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Giant Galaxies in Pavo
• 06/23/23 at 12:16PM •NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:
Over 500,000 light years across, NGC 6872 (top right) is a truly enormous barred spiral galaxy, at least 5 times the size of our own very large Milky Way. The appearance of this giant galaxy's distorted and stretched out spiral arms suggests the magnificent wings of a giant bird. Of course its popular moniker is the Condor galaxy. It lies about 200 million light-years distant toward the southern constellation Pavo, the Peacock. Lined with star-forming regions, the distorted spiral arms are due to NGC 6872's gravitational interaction with the nearby smaller galaxy IC 4970, seen just above the giant galaxy's core. The Pavo galaxy group's dominant giant elliptical galaxy, NGC 6876 is below and left of the soaring Condor galaxy.
Photo by Mike Selby
Word of the Day 06/23/23: unabashed
• 06/23/23 at 02:26AM •Colorful Clouds
• 06/22/23 at 08:06PM •Colorful clouds,
a rainbow array.
Natures painting,
a beautiful way.
A Gambol
• 06/22/23 at 08:06PM •A gambol in life,
will it make
a dark tomorrow.
What do you think?
Life's journey,
is full of challenges galore.
If you have nothing,
please ask for more.
Idiocy
• 06/22/23 at 08:06PM •The idiocy of my words,
echoing within my head,
raises the eternal question,
Am I brain dead?
Words tumble forth to paper,
I use a pen to write.
I prefer writing with a pen,
as a pencil script is too light.
A burst of words,
shouted out from thee,
are the ones I love to see.
Stars and Dust across Corona Australis
• 06/22/23 at 12:16PM •NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:
Cosmic dust clouds cross a rich field of stars in this telescopic vista near the northern boundary of Corona Australis, the Southern Crown. Part of a sprawling molecular cloud complex this star forming region is a mere 500 light-years away. That's about one third the distance of the more famous stellar nursery known as the Orion Nebula. The 2 degree wide frame would span 15 light-years at the clouds' estimated distance. Mixed with bright nebulosities the dust clouds effectively block light from more distant background stars in the Milky Way and obscure from view embedded stars still in the process of formation. Large dark nebula Bernes 157 is on the left. To its right are a group of pretty reflection nebulae cataloged as NGC 6726, 6727, 6729, and IC 4812. Their characteristic blue color is produced as light from hot stars is reflected by the cosmic dust. The more compact NGC 6729 surrounds young variable star R Coronae Australis. Just below it, filamentary arcs and loops are identified as Herbig Haro objects associated with energetic newborn stars. In fact, at the heart of this area lies the Coronet Cluster, one of the nearest and most active star forming regions.
Photo by Alessandro Cipolat Bares
If I Could
• 06/22/23 at 04:24AM •If I could be with you,
every hour, every day,
would you be happy
if I would stay?
This quiche recipe is a great way to make a delicious meal with ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen. It is a crustless quiche, meaning it does not require a pastry base, and is filled with broccoli, ham and cheese. More at Simply Recipes ➜
Word of the Day 06/22/23: contrite
• 06/22/23 at 02:26AM •Three Sun Paths
• 06/21/23 at 12:16PM •NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:
Does the Sun follow the same path every day? No. The Sun's path changes during the year, tracing a longer route during the summer than the winter. Pictured here, the Sun's arc was captured from noon to sunset on three days, from highest in the sky to lowest: summer solstice, equinox, and winter solstice. The images were taken near Gatto Corvino Village in Sicily, Italy in 2020 and 2021. The path and time the Sun spends in the sky is more important in determining the season than how close the Earth is to the Sun. In fact, the Earth is closest to the Sun in January, during northern winter. Today is a solstice, so today the Sun is taking its longest path of the year across the sky in Earth's northern hemisphere, but the shortest path in the southern hemisphere.
Photo by Marcella Giulia Pace & Giuseppe De Donà