The Mice Galaxies (NGC 4676; Arp 242) NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (UCSC/LO), M.Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and ESA - APOD 2004-06-12
I will be sleeping in the yard tonight.
No, not Ann’s idea this time, but mine, willingly and with great expectations. It promises to be wonderfully clear, cool but calm tonight (read: dewy and I will get wet.) And the dark sky will be dazzling.
And if my three-month-old telescope was not on its way back to Celestron for replacement or repairs, I’d have it in full operation. But I will only have my eyes plus the binoculars–hand held or strapped to a tripod bar for a steady view of objects that are not very high in the sky.
So here’s something for you: eye candy, brain fodder and substance for heart-and-soul wonder at the universe we know exists, and ourselves in it, but so very little beyond that, compared to the fullness of the Whole Reality we get to taste just a little of for such a short span of years.
Click the first image, then the RIGHT ARROW key to advance.
Keep in mind that any two tiny-and-close stars you see in any of these images are light-years apart and millions of light years away from us. It’s hard to grasp the magnitude of such distances and the time it took for the light of these photographs to reach the lens.
Fred, this is a wonderful time of the year for star gazing. Between four and five this morning, there was a brilliant waning crescent moon, and Orion was just coming up in the south. Absolutely loved it. Sorry about the telescope.
Those galaxy photos are amazing.
Wow! And to think that each of those galaxies has literally countless stars within it!
Fred, this is a wonderful time of the year for star gazing. Between four and five this morning, there was a brilliant waning crescent moon, and Orion was just coming up in the south. Absolutely loved it. Sorry about the telescope.