…just in case you had momentarily forgotten: there are humans above us in space right now, and what they’re seeing is utterly unlike any terrestrial experience.
Also: I have no idea how the non-astronomy-nerd public feels about these sorts of things, but as of yesterday, Neptune has finally completed an orbit since the date of its (formal*) discovery: September 24th, 18-fucking-46.
So, Birthday-Neptune, to Regular Humans: bigger deal than, roughly equivalent to, or less significant than Jeter’s 3,000th hit?
* Incidentally, Neptune could have been yet another feather in Galileo’s cap, but he mistook it for a blue star, since it barely moved relative to the background of actual stars.
Astronomy Picture of the Day - Moonscape Sunrise
Any time I show my students an astronomy video, I try to keep them aware of when pictures or video are real, and when they’re CGI. Usually, a seasoned eye can recognize the difference, but this amazingly detailed shot of our moon blurs the line in a way I hadn’t felt quite so acutely before now.
…in space, sometimes the Uncanny Valley works backwards.
Part of what I love about astronomy is its visual elegance: most objects, at astronomical distances, are wonderfully simple. The aggregate difference between 8 lanes of rush hour traffic and this is unfathomable. (And even from space, Earth is an unusually flamboyant planet.)
...so, when I said I wouldn't keep reblogging APoD:
Here’s the thing about this picture:
AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHGGHGHGHHHHHHHH
