Starship Asterisk*

In fact, Southern Taurid activity was greater than Leonid activity. In all likelihood, most of the meteors here are not Leonids. Theoretically one could determine the origin of each meteor flash by taking its spectra but would that definitively point to the comet of its source? Looks like the work ...

It was snack time at the center of the Milky Way some time back. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/18/science/its-snack-time-in-the-cosmos.html?_r=0 Then nothing seemed to become of it. http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/physical_sciences/new-theory-on-identity-of-mysterious-formation-at-center-of-the-milky-way...

Cute and funny. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/2015yeari ... hp#image=1

That dark matter theory has been widely poo-poo'ed by various scientists. Fun stuff, though. Thanks for the insight Geck. I ran across this photo in this week's HEASARC Picture of the Week. http://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/ssc/Fermi_5_year.jpg Quite 3D! I don't think I've ever noticed it being shown so v...

How do terrestrial geochemical and tectonic processes affect the D/H ratio? In particular, I know evaporation affects 18O/16O ratios, leaving the oceans relatively rich in 18O and presumably deuterium. Thus, the water hydrating minerals in sea-floor weathering should be relatively D rich; at least ...

I do like new theories. Here's one from a very famous source. http://www.businessinsider.com/lisa-ran ... ry-2015-11 That would be Lisa Randall not Business Insider.

The more I read about the direction theory is heading toward describing extra dimensions - the more plausible it seems that we can't sense all that is. I am tempted to call that "nonsense" but that would be senseless. :blah: Perhaps some sort of multisense will make it common sense though ...

Do you suppose they ever place a wide angle lens and camera "on top" of a helium balloon to capture meteor showers when it's cloudy outside? Saw one last night but then "someone" closed the aperture. Of course if you tether the balloon sometimes it gets loose and drags its tether...

"Modern Family" Haley's 21st Birthday (2 014 ) LILY: When I grow up, I want to have kids. Well, first I want a perfect husband. Someone who takes care of me. And then we're going to make a baby. Which is easy. You just put eggs and tadpoles in a glass, and the woman has to drink it. Then ...

Auriga shares a common star ( Nath ) with Taurus. I was looking to find what other constellations have a star that sits on a boundary between two constellations. Not having much luck… though there are handy guides to find your way around . I must agree with Ann that Auriga is a fascinating part of t...

Nice shot – especially for us under the sign of the Bull . Are we made from comet dust or maybe just remnants from the Big Bang as I speak; a conglomeration of particles flying through space interacting with other fermions ? Thanks for the image and get ready for Odd Day - coming tomorrow. Some of u...

Interesting. http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2015/11/inver ... ealis.html

After yesterday's teaser I thought it was going to be this.
Luckily he survived!

I loved this animation! It was so revealing of all of the steps over the years of which I was pretty ignorant. So Skylab was NASA's premiere space station, but the ISS is the premiere internationally-constructed station. (Although I loved neufer's "PostMir" observation!) In all of this ti...

Do the astronauts in the ISS temporarily feel the effects of gravity when it's thrusted to a higher orbit? I guess I never have seen images of that particular event. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/11/10/space-station-gives-physics-a-boost/ Yes, but only very slightly. Or rather...

I was hoping for an APOD to explain what we are actually seeing in the video.
CBS did a good job though I'd still like to have some parts explained.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronom ... entry.html

Do the astronauts in the ISS temporarily feel the effects of gravity when it's thrusted to a higher orbit? I guess I never have seen images of that particular event.

I was curious where the nearest protostar was in proximity to us. Considering how important understanding how new stars form is to astronomy, though not in our solar system, perhaps it should have been included on the list - out of shear coolness.

Thanks Ann. I was curious about the statement in the text about Rigel being off to the right. http://www.belugalakeobservatory.com/photo.php?Rigel-and-the-Witch-Head-Nebula&photo=52 I like the photographer's site link as it shows in the sky where the photograph was taken for us wannabe astronome...

I love the contemplative face in the Soul Nebula.
It's as if its mind blends into the soul of the nebula.

So much universe – so few souls to appreciate it. Unless you count the billions of us on just one planet. If there are billions of life-sustaining planets in the billions of galaxies maybe the universe needs to get bigger?

"In fact, at our best we are doing one part in 10,000 of a proton diameter."

https://www.quantamagazine.org/20151022 ... -gonzalez/

Puts splitting hairs to shame.

I could be dreamin' but that Dorado's jumpin' straight from the heart…

It also has a flower appearance. yellow_rose_against_a_blue_background-t2.jpg What would today's APOD mean in rose talk ? The unobtainable promise of a new beginning… Might just fit Carl Keenan Seyfert's studies of galaxy colors. That he's the son of a pharmacist probably makes most pleased he chose...

Toward the lower border is a horizontal "linear crater" which seems a bit different. Perhaps a meteor snowballed tangentially from left to right or the other way, causing a "snowball track". Without rolling of course. http://www.emfatik.com/wp-content/uploads/Snowball-500x500-go...