You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May 2009.
What better way to start off the all the good news in the world series than looking at our place in the universe. I mean, here we are…thinking we are so very important in this universe…and when you view these pictures…you really begin to realize how small we are. But despite the fact that the Milky Way is a tiny part of the universe, that Earth is a tiny part of our solar system, that I as an individual am a tiny being on Earth…there is no small act of kindness.
So, the Hubble Space Telescope took some AMAZING photos, I am truly in awe. I’m not poetic…so I’m not even going to try to describe these…they pretty much speak for themselves regardless. Enjoy.
Cone Nebula
Believe it or not, this image is made entirely of gas and dust. The entire cone is about 7 light years long, while the photograph shows just the top 2.5 light years (that’s 23 million round trips to the moon). These pillars have many counterparts throughout the galaxy, and astronomers believe they act as incubators for developing stars.
Photo: NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (UCSC/LO), M.Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and ESA
Starburst Galaxy
Starburst Galaxy M82, also called the Cigar Galaxy, is a prime example of a starburst galaxy. In the center, gases are compressed and temperatures rise as new stars are formed 10 times more rapidly than in the Milky Way. All these young stars are compressed into star clusters that can have dozens of stars in them at a time, and the energy they emit is referred to as a cosmic ‘super wind’.
Photo: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Orion Nebula
M42, often referred to as the Orion Nebula, goes by many names. In some older texts, it is called the Great Nebula, because it can be viewed with the naked eye. In even older texts, it is called Ensis which is Latin for sword. The Orion Nebula is one of the most photographed and studied objects in the sky and has provided scientists with much insight about the creation of the universe.
Photo: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration
Sombrero Galaxy
The Sombrero galaxy is located within the constellation Virgo. It is easily visible through amateur telescopes with its unusually large central bulge and bright nucleus. At the very center of the galaxy resides a supermassive black hole, which keeps the large galaxy together. Originally discovered in 1767, the galaxy is still being studied by astronomers today.
Photo: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration
Monocreotis
This is one of the most unusual stars known to man. This previously ordinary star underwent a violent and sudden burst in 2002. The star burned about 600,000 times brighter than our sun during this time. The light that was emitted was bounced off layers of cosmic dust and debris, literally creating a ‘light echo’.
Photo: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI)
Cat’s Eye Nebula
The Cat’s Eye is one of the most complex nebula known, filled with knots, jets and arc-like features. Located in the constellation Draco, it was originally discovered in 1786. The nebula provides astronomers with many mysteries, one being that chemical measurements taken by two different methods come up with completely different results, and scientists cannot figure out why. Another, is that the structure of the nebula suggests there should be two central stars, but no evidence of a second can be found.
Photo: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Terra, Luna
This image was taken in 1999 by the crew on a Hubble service mission. On this particular day, Dec. 22, the moon is incredibly bright and visible. That is because it became full at the same time it was closest to the Earth, on a day that the Earth was especially close to the sun.
Photo: NASA
THERE ARE SO MANY MORE…CHECK THEM OUT HERE!!
http://www.mnn.com/technology/research-innovations/photos/the-hubble-space-telescope/12170
do you ever get tired of watching the news? i know i do…every day its the same thing…this place has been bombed, 85 people killed, earthquake hits so and so, 5 on the rictor scale, cops beat man who fly’s out of a car crash unconscious, man arrested for killing another man in road rage, this country is testing nuclear bombs, that country is committing genocide…the list goes on and on. its really quite disturbing, the amount of complete and utter evil in this world. sometimes, i just cannot handle it.
but then, i think about all the good in the world. all of the amazing people who are saving thousands of their fellow humans, acres of land, millions of animals. i think about the friendly neighbor who walks an elderly man across the street, the young kid who gives up his seat for a pregnant woman, the person who donates $5 to a cause, even though they cannot even afford that. it almost hurts to see these kind of compassionate things take place. and they are taking place all around us. the news doesn’t really show much of the good…but its out there…you just have to look.
in honor of all the wonderful things that take place in this world of evil…i am starting a new series, all the good news in the world. i’ll be searching for articles, photos, stories, and more about good news. so stay tuned, if you have any kind of heart, you’ll be crying, you’ll be laughing, you’ll be elated with joy. i’ve always wondered, if there were no evil, would good be so exciting, so comforting? would beautiful really be so striking without the ugly? would love feel so right, so life changing, if we didn’t hate? being human is both a blessing and a curse, but we have that wondrous ability to feel such a range of emotion. i think its time we stop dragging ourselves down with the bad. heres to the good.
its been a gorgeous spring this year, especially after the dissapointment of last spring/summer…when it was nice for a short time, then constant rain for over a month, then boiling heat making for a lovely swamp atmosphere…yeah, that was fun. all the flowers/veggies drowned and then were just pratically boiled to death. so this year has been great thus far. here is a chronical of our garden to date!
bucky was so excited for spring, he made a brand new pergola, in just one day!!
the corcus were our first visitors, as usual. they dont last long, but we know spring is here when they arrive!
usually we only get one or two corcus, but this year...we had a gazillion!!
this is our third spring/summer in our house, for the past two years we had daffodils come up, but never bloom, till this year!!
so pretty!!
rasberry beginnings
we've planted pansies evey year, but this year...they just appeared!!
emma enjoying the nice spring air
that was just the beginnings…we’ve now planted all of our flowers and our vegetable garden, i’ll be taking photos and posting soon…its so pretty thus far, hopefully the spring/summer stays beautiful!!
a few weeks ago i was sort of losing it (for lack of better words)…now, this happens to me every year, its nothing new…as much as i love the seasons, i get very pissy by the end of winter. i want spring, earth, flowers, air. so, every year when it is just starting to be springy…i feel better. so…a few weeks ago, when i was super grumpy…i thought, what the heck would make me happy right now??! answer- to just be in the mountains. to chill out. center myself. remember who i am, what i’m doing, and why i’m here. so…i’m going! tomorrow! and while it is definitely nicer here now in nyc…all the trees are green, we’ve gone through the corkesus, the daffodils, and now its tulips and lilacs…i am super excited to have my very own retreat. i’m going to gaze at the stars, swim in the hot-springs, hike in the mountains, hang out with good friends, eat some really good food, and most importantly, see my amazing family. see you in a week mo-fo’s who must remain in the concrete!
pretty
yeah...
My very good friend Kelsey got married to a very wonderful match, Frank, last weekend, April 25, 2009. It was a beautiful ceremony at Palmor Vineyards on Long Island and was followed by a very fun, very east coast, reception at The Watermill. It was so fun, I’m so happy to see Kelsey happy and moving on to the next stage of her life. My brother was in attendance as well as mine & Kelsey’s good friend Jake from Durango. Here are some of my favorite pics!
jake @ the ceremony
brother bucky @ the ceremony
brother & sister
beautiful kelsey
in an amazing dress
the kiss
happy together
brother at the reception
fun fun
happy
yes, i really did wear a dress
funny faces are a must
especially at a kelsey event!
lots-o-dancin
'n more dancin
lots-o-fun
n' more fun
good friends, good times
totem
close up
close up
bear on totem
totem
totem
pretty rainbow reflection
So, that is the last of my wonderful pictures from the amazing sculptural garden, Queen Califia’s Magical Circle Garden, by Niki de Saint Phalle. I think the pictures speak pretty much for themselves. If you ever find yourself in San Diego, CA…take a drive out to Escondido. It is worth the trip. Hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have!
