with some images taken to highlight the background Orion Nebula, while others to feature the passing satellites. SatCon2 Wokshop 12-16 July 2021: Mitigating Satellite Constellations