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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.

Whirling winds,
racing through Willows.
The end of Winter, a
prelude to Spring.
Flowers will bloom,
wrens will sing.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

What kind of celestial object is this? A relatively normal galaxy -- but seen from its edge. Many disk galaxies are actually just as thin as NGC 5866, the Spindle galaxy, pictured here, but are not seen edge-on from our vantage point. A perhaps more familiar galaxy seen edge-on is our own Milky Way galaxy. Also cataloged as M102, the Spindle galaxy has numerous and complex dust lanes appearing dark and red, while many of the bright stars in the disk give it a more blue underlying hue. The blue disk of young stars can be seen in this Hubble image extending past the dust in the extremely thin galactic plane. There is evidence that the Spindle galaxy has cannibalized smaller galaxies over the past billion years or so, including multiple streams of faint stars, dark dust that extends away from the main galactic plane, and a surrounding group of galaxies (not shown). In general, many disk galaxies become thin because the gas that forms them collides with itself as it rotates about the gravitational center. The Spindle galaxy lies about 50 million light years distant toward the constellation of the Dragon (Draco).

My mind will heal,
what my heart cannot see,
using those memories,
of what used to be.

Memories of happiness,
memories of we,
when we loved others,
and when I loved thee.

Why do the memories,
so precious to we,
vanish this quickly,
fading into infinity?

God, how I wish,
I could go to see,
when happiness was measured,
by my love for thee.

He was young, awkward, shy and retiring.
Staying in the background, avoiding others,
as he tried to navigate in the shadows,
which his shyness had provided.
An introvert, he was. Hesitant to talk or
ask questions, as he questioned his own
knowledge. A lack of confidence.
Now many years have passed. He is no longer,
bashful or shy and is at ease, when talking with
others, friends or strangers.
It may take months, or years of change, in your
environment, to modify behavior.
Life can be good or you can be misunderstood.
Live life to the fullest.

The worm turned,
its ugly head,
toward me and
then he said,

"Hey white boy,
what did you say,
you think you can quit
and run away,

from your past,
in this life's game?"
Hiding again,
when you forgot your name.

Where do you,
think you are?
A stupid man,
who's gone too far.

Running Hard.
Running fast.
Running tired,
Just won't last.

Your creaky slow,
when you start,
then you warm up
and play your part.

Much like life,
in any age,
do another task,
turn the page.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Is this a painting or a photograph? In this celestial abstract art composed with a cosmic brush, dusty nebula NGC 2170, also known as the Angel Nebula, shines just above the image center. Reflecting the light of nearby hot stars, NGC 2170 is joined by other bluish reflection nebulae, a red emission region, many dark absorption nebulae, and a backdrop of colorful stars. Like the common household items that abstract painters often choose for their subjects, the clouds of gas, dust, and hot stars featured here are also commonly found in a setting like this one -- a massive, star-forming molecular cloud in the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). The giant molecular cloud, Mon R2, is impressively close, estimated to be only 2,400 light-years or so away. At that distance, this canvas would be over 60 light-years across.

Photo by David Moulton