The Antennae Galaxies in Collision Two galaxies in Corvus are colliding and were captured here. The stars do not collide because galaxies are mostly empty space; dust and gas collide instead, ripping one another apart due to gravitational disturbance. Above the titans, dark dust clusters are becoming molecular clouds. These later form star clusters.So I'm only really posting this picture because all the dorks in this called me a black sheep until I agreed to post it. I was going to do Mr. Percival's favourite, but I guess conformity's not all that bad sometimes...not that I mind being a black sheep.So this morning when I was almost @ school (along 41), I saw a small beam of light. I thought it was a star flickering, but then when I looked back only a few seconds later, it had completely disappeared. Uh...? It didn't look like a plane either, also because there was no jet stream. I'll believe that it was like, aliens that look like Chris Carrabba or something. 'cause that'd kind of rock out loud.
Saturn's Infrared Glow Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) manipulated a picture taken from the Cassini spacecraft to show the colours that our eyes cannot process. The blue-green at the bottom right is a reflection of visible light onto Saturn from the surrounding clouds. On the other side, however, the night side of Saturn can be seen, and only appeared with the help of infrared light. The rings can even be seen here as well.<
Clouds and Sand on the Horizon of Mars This picture was taken by the robotic Opportunity rover. It captured Mars' vast plains of red sand, an orange-tinted and wispy-clouded sky (carbon dioxide/water ice). This was going in the opposite direction of its initial direction towards the Victoria crater. The horizon seems the same as Earth's because it is very flat and expansive. The density and size of dust particles cause the atmosphere of Mars to shimmer somewhat.This picture initially psyched me out so I had to comment on it. It reminds me of a desktop theme for Windows 98 that I really liked but can never remember the name of- the one with the desert and the triangle things in the sky? I might be confuzing two of them since there was one called "geometry" that I really liked, as well as on that was a burnt sienna desert and the moon above it (very Scherezade). w/e- it was awesome, whichever one it was.And don't you dare call me a geek, even if it is the truth.
Comet SWAN BrightensIn the northern sky, a newly brightened comet was captured. Comet SWAN (C/2006 M4) had a green-blue tail and is around magnitude 6. it was discovered in June from Solar Wind Anisotropies on NASA'a SOHO. If you look around dawn towards Ursa Minor (the Big Dipper), you can probably see the comet. Towards the end of the month will be the best visibility. It's orbit is hyperbolic, which means that it will probably never return to an area where we on Earth can see again.
