Starship Asterisk*

Looking at the top center-right part of the picture it is evident that the corrugated texture of the landscape relates directly the process of streak formation. Hummocky, corrugated streaks having similar geometries to the gray streaks are visible in the orange-tan area. Also, elsewhere, it is notew...

It is important to keep these points in mind for any process-related explanation: The ice crystals are falling. As they fall they generate a changing optical effect. Therefore, as they fall, either: a) the form of the crystals is changing or b) they are interacting differently with each other or the...

I think that crystal growth with changing crystal forms is the explanation. Lets divide the picture into three zones. The top zone is above the spreading arcs of light. The middle zone is where the spreading arcs are. The lower zone is where columnar light dominates. I would surmise that in the uppe...

Oh yeah, that would make sense. Thanks.

Shouldn't the diameter be twelve light years? The light will have traveled six light years in each direction from the star since six years ago. Unless the picture is three years old - it doesn't say - but it usually says the picture is old when that's the case.

Cool picture. Looks like fur!

Well, sure there is probably life on Mars. It probably got there from Earth from ejecta of meteor strikes. Higher life is pretty doubtful, however. The chemistry was probably never right for that. This picture and the accompanying text on APOD is really odd. Looking at the detailed version, it is ha...

I work as a geologist at a mine where the sedimentary rocks underwent extreme soft sediment deformation. As I look at these layers what strikes me is not the white frosting on the rocks so much as the contorted and discordant folding among the layers. This looks like soft sediment slumping to me. Lo...