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More terrific photos from the Cassini orbiter! I still can't believe that it's possible to see the surface of a moon circling far away Saturn. Here's (above) a giant crater on Mimas. Be sure to click to enlarge all of the photos in this post.
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Above, another moon of Saturn, a small one called Phoebe. Maybe it's a captured comet.
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No doubt everybody here is familiar with the Horsehead Nebula. I thought you'd like to see it in context, framed by a ring of gas. The horsehead is the backlit, little chess piece in the upper middle of the picture.
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This (above) is M66, one of the closest galaxies. It's a lot more impressive when seen large.
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This is a detail of the edge of a another nearby galaxy. Enlargement is a must. |
It's so interesting to look at space, and how much bigger the universe is compared to Earth.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I think Phoebe looks like somebody's lumpy head.
That last one is Golem. Or maybe Mr. Hankey.
ReplyDeleteare you sure these arent close ups of the interior of someones nostrils?!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images, Eddie. Space has always fascinated me from a really young age. Just look at the striking colors on all of these. I especially like the last picture you posted. It proves that black and white can made to look beautiful and natural after all. It makes me yearn for the black and white movies of the Golden Age, because a lot of them looked so gorgeous to look at, despite their color limitations. The early Technicolor stuff from the 30s and 40s also seemed to have that same effect for some reason (Singin' in the Rain is a great example). Just wondering why color doesn't have that seem feeling anymore in the movies and on television.
ReplyDeleteOk, I got a little bit off-topic there, but it just reminded me of so much of those, but great post once again.
The right-hand sidebar looks great in this post!
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who sees a giant Valentine on the right side of the Great Nebula?
ReplyDeleteActually, the reason Itokawa doesn't have any craters is because it's already been smashed to pieces! It's a rubble pile held together by its own gravity. SO COOL.
ReplyDelete+, BTW, the atmosphere of Titan is not in chemical equilibrium. Which may be a sign of life.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we have these kind of detailed pictures of any of the equipment or flags we left on the Moon?
ReplyDeleteThere's so many people living on the Earth right now with very little to do, I can only imagine what will happen later in the space age when people hopefully start migrating away(assuming the absence of catastrophe).
ReplyDeleteIf you're in The U.S. and want to get closer to the space culture, there's always the option of living near Spaceport America in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. I've been heavily interested in space and the universe again since watching Cosmos.
Just thinking of the upcoming cultural changes necessary for a space age is absolutely petrifying. Somebody had better write a 28th amendment to the US constitution allowing for the peaceful dissent of US citizens on other astronomical bodies once the meet the requirements for self sustenance. It appalls me to think of how intertwined militarism has become with the aerospace industry and how that will likely steer the development of humanity through the cosmos.
So vast and beatiful.
ReplyDeleteit's like looking at god...
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