Eleanor Arnason's Blog, page 89

Astronomy Photo of the Day

Why are there faint rings around this spiral galaxy? Possibly because the galaxy, NGC 4911, is being pulled at by its neighbors as it falls into the enormous Coma Cluster of Galaxies. If NGC 4911 ends up like most of the galaxies in the central Coma cluster, it will become a yellowish elliptical galaxy, losing not only its outer layers, but dust, gas, and its cadre of surrounding satellite galaxies as well. Currently, however, this process is just beginning. Visible in the above deep image f...

Astronomy Photo of the Day

This amazing photo is credited to the European Southern Observatory. Click on it. It's even better when it's larger.

Why are these people shooting a powerful laser into the center of our Galaxy? Fortunately, this is not meant to be the first step in a Galactic war. Rather, astronomers at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) site in Chile are trying to measure the distortions of Earth's ever changing atmosphere. Constant imaging of high-altitude atoms excited by the laser -- which appear like an...

Plots 2

It occurs to me that plotting is simply an example of human need to make sense of life. Every human society creates myths and other forms of explanation. Aristotle said humans are the political animal or maybe the rational animal, I can't remember which. The ancient Chinese philosophers said humans were the animals with a sense of justice. Maybe we are the plot-making animals, the animals which are driven to explain.

The new Lydia Duluth story is coming together. I guess this could be called r...

Astronomy Photo of the Day

This is an illustration, not a photo, but quite nifty. It's credited to April Hobart of the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

In the center of a swirling whirlpool of hot gas is likely a beast that has never been seen directly: a black hole. Studies of the bright light emitted by the swirling gas frequently indicate not only that a black hole is present, but also likely attributes. The gas surrounding GRO J1655-40, for example, has been found to display an unusual flickering at a rate of 450 times a ...

Plots

Patrick found out he has a new job, beginning in October; and he is so relaxed that he can't wake up this morning. Which is why I'm writing so much.

Our trip to the Black Hills is off. We have taken very few trips, even short day trips, since we both got laid off, and I am feeling trapped. So I want to go out and wander around today. I could go by myself, but I'd prefer to go by car, rather than bus.

Anyway, I am blogging while I wait for him to wake up.

I have problems with plots, since I thi...

Bubble Nebula

On a happier note...

The NASA photo today is copyrighted, but awesome. So I provide a link.

Writing

I'm working on a new Lydia Duluth story, and I'm stuck at 11,000 words. I don't know how to end the story.

While thinking about this problem, I realized how mysterious the process of writing is for me. I started the story years ago, and then put it aside, because I didn't know where it went. But something about it must be compelling to me, since I've picked it up again.

It's one of those stories that wander. I began with no plot, just some images and ideas. It's about tunnels and homeless peopl...

Cities

This isn't finished. I'm still tinkering with it. Patrick thinks it's too depressing. I should remember that Grace Lee Boggs is still in Detroit and still believes in the future. There are some remarkable people living in -- and fighting to revive -- our ruined cities. Maybe our future is there, among the trees.

But here is the poem:

Isn't there something wrong with a nation
where the cities die?
Youngstown returned to grass and trees,
Detroit mostly empty,
New Orleans still a wreck
five years...

Astronomy Photo of the Day

What does Earth look like from the planet Mercury? The robotic spacecraft MESSENGER found out as it looked toward the Earth during its closest approach to the Sun about three months ago. The Earth and Moon are visible as the double spot on the lower left of the above image. Now MESSENGER was not at Mercury when it took the above image, but at a location from which the view would be similar. From Mercury, both the Earth and its comparatively large moon will always appear as small circles of...

Commercial

This is an Israeli commercial for high definition TV, which Patrick found on youtube. It is hard to comment.