Starship Asterisk*

by **Astral traveller** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:27 am

RJN wrote:Please vote for any or all of the entries -- and feel free to explain why below.

I voted for the sky because there is such a small fraction of the universe that we can see with the naked eye. The breathtaking views we have here on earth are all in danger from just our presence here. We have not been good stewards of this beautiful planet, so it is good to know that these beautiful places and spaces in the universe will still be evolving and changing in spite of us long after we burst the thin blue line.

by **StarCuriousAero** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:38 pm

Had to go with all three, because as with most things, the answer is "it depends". Love a good landscape with earth and sky, love a good galaxy shot, and I'm ok with the occasional earth-focused apod. Life would be boring without variety. I do feel this was a silly question though since it's obvious most everyone loves the land and sky mixture else why would we all keep coming back? Love learning something new everyday!

by **franski8** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:21 pm

I find EVERY photo interesting. They help me keep a more objective view on the universe in which we dwell, taking me beyond the desk and PC at which I am stationed much of the day. I appreciate the explanations, but sometimes wonder why the verbiage must include what I consider flagrant guesses about the age of any of the subjects photographed. Thank you for the opportunity to learn from the amazing views you offer.

by **alain07** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:46 am

I picked both sky and land as, likely viewed from somewhere up there, we are part of it all. There surely is a great mind out there and within us connecting creation in its ensemble.

by **Beyond** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:15 am

Guest wrote:
Beyond wrote:I picked door #3. Why? Because APOD has to do with Space, the stuff this planet is hanging in, which also makes this planet fair game for APODs.
But where is 'the lovely Carol Merrill'?

The Truth is, 'that', was a long time ago, and the Consequence's of that, is i forget.

by **Guest** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:36 pm

Beyond wrote:I picked door #3. Why? Because APOD has to do with Space, the stuff this planet is hanging in, which also makes this planet fair game for APODs.

But where is 'the lovely Carol Merrill'?

by **JM Hanes** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:52 pm

The whole essence of this photo is land and sky, captured together in a breathtaking moment of clarity. We gaze out at the Milky Way, but we are also part of it. The answer to the Asterisk question is astronomy, but this picture is about every science. Our monumental geology and we ourselves are made from the same stuff as stars a billion light years away, and the nature of our existence is defined by the same universal laws. The arc of sky alone could be just another Hubble photo of some distant galaxy, and, indeed, such photos are what our own world looks like in the larger scheme: an invisible, infinitesimal pin point in a swirling sea of light, and yet a pin point of such astonishing complexity that we can't even say for certain whether or not a thunderstorm will pass directly overhead tomorrow.

by **peterjford** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:28 pm

I was going to vote for Earth, because it is closer to me. It is something I can taste, touch, smell, hear as well as see. But then I decided on the Milky Way because it is something that I will never be able to touch, or taste, or smell. So in the end I picked #3.

by **geckzilla** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 4:19 pm

I was confused by this poll and all I got was this stupid t-shirt...

by **xplain_plz** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:22 pm

The arc of the Milky Way is gorgeous and astronomy is fascinating, but I'm a geologist, so banded/layered domes of the Bungle Bungles win my vote

by **lkn up snc sputnik** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:20 pm

I didn't know we could vote for more than one option.
Although there's only one milky way and countless landforms, I believe the milky way holds more wonder and deserves more study, at least from an astronomical point of view.

by **Zoe** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:28 pm

I picked "Sky". I love mountains and these ones look really fascinating. But I prefer mountainous landscapes to be greener and more, so to say, alpine. These look very desert-like; it would be fascinating for me to see them, but they seem interesting rather that beautiful to me. The Milky Way here, in this picture, is a totally different kettle of fish. It's simply stunning - I love the feeling of facing infinity and being so small while looking at the stars, especially when they form as beautiful views as this one. The whole natural world is fascinating (the Bungle Bungle Range being no exception) but the stars make me just so amazed at the great mind of God, who, as I believe, has invented it all...

by **spitzerr** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:01 pm

As a photographer, one part provides a perspective for the other. Cover the land or cover the sky and it is not very dramatic.

by **Astrogator John** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:27 pm

I had to go with 3, although it really isn't because I thought it was silly. The combination of the land and the sky is really interesting, and the land gives a nice geographic reference as to what the sky looks like from that latitude. Plus the land looks as cool as the sky!

by **Reeves** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:17 pm

I picked "Sky" because this is Astronomy Picture of the Day.

If this was the Earth Science Picture of the Day, http://epod.usra.edu/, I would have picked Land.

by **colortime** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:31 pm

naomisarna wrote:I voted for all three. I travel extensively on earth and always look up at the sky; the two in relation to each other are always of interest to me. Thanks again for my first-thing-in-the -morning pleasures.

yeah, they probably should have used radio buttons for a poll, haha

by **colortime** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:30 pm

is the milky way false color in this picture? or can you really get photos that look like that with the right camera?

by **TNT** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:24 pm

This is the ONLY thing I voted on all day. I'll have to go with 1 and 2, because in my opinion, land scenes enhance the sky scene. I like it.

by **rstevenson** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:58 am

Definitely both. The land is always vital to us mud hens, but the sky is where we dream.

Rob

by **naomisarna** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:25 am

I voted for all three. I travel extensively on earth and always look up at the sky; the two in relation to each other are always of interest to me. Thanks again for my first-thing-in-the -morning pleasures.

by **uwe** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:20 am

I've voted for the land, because I think the sky is quite boring. Millions and millions of dots of light, not even displayed in a rational order! Make that boring and annoying. Now look at the land - tidy layers of geological material nicely presented in appealing geometric structures. Best of all, you can atually go to that place! No romantic ideas connected, that probably will turn out as some low informed scientist''s fantasy. Questions? Go there, find out yourself. So it's definitely land, who could ever vote for that other thingie?

by **Indigo_Sunrise** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:45 am

>snip<

owlice wrote:When the APOD for which this poll is intended does appear and has a link to this poll, the image that is shown will be the one to which the question in this poll refers.

And that day is today!

by **Derrick Watt** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:41 am

I picked 'Land' as the Milky Way figures frequently in many night sky pictures.
Pictures of each land feature usually only appear once.

by **DavidB** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:16 am

Interesting picture, The Bungle Bungles are VERY REMOTE. I used to live in Halls Creek, the nearest town about 150km away, SO WHAT CAUSES THE GLOW ON THE HORIZON?

There are no towns to either the north or east where the glows are seen, only the virtually uninhabited Kimberly ranges.

by **starstruck** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 4:25 am

FWIW, I was pleased to be able to vote for all three options, because they are all true! Pictures that show some context are almost always more interesting than those that don't. This Bungle Bungles view is a fine example!

Starship Asterisk*

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