Strangely Awesome

I find it strangely awesome that when galaxies collide, they do so without any stars in the galaxies actually touching. It gives you an idea of just how empty galaxies really are, and how far away they must be to appear so solid.

Comet Hunting

There's a comet that's supposed to be pretty bright. But it is probably just too close to the sun to see through the winter haze from Reno by now. I went out looking for it this morning anyway. I didn't spot it, but I got some nifty pictures.

This one is probably the best: it had been viewed 3 times on Flickr, commented on once, and made a favorite as I was working through my pictures that I had uploaded (this is on page 3 at present).


This is Reno at 6:20 or so in the morning, as seen from a hill beside the parking lot at the top of Mount Rose Highway.


This is me, bundled up, sitting next to the trees that provided a hint of shelter. Pictured: my hat, coat hood, sweater hood, and cold face. Not pictured: The sheet of ice on my backside from sitting in one spot in the snow for an hour.


This is the moon. Over Mount Rose. Taken on the way back, when the highway is straight and wide, with broad shoulders.

Turn Your Eyes to the Skies

There's an off chance that you can catch the Northern Lights tonight - even as far south as the Equator. Such things can't be predicted perfectly, but we're currently being bombarded by a solar storm.

It's at least looking outside for, on the chance you can catch it.

The Story

Zubenelgenubi

It's pronounced zoo-BEN-al-je-NEW-bee. It's a double star, the southern claw of Scorpio (classically), and part of Libra (in the modern constellations).

I like saying the word. Zubenelgenubi.

Scale

From our perspective, the planet Mercury passed in front of the sun today. It is closer to us than the sun, and so appears slightly larger in scale.

This is a picture of the transit.

It is a reminder of just how small our planets are (though Mercury is small, even relative to the Earth), even compared to our sun.