That cat's eye is irreducibly complex!

Now THAT is beautiful....

I love that.

More From Author of Cancelled Novel

We've heard from Sherry Jones, author of THE JEWEL OF MEDINA, the novel cancelled by Ballantine covered in yesterday's Lunch.

Jones tells us that "because of my termination agreement with Random House, I am prohibited from commenting on the circumstances surrounding that termination." But from her perspective, "Despite Random House's statement, I'm not aware of any warnings of possible terrorist attack from any other source than Denise Spellberg. I know that Shahed Amanullah's email had nothing to do with any of this, because I was the one who discovered it, and the resulting discussion, on the Husaini Youths website.

"Although I've been aware from the start that my books might offend some people, I've never been afraid of physical harm because of them. I wrote these books because I felt called to write them after researching A'isha for my own purposes. My passion for her story trumps the fear factor. I've expected controversy, yes, but never terrorism."

Separately, Jones writes on her blog that "all I did was try to portray A'isha, Muhammad's child bride (believed by most historians to have married Muhammad at age nine and consummated the marriage at age 11) in the context of her times."

As to Spellberg's charge that the novel is "soft porn," Jones replies: "There are no sex scenes in this book. The novel, whose bibliography includes 29 scholarly and religious books, is a work of serious historic fiction detailing the origins of Islam through the eyes of the Prophet Muhammad's youngest wife. It's a book about women's relationships and experiences at a time in history when a religion was being founded in the midst of conflict."

Separately, agent Natasha Kern says that she will have news of foreign rights sales for the book to announce shortly.

Random House supplied us with their full statement to the Wall Street Journal, and deputy publisher Tom Perry "underscore[s] that our decision was not based solely on the opinions of Ms. Spellberg."

The publisher says that after distributing galleys of the book, they received "from credible and unrelated sources, cautionary advice not only that the publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community, but also that it could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment.

"We felt an obligation to take these concerns very seriously. We consulted with security experts as well as with scholars of Islam, whom we asked to review the book and offer their assessments of potential reactions.

"We stand firmly by our responsibility to support our authors and the free discussion of ideas, even those that may be construed as offensive by some. However, a publisher must weigh that responsibility against others that it also bears, and in this instance we decided, after much deliberation, to postpone publication for the safety of the author, employees of Random House,
booksellers and anyone else who would be involved in distribution and sale of the novel." As reported, both parties subsequently agreed to terminate the publishing agreement.

This might sound cornea me, but iris I had a big telescope.

Our universe ROCKS!

You can download a dashboard widget for your Mac, showing the astronomy picture of the day:

APOD viewer for mac dashboard

I can't stop staring at it. I think I've been hypnotized.

test (my prior comment vanished)

Makes me think of cosmic DNA.

Cat's eye?

Man, that's racist!

/sarc

If terrestrial cats really had x-ray eyes, we'd be sooo screwed.

To me, it looks like a double helix around the Eye of God.

Thank you Discovery Institute!

Apparently, The Terrorists Planned to Spam Random House's Servers

Let's take another look at yesterday's story about that novel about Muhammad's wife that isn't getting published: You'll recall that Random House chose to withdraw from its deal with Sherry Jones to publish The Jewel of Medina after receiving ""cautionary advice" from an Islamic studies professor who'd been approached to blurb the book and instead helped convince the company "not only that the publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community, but also that it could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment." In the WSJ article about the piece, Asra Q. Nomani makes reference to a website where somebody, hearing about the book third-hand, posted "a seven-point strategy" to compel Jones not only not to publish, but "apologise all the muslims [sic] across the world."

If you were just sorta reading along in a hurry, it was easy to conflate the publisher's expressed fear of a terrorist attack and that brief mention of an action plan against the novel and convince yourself some sort of threat was actually expressed. But when you look at the actual online complaint, a much different story emerges; that "seven-point strategy" turns out to be little more than organizing a blast email campaign, getting an advance copy of the novel to pick out the offensive bits, prepping fact sheets about the Prophet's wives, keeping an eye out for any media coverage of the book so they can complain about that, too, and telling people how terrible it is "this book has been written with some exotic scenes in it." (He means "erotic," by the way.)

Oops, here is the APOD viewer link with a better address:
APOD viewer widget for mac dashboard

Finally a subject I can sink my teeth into. Being a space nut to me the Hubble telescopes images are the most spectacular we have ever seen and definitely is worth the cost it took to put it up there and maintain it. Even you crazy nuts who think all this evolved from a speck of dirt off an ants butt should enjoy it. LOL
Just a joke....dont start freaking out.

Absolutely spectacular. The wonders of the galaxy/universe never cease to amaze me.

Thank you NASA for your amazing work that will serve the entire mankind.

Here is another image of Cat's Eye , also from NASA

re: #12 CrimsonFisted

To me, it looks like a double helix around the Eye of God.

You always say that.

Throbbing Cat's Eye

In 3000 light years how will it effect global warming?

Cat's Eye/X-rays=CAT scan?

re: #16 Scorch

Finally a subject I can sink my teeth into. Being a space nut to me the Hubble telescopes images are the most spectacular we have ever seen and definitely is worth the cost it took to put it up there and maintain it. Even you crazy nuts who think all this evolved from a speck of dirt off an ants butt should enjoy it. LOL
Just a joke....dont start freaking out.

How do you feel about the James Webb Space Telescope? I can't wait for that thing to start sending back images and it's launch is still 5 years away.

3,000 light years . . .

. . . for scientists: The light you're seeing today from this nebula left it during the Bronze Age.

. . . for creationists: This nebula is halfway between the Earth (center of the universe) and the edge of the universe (6,000 light years away).

Meh. Made one of those with my kid's Light-Bright® last weekend.

re: #20 Killgore Trout

Throbbing Cat's Eye

Back in 1999, was everything in black and white and moving really slowly?

re: #25 HBob

Meh. Made one of those with my kid's Light-Bright® last weekend.

Please demonstrate for us. ;)

Eyes in the Sky!
So Beautiful!

Wow. If only guys like Da Vinci and Copernicus hadn't had to deal with the Catholic Church's fear and hatred of science.

Hubba Hubble!

re: #24 gmsc

Good point.

If we just inflated our tires a bit more, the eye would close.

re: #10 barry the baptist

Cat's eye?

Man, that's racist!

/sarc

Cats are a race?

re: #26 debutaunt

Something that is just as astounding as it gets.
3000 LY from earth, yet we can actually see change.

wonder what the distance is the gas cloud has traveled in that
3 year span

Hfmstr

re: #34 hoffmonster

Something that is just as astounding as it gets.
3000 LY from earth, yet we can actually see change.

wonder what the distance is the gas cloud has traveled in that
3 year span

Hfmstr

DRINK

That's nebula's not where you think it is, instead it's somewhere else now. ( it took the light 3,000 years to get here...)

OT Breaking - Hamdan gets 5/1/2 year sentence!

Nice kitty...

re: #29 SFGoth

Copernicus was treated OK:

In 1533, Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter delivered in Rome a series of lectures outlining Copernicus's theory. The lectures were heard with interest by Pope Clement VII and several Catholic cardinals.
On 1 November 1536, Archbishop of Capua Nicholas Schönberg wrote a letter to Copernicus from Rome:
Some years ago word reached me concerning your proficiency, of which everybody constantly spoke. At that time I began to have a very high regard for you... For I had learned that you had not merely mastered the discoveries of the ancient astronomers uncommonly well but had also formulated a new cosmology. In it you maintain that the earth moves; that the sun occupies the lowest, and thus the central, place in the universe... Therefore with the utmost earnestness I entreat you, most learned sir, unless I inconvenience you, to communicate this discovery of yours to scholars, and at the earliest possible moment to send me your writings on the sphere of the universe together with the tables and whatever else you have that is relevant to this subject ...[13]

Link

Looks like a new galaxy in womb.

I'm in ur skie watching yu.

re: #36 Thanos

That's nebula's not where you think it is, instead it's somewhere else now. ( it took the light 3,000 years to get here...)

I was wondering why I didn't see it outside my spaceship window. :/

re: #41 Catttt

I'm in ur skie watching yu.

Heh. Excellent.

re: #43 vxbush

Heh. Excellent.

Send it to Icanhascheezburgers!

Hillary speaks on McCain

re: #37 Ringo the Gringo

OT Breaking - Hamdan gets 5/1/2 year sentence!

I somehow read that as Hadrian, and wondered why the arch treament.

/eyes must be going crazy.

Ceiling Cat looks down on us with disapproval!

Kowtow to Ceiling Cat!

re: #44 goddessoftheclassroom

Send it to Icanhascheezburgers!

I got it....

re: #48 vxbush

I got it....

Post the link when you've finished!

Twinkle twinkle little eye.
How I wonder why, o why.
Up above the world so high
like a kitty in the sky.

Now I have to delete my "Ceiling cat, is that you?" comment. Zombie you are too quick.

OT: I have 3 "NOBAMA" signs on my car that I made on my computer. I made the O large and put a Soviet hammer & sickle inside it. Today at the gas station a woman came up to me and said "Can I ask you about your sign? It seems like you're saying Obama is a communist, I haven't heard that before. Can you explain it?" Initially I thought she was an Obama supporter and I was just a tad brusque in my response, but fortunately she didn't seem to notice. I said something like "Well, yeah, he pretty much is. All he talks about is taking money from those who have it and redistributing it. Did you know he wants to give $840 billion to the U.N., in addition to all the other programs he wants to set up? And it could cost you $6800 in new taxes?" Then I brought up his Marxist professor and his Pastor who preaches Black Liberation Theology, etc. I talk about how income redistribution doesn't work because it doesn't create any new wealth and she agreed with that. Finally she said, "Wow, I didn't know any of this stuff (about Obama). Very interesting!"

I tell ya, stuff like that makes it worth risking getting my car windows smashed.

re: #42 Salem

I was wondering why I didn't see it outside my spaceship window. :/

I've always wondered how they will plot courses for interstellar trips, there's the obvious time shift which could be compensated for by path projections, but then what if the light passes by some dark matter? It could be bent...

OT - but interesting

Geisel allegedly referred to Obama with a racial epithet and continued, "If he gets elected, I'll assassinate him myself."
...
Another person in the class quoted Geisel as saying that "he hated George W. Bush and that he wanted to put a bullet in the president's head," according to the Secret Service.

Geisel denied in a written statement to a Secret Service agent that he ever made those threats, and the documents don't indicate that he ever took steps to carry out any assassination. He was charged only with threatening Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, but not for any threat against President Bush.

I wonder why, if they have testimony about both quotes.

re: #33 NomadOfNorad

Cats are a race?

Specist!

re: #49 goddessoftheclassroom

Post the link when you've finished!

I think this is it.

That cat looks stoned on catnip.

Speaking of fascinating celestial objects: Anybody been following the interesting story of Hanny's Voorwerp -- an unexplained "cosmic ghost" discovered by a Dutch schoolteacher with no astronomical training at all?

A better picture of it here (it's the blue thing), and blog posting about it here.

BAGHDAD - Iraq and the U.S. are near an agreement on all American combat troops leaving Iraq by October 2010, with the last soldiers out three years after that, two Iraqi officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. U.S. officials, however, insisted no dates had been agreed.

Dang, there goes Obama's whole "Elect me and I'll get the troops out of Iraq" angle.

re: #52 Tigger2005

Good for you, Tigger.
(Applause, appaluse!)

re: #58 zombie

Speaking of fascinating celestial objects: Anybody been following the interesting story of Hanny's Voorwerp -- an unexplained "cosmic ghost" discovered by a Dutch schoolteacher with no astronomical training at all?

A better picture of it here (it's the blue thing), and blog posting about it here.

Actually kinda like looking at the schoolteacher too.

re: #47 zombie

Ceiling Cat looks down on us with disapproval!

Kowtow to Ceiling Cat!

Ceiling cat is my minyun, seys skie cat. :)

re: #56 vxbush

I think this is it.

BRAVA!

One word. Wow.

ZerObama will be coming home to Hawaii tomorrow.
Oh for the opportunity to ask him what he meant by "War Crimes" investigations.

NObama!

Here's an Islamic view: NEBULA - Have A look. J00 ph3ar dah Prof3tt!1

re: #60 wolfie

Good for you, Tigger.
(Applause, appaluse!)

Okay.
I didn't mean "bravo, horsey!"
Why would I say that to a tigger?!
I MEANT "applause, applause!"

re: #45 Thanos

Hillary speaks on McCain

Niiiiiiice!

Sorry for the hit and run all y'all but it just started to Thunder and Lightning - on the thread about the DNS server thingy, does anyone know if this would screw up paypal ?!

re: #56 vxbush

I think this is it.

:D NEATO!

On a more serious note, it looks like the future of Eta Carinae. It sort-of supernovas and then dies down a bit, and then supernovas again. It's in Draco which means its explosion should have been visible from Europe. I don't know how long ago its last supernova was visible; wikipedia says 1000 +/- 260 years but that was guessed at a decade ago.

re: #26 debutaunt

Back in 1999, was everything in black and white and moving really slowly?

I've seen some of those movies from before 1910. Apparently the world was extremely hurried and syncopated for about a decade.

re: #53 Thanos

I've always wondered how they will plot courses for interstellar trips, there's the obvious time shift which could be compensated for by path projections, but then what if the light passes by some dark matter? It could be bent...

"Engage the-...er...Dark Matter Compensator! Yeah, that's the ticket..."

Just for comparison, here is the Cat's Eye Nebula without the x-rays.

re: #74 Salem

"Engage the-...er...Dark Matter Compensator! Yeah, that's the ticket..."

Dude! What did you think the Deflector Dish was for?

re: #75 Sharmuta

Also fabulously beautiful in a different way.

re: #73 buzzsawmonkey

Good for you.

Here's hoping she wasn't scouting early re-education camp candidates for the Obama Regime.

Well, given the size of the SUV she was driving, she would probably be the first "resident" of Re-Education Camp Gore.

I've seen that with my little 5 inch scope. Very pretty and unique in its clarity, but of course nothing at all compared to this.

re: #40 Jed 1899

Looks like a new galaxy in womb.

So does this one.

re: #76 vxbush

Dude! What did you think the Deflector Dish was for?

So, not for holding sunflower seeds, then?...

re: #79 buzzsawmonkey

Kinda like how singers were better before MTV because then it only mattered if they could sing, not if they looked good in tight pants.

re: #79 buzzsawmonkey

Actually I knew that there was little or no standardized film speed in early movie making. It is funny watching low frame per second films being played at standard speeds though.

Design Error Blamed for Loss of Ashes of 'Star Trek''s 'Scotty'

A privately held rocket company on Wednesday blamed a design error for its latest failure to reach orbit, which caused the loss of three government satellites and human ashes, including the remains of astronaut Gordon Cooper and "Star Trek" actor James Doohan.

The two-stage Falcon 1 rocket, which blasted off from a Central Pacific atoll Saturday night, separated as planned on its way to space, but leftover thrust after engine cutoff caused the first stage to fall back and hit the second stage, according to Hawthorne-based SpaceX.

The rocket, containing the remains of 208 people, dropped in the Pacific and was not recovered.

/oops, not quite what they bargained for

re: #86 Killian Bundy

Design Error Blamed for Loss of Ashes of 'Star Trek''s 'Scotty'

/oops, not quite what they bargained for

Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a rocket scientist!

Holy crap ... no GLOBULAR CLUSTERS jokes?

Boggles the mind

"i'm the eye in the sky looking at you".

re: #11 Occasional Reader

If terrestrial cats really had x-ray eyes, we'd be sooo screwed.

Oh, but they do.....

re: #86 Killian Bundy

Design Error Blamed for Loss of Ashes of 'Star Trek''s 'Scotty'

/oops, not quite what they bargained for

aRRRR! To Davey Jones Lokker wiv' ye.

re: #86 Killian Bundy

Design Error Blamed for Loss of Ashes of 'Star Trek''s 'Scotty'

/oops, not quite what they bargained for

The families better damn sure get a refund. This has to be hard on them. Space burial becomes burial at sea.

re: #86 Killian Bundy

"She can't go any faster cap'n"

re: #86 Killian Bundy

I read that. A real shame about the remains but that is the risk you take when using almost any mode of transportation, but especially a rocket.

re: #88 Hooray for Captain Spaulding

We were waiting for you!

re: #86 Killian Bundy

Design Error Blamed for Loss of Ashes of 'Star Trek''s 'Scotty'

/oops, not quite what they bargained for

Really, I think I would have waited until the company actually had a successful space shot before entrusting my loved one's ashes to it.

He was givin' it all he had, cap'n.

Those folks losing Mr. Scotts' ashes should be ashamed. That is wrong on so many levels. Goddamn rocket scientists! Get me Werner von Braun on the line now! What, whaddya mean he's dead? Now who's gonna build our next moon ship?

The Great Galactic Ghoul got Scotty after all, huh?

(off to see The Dark Knight)

Killgore is that the rocket launch you were linking to the other night?

re: #17 Dahveed

And add this to it: That picture is of something that existed 3,000 years ago. We have no idea what it has developed into today.

NASA is photo shopping the turtles out again.

They should rename it the Sauron Nebula.

re: #98 pingjockey

Those folks losing Mr. Scotts' ashes should be ashamed. That is wrong on so many levels. Goddamn rocket scientists! Get me Werner von Braun on the line now! What, whaddya mean he's dead? Now who's gonna build our next moon ship?

The didn't lose all the ashes, only a few grams. They're going to try again.

re: #92 Mars Needs Neocons

The families better damn sure get a refund. This has to be hard on them. Space burial becomes burial at sea.

Which do you think is more difficult, putting a man into space or putting a man on the deepest ocean floor?
One has not been done yet.

re: #87 Tigger2005

Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a rocket scientist!

ROFL ! ! !

One Nation, Under a New Obama Salute

George Bush had his three-fingered W salute that supporters flashed when greeting him at presidential campaign events in 2000. And now, if a Los Angeles creative agency gets its way, Sen. Barack Obama will see fans meet him with his own salute like the one above. "Our goal is to see a crowd of 75,000 people at Obama's nomination speech holding their hands above their heads, fingers laced together in support of a new direction for this country, a renewed hope, and acceptance of responsibility for our future," says Rick Husong, owner of The Loyalty Inc.

/it's the End Of The World As We Know It

Cosmic reverb.

re: #99 Salem

The Great Galactic Ghoul got Scotty after all, huh?

(off to see The Dark Knight)

I'm saving my money for another movie titled with three one-syllable words--The Clone Wars.

re: #99 Salem

The Great Galactic Ghoul got Scotty after all, huh?

(off to see The Dark Knight)

I'm getting so close to boycotting it. I loved Batman Begins, because it seemed the creators respected the comics history. Then they do this one and throw away everything that IMHO makes the Joker a great character. They could have replaced this Joker with Mr. Zsasz and it would have been more accurate.

(Bonus points to any lizards that know who I'm talking about).

re: #103 smokin' hamster

They should rename it the Sauron Nebula.

This one is better for that name.

re: #107 Killian Bundy

One Nation, Under a New Obama Salute

/it's the End Of The World As We Know It

I thought it was an extended arm at a 45 degree angle, palm down. Or if that is too offensive, both arms straight up with hands extended upward (like the French Salute).

Though more accurately the correct Ob salute is arm extended parallel to the ground hand extended palm up.

re: #107 Killian Bundy

I'm thinking someone needs to do a parody; that image over the title
"Wankers."

re: #107 Killian Bundy

That particular hand formation was a dirty message when I went to high school. It is making me laugh so much to think of tens of thousands of people in essence giving the middle finger.

re: #105 IslandLibertarian

Which do you think is more difficult, putting a man into space or putting a man on the deepest ocean floor?
One has not been done yet.

Nice point. I've always said there is probably more mysterious life at the deepest depths than anywhere we can reach in space (at least in the near future.)

re: #84 Silhouette

Kinda like how singers were better before MTV because then it only mattered if they could sing, not if they looked good in tight pants.

That might still be true if MTV was still relevant. And for a long time it was true. Bands were more worried about the video than the music, and lead singers in rock bands had to look like trannies and sing like chicks. Man what a bleak period for rock and roll that was.

Not so much anymore. Of course there are still some real kooks out there. But there are lots of bands that look like "normal" people.

re: #107 Killian Bundy

One Nation, Under a New Obama Salute

/it's the End Of The World As We Know It

Nice. They should do that while waving his "blue eagle" logo. Or, how about a Footlight Parade?

re: #107 Killian Bundy

Is that a parody? I can't tell sometimes.

re: #107 Killian Bundy
I'm dying here. That is so funny.

re: #111 Mars Needs Neocons

Mr. Zsasz
(Bonus points to any lizards that know who I'm talking about).

Wasn't he married to that weird Hungarian actress that slapped a cop?

/

Look at what else the Chandra X-ray Observatory has done.

By measuring a peak in the temperature of hot gas in the center of the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4649, scientists have determined the mass of the galaxy’s supermassive black hole. The method, applied for the first time, gives results that are consistent with a traditional technique.

re: #113 buzzsawmonkey

Last time I ran a projector, when theatres still used film, 35mm ran at 24 frames per second.

/70mm ran at 48 fps and made a deafening roar as it ran through the gate

re: #107 Killian Bundy

Is that the symbol for the memory hole?

re: #107 Killian Bundy

One Nation, Under a New Obama Salute

/it's the End Of The World As We Know It

He could go with this one.

But this is how I was taught it. (but with the palm facing outward.

re: #124 Sharmuta

Look at what else the Chandra X-ray Observatory has done.

Racist!
/

I believe that the new Obama salute was designed by Monica Lewinsky. It is a view she would be familiar with.

re: #123 OldLineTexan

Wasn't he married to that weird Hungarian actress that slapped a cop?

/

Groan.

re: #101 Cato

And add this to it: That picture is of something that existed 3,000 years ago. We have no idea what it has developed into today.

ROTFLMAO, no it actually looks exactly like it did 3000 years ago, except about 2% larger. For one thing, its not traveling (expanding) at the speed of light, much much slower, maybe a 100,000 mph and for two, space is really really large and mostly empty.

re: #128 jcm

Racist!
/

You bet! Dark Clouds of the Carina Nebula.

Oops- I did it again.

re: #132 Sharmuta

You bet! Dark Clouds of the Carina Nebula.

Oops- I did it again.

Stunning images!

re: #107 Killian Bundy

That's not an 'O', it's a zero.

re: #86 Killian Bundy

Design Error Blamed for Loss of Ashes of 'Star Trek''s 'Scotty'

wtf do they mean, "design error", the extension chord wasn't long enough to reach orbit? "... because testing was done at sea level". WHAT?

re: #133 jcm

Nasa has the best photos. Evil Eye Galaxy.

re: #134 Kreuzueber Halbmond

That's not an 'O', it's a zero.

Ø zero......

re: #135 itellu3times

Oh no. Scotty was on the Spacex rocket? I didn't know that.

No Women on Saudi Olympic Team

When the delegation of Tuvalu enters the Olympic stadium in Beijing on Friday evening for what will be its debut Games, the tiny Pacific island nation of just 11,000 people will be represented by two athletes and a weightlifter – two men and one woman.

The other debut nation at the 2008 Games, the Marshall Islands (pop: 63,000), has produced a team of three men and two women (athletics, swimming and Taekwondo).

But elsewhere in the procession of participating nations, Saudi Arabia, with a population of 28 million, will field a team – athletes, equestrians, swimmers, shooters and weightlifters – that doesn’t include a single woman.

In the eight summer Olympic Games in which the kingdom has participated since 1972, it has sent a total of 166 men, and no women

What a shame.

/I can't think of a single Olympic event where competing in a burka wouldn't equal comedy gold

Try checking out Google Earths Google Space...

re: #129 n in wi

I believe that the new Obama salute was designed by Monica Lewinsky. It is a view she would be familiar with.

She calls it the missing man formation.

Black Holes Have Simple Feeding Habits

And this is important since obama thinks we should eat less. Black holes are an inspiration!

re: #138 Killgore Trout
Is that the one you linked to the other night?

re: #140 doriangrey

The World Wide Telescope is my favorite. You can even look at the Cat's eye nebula.

3,000 light years. That's pretty close.

/that means it's only 3,000 years old [interobang].

re: #146 snowcrash

Yeah, I spent all afternoon waiting for that thing to launch.

re: #107 Killian Bundy

"Our goal is to see a crowd of 75,000 people at Obama's nomination speech holding their hands above their heads, fingers laced together in support of a new direction for this country, a renewed hope, and acceptance of responsibility for our future,"

I dunno, Killian... how will they get ALL of Obambi's supporters together in the same place at the same time?

/Mind Buggling, KB

Huh! I did not realize Hubble was nearing 100 thousand orbits.

re: #147 Killgore Trout

The World Wide Telescope is my favorite. You can even look at the Cat's eye nebula.

Very cool....

This is not the first time Scotty's ashes have gone off course. Maybe they should try these launches without Scotty's ashes...

Will anyone think less of me if I say I posted this image on August 4?

The first page I open every morning is the APOD archive. It helps give me a little perspective of my place in this world.

Today's image was another winner in my book. I had fun with my son (6 yrs. old) asking him to tell me what it was.

re: #149 Killgore Trout

Yeah, I spent all afternoon waiting for that thing to launch.

You killed Scotty!

/bastard

re: #140 doriangrey

{doriangrey}
MWAH!

re: #148 Attaboid

3,000 light years. That's pretty close.

/that means it's only 3,000 years old [interobang].

Considering that our galaxy, the Milky Way is roughly 100,000 light years across, yes it's practically right next door.

Creepiest nebula ever.

re: #153 wrenchwench

This is not the first time Scotty's ashes have gone off course. Maybe they should try these launches without Scotty's ashes...

Good gravy! I was willing to excuse the company and poo poo on all those that got on its case, because of the inherent risk of space flight.

But to fail twice with (presumably) the same set of ashes?! That's horrible.

re: #155 Killian Bundy

Heh.

re: #152 doriangrey

It's a lot of fun to just scroll around and look at random things.

And here . . . is a chilling extraterrestrial possibility that true Darwinists will immediately reject as Not Science, should never be published in a respectable, peer- reviewed scientific journal, and should never ever be shown to children because it could "kick the can down the road" as far as evolution is concerned (shudder), cause doubt and confusion in impressionable young minds, and possibly somehow lead to the massively heretical influences of (gasp) Intelligent Design or even worse, a dangerous link to Islamic extremism!

This will get ugly. Darwinists should proactively file suit in court NOW to prevent its dissemination in schools, and to get a judge to declare that this line of research is religion in disguise.

Warning: Do NOT read this link!
[Link: www.wired.com...]

re: #58 zombie

Speaking of fascinating celestial objects: Anybody been following the interesting story of Hanny's Voorwerp -- an unexplained "cosmic ghost" discovered by a Dutch schoolteacher with no astronomical training at all?

A better picture of it here (it's the blue thing), and blog posting about it here.

I first saw this in June (thanks to APOD) but have seen next to nothing on it since. I believe that while the scientific community looks into it the media will remain quiet.

re: #156 goddessoftheclassroom

{doriangrey}
MWAH!

Hey cutie pie, how are you today....

re: #159 Silhouette

Good gravy! I was willing to excuse the company and poo poo on all those that got on its case, because of the inherent risk of space flight.

But to fail twice with (presumably) the same set of ashes?! That's horrible.

I'm guessing that Scotty is in several Baggies, perhaps even "Snack Size."

re: #163 Spar Kling

What is a 'Darwinist'?

A lover of Darwin? A zealot fervently promoting the life of Darwin?

You're not making sense, Kling

re: #162 Killgore Trout

It's a lot of fun to just scroll around and look at random things.

You do know, that according to CHAOS Theory, there really is no such thing as "Random" right... lol...lol...lol...

re: #161 buzzsawmonkey

I think it only right that we should be discussing Obama in a nebulous thread.

I think it's deeming to astronomy to discuss such lofty achievements in the same breath as BHO. Now scatology, that's another matter.

re: #118 buzzsawmonkey

BHO should recognize the salute, it is the "Hawaiian good luck sign", isn't it?

:))

re: #138 Killgore Trout

Oh no. Scotty was on the Spacex rocket? I didn't know that.

Well, just a tiny bit of Scotty. Actually, if you sneezed in the general direction of the satellite assembly from 11,000 miles away, there's probably just about the same number of your molecules on it as his.

(this from an old grade school science lesson that, given the number of molecules of nitrogen that say Galileo breathed, and atmospheric dispersion, you were probably breathing in some of them with every breath!)

re: #163 Spar Kling

Well, that might answer the whole, where did life on Earth originate problem, something that evolutionary theory does not address. How about you go get a grant and give it some study. Tell them you are studying how it might have caused global warming and they will practically throw the research money at you.

If anyone's interested, it would take the Starship Enterprise (galaxy class) almost two years to reach the Cat's Eye Nebula from Earth at warp factor 8. :D

re: #166 wrenchwench

I'm guessing that Scotty is in several Baggies, perhaps even "Snack Size."

The story you linked said they recovered Scotty's ashes and Coopers and 200 people, so I'm inclined to think these were the exact same ashes as were lost this week .(which said 208 people)

I'm thinking they failed twice on the same payload.

re: #174 buzzsawmonkey

Or eschatology, since someone upthread mentioned the end of the world as we know it.

ROTFLMAO, The end of the world as we know it occurs every time we go to sleep....

re: #163 Spar Kling

Truly- your cognitive dissonance is mind boggling as it would be the creationists who would not suffer that theory gladly.

re: #161 buzzsawmonkey

I think it only right that we should be discussing Obama in a nebulous thread.

Considering the hot air he emits, make that a gas nebula.

re: #165 doriangrey

I'm fine, thanks! I hope you're all better now.

re: #174 buzzsawmonkey

Really, as if the 6,000 year 'world' ruled by kings and priests had had NOT already come to an end...

How you today, Buzz?

re: #163 Spar Kling

And here . . . is a chilling extraterrestrial possibility ... [panspermia]

Boring.

Try this: Startide Rising, by David Brin

The mark of Zero.

/I likes

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

/Thanks lizards for all the cool space links!

re: #163 Spar Kling

Better yet- maybe at some point it will be put to the test. We could get a thread about this story and see what side rejects this article.

re: #182 itellu3times

Boring.

Try this: Startide Rising, by David Brin

Awesome David Brin series...

re: #163 Spar Kling
Sniff...smells a bit gamey.

re: #182 itellu3times

Boring.

Try this: Startide Rising, by David Brin

I read that many years ago. Have never forgotten it.

Another eye nebula.

Love my job, but today sucked. So there. Put that in your cat's eye!

Hey Everybody. Now that I've vented, how're y'all!?

re: #176 Silhouette

The story you linked said they recovered Scotty's ashes and Coopers and 200 people, so I'm inclined to think these were the exact same ashes as were lost this week .(which said 208 people)

I'm thinking they failed twice on the same payload.

Nope. It was seven grams of him in New Mexico. And they had already planned to launch more before those went up:

Another rocket carrying more of Doohan's ashes is slated for an orbital launch in December or January. Such flights deliver payloads to orbit, meaning the remains can be aloft for days, weeks or even years before falling back to earth and burning up in the atmosphere.

re: #174 buzzsawmonkey

Or eschatology, since someone upthread mentioned the end of the world as we know it.

Eschatology is easy, just check the Mayan calender.
/

re: #190 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

bad day at the races?

re: #58 zombie

Speaking of fascinating celestial objects: Anybody been following the interesting story of Hanny's Voorwerp -- an unexplained "cosmic ghost" discovered by a Dutch schoolteacher with no astronomical training at all?

A better picture of it here (it's the blue thing), and blog posting about it here.

In the event you haven't seen this, here's more about Hanny's Voorweep. Otherwise, as I posted earlier, the media is quiet on this because until something more can be substantiated they won't bother a public that can't be expected to understand such things.

re: #183 Kreuzueber Halbmond

The mark of Zero.

Obama has zero chance of pulling off this charade.

Zee-ro.

Say it with me.

Now make the silly sign over your head.

Zee-ro.

re: #186 experiencedtraveller

Awesome David Brin series...

Best sf written in decades, best *writing* of sf, as well as best plot, and of course it's almost all about intelligent design, if any of you evolutionarily-opinionated lizards haven't read Startide Rising and/or The Uplift War, run out and do so right away, is my advice!

Of course, then there's the different theory, Venus on the Half-Shell by (our very own!) Kilgore Trout (as if), with the insightful theory that we all evolved from giant space-cockroach crap.

re: #193 CapeCoddah

Nah, it's ok. I vented. Wanna forget it. But thanks fer askin!

Can we talk Pelosi into visiting? Free energy or something being the pretense.

Superb imaging.

Fred Hoyle intuited the basic method of stellar evolution (carbon 12 resonance), and the Nobel Committee gave the prize to his minor colleague who did calculations to support the groundbreaking concept, because Fred championed the Steady State theory as opposed to the Big Bang.

The Gore Effect.

Reward the popular.

re: #199 cincinnati_kid37

Can we talk Pelosi into visiting?

Bulletin: she's already here!
/heh

re: #194 uncleFuzzy

Saw a picture of that yesterday on Yahoo News (I think). Was green like "Slimer" from "Ghostbusters".

re: #190 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

What is this "job" thing you speak of? Never heard of it.

How about the sign for LOSER:
[Link: www.smh.com.au...]

re: #189 Sharmuta

Another eye nebula.

Vaguely reminiscent of the ST:TOS Doomsday Machine.

re: #190 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Love my job, but today sucked. So there. Put that in your cat's eye!

Hey Everybody. Now that I've vented, how're y'all!?

You had one of those days too, huh?

I built some hardware that broken because of design errors, all the engineers signed off on designs too. Then we are reviewing the design and ask why a bunch of stuff isn't in the hardware. I tell 'em you didn't ask for that stuff. Sure we did they say... I whip the design requirements doc and nope not there... I look at my boss and roll my eyes, he just grins.

re: #197 itellu3times

Heh. I forgot about that one.

re: #195 Racer X

Obama has zero chance of pulling off this charade.

Zee-ro.

Say it with me.

Now make the silly sign over your head.

Zee-ro.

N∅b☭m➑

re: #158 Sharmuta

Creepiest nebula ever.

Nope, I'll have to look for it, but I once saw one that looked like some Cthulhoid tentacular horror reaching out to devour the universe. Hope I can find it again.

re: #189 Sharmuta

Another eye nebula.

Our universe is a wondrous thing. So much so that it's hard for our brains to comprehend the enormity and complexity of what we see.

Y'all talked about this today?

HUNTSVILLE — An illegal immigrant from Honduras who claimed his treaty rights were violated when he was arrested for a robbery-murder near Dallas was executed Thursday evening.

"God forgive them, receive my spirit," Heliberto Chi said in English. In Spanish, he told a friend watching through a window that he loved him and appreciated his hard work. He appeared to be whispering a prayer in Spanish with a tear at the corner of his right eye as the lethal drugs began to take effect.

I'm so sad for him...

/

This is eerie.

re: #212 Fat Bastard Vegetarian
Was that the jackass who said the issue was not guilt or innocence, the issue is that his rights were volated?

Tuneage.

Weather Report - Mysterious Traveller

re: #202 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Saw a picture of that yesterday on Yahoo News (I think). Was green like "Slimer" from "Ghostbusters".

LOL. My son just called it the Grinch's mother. He is getting better (actually suggesting is was dust) but quickly fell apart by saying it was forming a black hole. I don't understand the difference in color between the images I've seen since I originally saw it in green, too. But these sites (1 and 2) have the image in blue. Must read more to better understand.

re: #211 Bobblehead

Our universe is a wondrous thing. So much so that it's hard for our brains to comprehend the enormity and complexity of what we see.

Indeed- far from making me think less of God, science makes me more in awe.

re: #213 Bobblehead

This is eerie.

THIS IS ERIE...

re: #199 cincinnati_kid37

Nancy Pelosi is too busy saving the planet.

this stunning false-color composite picture combines a Hubble Space Telescope image with data from the orbiting Chandra Observatory, showing the intense X-ray activity of the Cat’s Eye Nebula

STEENKING PAPARAZZI!

re: #188 Bobblehead

I read that many years ago. Have never forgotten it.

Startide Rising was... not bad. The later Uplift books were... fantastic.

But, if you want a book that really bakes your noodle about the origins of life on Earth and other worlds... try Midnight at the Well of Souls, by the late Jack L Chalker.

The book Kilgore might have written..........we'll never know...........

re: #203 buzzsawmonkey

I think the circular "Obama salute" is meant to indicate that even his supporters recognize he is a giant gaping *sshole.

that's what i was thinking. what a vulgar gesture.
and they think it's fantastic. it's ridiculous.
they're ridiculous.

re: #214 CapeCoddah

Basing his appeal on the fact that he wasn't told his consulate could help him.

I just might cry.

re: #224 Fat Bastard Vegetarian
Yeah, I will light a candle for him/

re: #202 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Saw a picture of that yesterday on Yahoo News (I think). Was green like "Slimer" from "Ghostbusters".

I just read some more. It appears to be a type of false color imaging. The better to see details. A little like the image of this post (a combination of optical and x-ray), it is done to make it easier for us to "see".

re: #175 Boogberg

If anyone's interested, it would take the Starship Enterprise (galaxy class) almost two years to reach the Cat's Eye Nebula from Earth at warp factor 8. :D

A little under 3, since warp 8 is 1024c.......

re: #190 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Love my job, but today sucked. So there. Put that in your cat's eye!

Hey Everybody. Now that I've vented, how're y'all!?

Gnawing a 1.5 in.. rib-eye ...........Yum!
Sorry, but it's true!

re: #228 reloadingisnotahobby

Just chew and help your digestive tract. BBL

Another eye.

re: #220 MandyManners

STEENKING PAPARAZZI!

LOL!

That cracks me up every time I see it. I should watch that at least once per day.

Thanks!

Ok I think the tentacled galaxy eater may have been this one.

re: #228 reloadingisnotahobby

Gnawing a 1.5 in.. rib-eye ...........Yum!
Sorry, but it's true!

You know how to make a guy hate you don't you!
/

The x-ray stuff is just too cool.

Kepler's Supernova Remnant In Visible, X-Ray and Infrared Light

re: #218 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

As a native of Erie, PA I can tell you that Erie, PA is eerie. I'm in Erie now for family reasons, but when those reasons are no longer here, nor will I be. (If you take my meaning of no longer here.)

re: #206 CyanSnowHawk

Vaguely reminiscent of the ST:TOS Doomsday Machine.

Holy crap, you're right!

"Vulcans never bluff." :D

re: #233 jcm

What?
Lie!

Any mail while I was out?

re: #212 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Y'all talked about this today?

I'm so sad for him...

/

Yup, now he has to explain to God why he murdered those people.

re: #239 doriangrey

Yup, now he has to explain to God why he murdered those people.

I'm thinking he'll pass that Q. and A. and go strat to door # ?

Hey guys, Here are a few of my new ideas, see if you like/hate them and let me know. Be Cruel! Be Brutal! But not too much.... :-)

Arabs are drilling in America

Drill for American Oil!
And a personal fav of mine,
Hope is not a Plan ... A tribute to the New Messiah.

re: #180 goddessoftheclassroom

I'm fine, thanks! I hope you're all better now.

Mostly, went back to work today.... Ye gods, my knuckleheads were like monkeys without a zoo keeper in my absence. I'll be half of next week fixing things they screwed up in a mere two days...

re: #239 doriangrey

Yup, now he has to explain to God why he murdered those people.

It's typical sociopath behavior. His sympathy was only for himself even at the end.

re: #196 buzzsawmonkey

Tried a search for "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah" on LGF and drew a blank. You got a linkie handy?

re: #237 reloadingisnotahobby

What?
Lie!

Working late, hungry and you eating.....
Yes, a little white lie would be appropriate!

LOL!

Galaxies do not have anti-lock breaks.

re: #239 doriangrey

Yup, now he has to explain to God why he murdered those people.

We let God do the judging, we just arrange the meeting.

re: #218 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

THIS IS ERIE...

Eerie Lake Erie

re: #234 Sharmuta

The x-ray stuff is just too cool.

Kepler's Supernova Remnant In Visible, X-Ray and Infrared Light

Here's another view of the same.

re: #240 reloadingisnotahobby

I'm thinking he'll pass that Q. and A. and go strat to door # ?

I would not presume to judge, thats Gods department. He does have quite the reputation for forgiving. I am pretty certain that even if he does forgive, there will be some very serious questions that will be very hard to answer.

re: #245 jcm

Sorry my bad !
Forive?
It's my friday night....
Just went to 4 tens!
Woo Hoooo....Snore..................

re: #246 Sharmuta
Not that I would ever dream of correcting your spelling but, Brakes stop you:
breaks is what you get when your powerball ticket hits.

re: #246 Sharmuta

Galaxies do not have anti-lock breaks.

Looks like the cosmic equivalent of Klein's basement or K-Mart when the blue light starts flashing.

re: #246 Sharmuta

Galaxies do not have anti-lock breaks.

In the
OMYGODWEREALLGOINGTODIE!
File

Andromeda-Milky Way collision

The Andromeda-Milky Way collision is a predicted galaxy collision, due to take place in approximately five billion years time, between the two largest galaxies in the Local Group, the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy.

re: #247 jcm

We let God do the judging, we just arrange the meeting.

A-men to that. God often does forgive, but that doesn't mean you get off scot free....

re: #241 sojerofgod

I like this bumper sticker: Give Up Hope - Get a Plan

Mexican Hat Dance.

re: #197 itellu3times

I enjoyed Sundiver, Startide Rising, and The Uplift War much more than Brightness Reef, Infinity's Shore, and Heaven's Reach. I don't know why but I thought the story got too big and lost the personal drama.

/Casual sci fi reader....

re: #251 reloadingisnotahobby

Sorry my bad !
Forive?
It's my friday night....
Just went to 4 tens!
Woo Hoooo....Snore..................

4 tens! Slacker!
Try 5 and work some from home.....
I'll get a break as soon as the new product launches.

re: #231 Racer X

LOL!

That cracks me up every time I see it. I should watch that at least once per day.

Thanks!

Nothing like a cat with a big gun.

The one that really sets me off is people conflating
Lose with loose.

Lose is what Obama is going to do in november

Loose is Paris Hilton's middle name.

Should be simple to tell them apart, no?

re: #236 Boogberg

Holy crap, you're right!

"Vulcans never bluff." :D

Watch this one. The first one. (Hell watch all of them and Of Gods and Men.)(It's just the first one features the doomsday machine.)

re: #252 sojerofgod

Dang.

I KNEW there was a reason for spelling correctly. I just gnu it, I new it!

re: #235 sngnsgt

As a native of Erie, PA I can tell you that Erie, PA is eerie. I'm in Erie now for family reasons, but when those reasons are no longer here, nor will I be. (If you take my meaning of no longer here.)

I'm about 3 hours south of you in Indiana, PA!

re: #218 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

THIS IS ERIE...

What I am about to tell you is eerie. Your house is haunted. You must run seven times around the seven hills of Rome.

re: #249 uncleFuzzy

From your link:

Armed with a modern understanding of stellar evolution, early 21st century astronomers continue to explore the expanding debris cloud, but can now use orbiting space telescopes to survey Kepler's supernova remnant (SNR) across the spectrum.

Damn that Darwin! ;)