The Lensman's Children

2012-05-30T20:36:00.001-04:00

Our Obscure(d) Planet

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the recent eclipse from a unique perspective.

2012-05-29T09:38:00.001-04:00

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows some strange watchers of the great white north.

2012-05-28T08:31:00.001-04:00

Crescent

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows another view of the recently partial solar eclipse. This time, a view we do not often see!

2012-05-27T08:29:00.000-04:00

Trainspotting

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day comes to us courtesy of the very long-lived SOHO spacecraft. Can you spot the planet?

2012-05-26T08:26:00.000-04:00

Edgeworks

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is another beautiful Hubble Space Telescope shot showing the edge-on galaxy, NGC 891 in Andromeda.

2012-05-25T08:25:00.000-04:00

Two Light

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a beautiful shot of one of my favorite summertime vistas: Scorpius.

2012-05-24T08:22:00.000-04:00

And Not A Drop To Drink

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a comparison between the volume of water found on our home sphere and that of Jupiter's moon Europa. As information rolls in, it'll be interesting to see what other moons (and asteroids) yield in terms of that molecule.

2012-05-23T08:21:00.000-04:00

Launch

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short film showing the successful launch of the Dragon cargo variant to the ISS.

2012-05-22T21:26:00.000-04:00

Another Partial

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a beautiful sunset shot of this past weekend's partial solar eclipse.

2012-05-21T16:01:00.003-04:00

Sheepherders

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Saturn's Rings, Dione, and two of Saturn's "shepherd moons", Epimetheus and Prometheus.

2012-05-20T13:12:00.003-04:00

Setting Crescent

That's no Moon! That's the partially-eclipsed setting Sun! Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the setting Sun over Manila Bay from 2009.

2012-05-19T09:56:00.000-04:00

Annular

Forecast for me is partly cloudy (of course!), but today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows you what you might see if you are lucky to be on tomorrow's eclipse path (and have clear skies!).

2012-05-18T00:55:00.001-04:00

GALEX's Andromeda

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is interesting for multiple reasons. First, it is a beautiful picture of the Andromeda Galaxy. Second, it was taken by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, now "retired" by NASA and being "loaned" to private hands.

2012-05-17T00:51:00.000-04:00

X Marks the Spot

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a beautiful shot of of a star-forming region of our galaxy...but in light that we cannot normally see.

2012-05-16T19:49:00.001-04:00

Along Came A Spider

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows star-forming regions in the Tarantula Nebula (30 Doradus). "Embiggen" and dig around, see if you can spot any "pillars of creation"!

2012-05-15T05:46:00.002-04:00

High and Dry

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day answers the question, "So, how much water is there on Earth?" Hmmm...icy moon of Jupiter or dwarf planet, anybody?

2012-05-14T08:24:00.002-04:00

Vesta

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short film depicting a flyby over Vesta.

2012-05-13T10:24:00.001-04:00

Tommy 2012

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Tommy

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool--you bet that Tommy sees!

2012-05-13T08:59:00.004-04:00

Bread & Wine

Samuel R. Delany; Bread & Wine (Juno Books; 1999; ISBN 1-890451-02-9; cover and artwork by Mia Wolff).

Another in the series of (the wallet cringes) recent acquisitions, this is one of two "graphic novels" I have written by Delany (the other being Empire). Unlike that effort, this is a autobiographical piece. After breaking up with his long-time partner, Frank (detailed at the end of 1984), Delany met Dennis, a homeless Brooklyn Irishman in, still his partner as of the last I heard. The graphic novel details how they met, got together and eventually moved in together.

I'm sure I've read an account of this in an interview or an essay, as much of the story was familiar. What's lacking, alas, are the reasons why the relationship has lasted (other than bitten fingernails). The artwork is good (and graphic; this is not a "funny book for the kids", folks); avoid the introductory essay by Alan Moore.

2012-05-13T08:36:00.002-04:00

Winter of Love

Samuel R. Delany; Heavenly Breakfast: An Essay on the Winter of Love (Bamberger Books; 2006; ISBN 0-917-453-33-6; cover by George Schneeman).

This comparatively short work by Delany (another recent acquisition, the wallet cringes!) is spun out of an article he was writing about commune life, which was spun out of three journals that Delany kept while living with Heavenly Breakfast in 1967-1968. Heavenly Breakfast was both a commune and a band (which got close to, but never recorded, part of the reason why the band, and the commune, ultimately broke apart).

Delany outlines his several months with the commune, experiences with the members, encounters with other communes or groups, some successful, some not). Alas, there is not much depth or analysis here; for example, the group visits a monastery during the course of the book, but Delany does not seem to make the connection that a monastery is a sort of commune, and a commune that seems to have functioned far longer than anything that came out of the Summer of Love.

At some point I'll have to sit down and read all the autobiographical and semi-autobiographical works again, in chronological order. As with the others I have read (The Motion of Light in Water, Bread and Wine, 1984) half the fascination is in a well-examined life (a phrase that Delany used in 1984) and Delany's commentary as the writing and the events.

2012-05-13T00:21:00.002-04:00

Spiral Bar

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is the magnificent spiral NGC 1672 in the constellation of Dorado. Dust lanes, young clusters, a bar across the nucleus and more.

2012-05-12T07:32:00.000-04:00

A Lot of Empty Space

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a lot of empty space. A lot of volume within those galaxies and between those galaxies.

2012-05-11T10:12:00.002-04:00

Saturn Space and Beyond the Infinite

Cassini at Saturn. Enceladus, rings, and Titan in the background. Awesome.

2012-05-11T10:03:00.002-04:00

Crab Canon

A repost of an amazing little video: Bach's "Crab" Canon. Just music? The maths of the canons here. Digging into the anatomy of canons here.

2012-05-11T09:06:00.002-04:00

Smackdown!

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a SUN vs. MOON SMACKDOWN! Wrestle!