Post #4133535

2026-07-22 18:35 UTC

2026 July 23 The Large Magellanic Cloud * Image Credit & Copyright: Monica Mesa https://www.instagram.com/monimesita/ * Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II) https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/cecilia.chirenti Explanation: Have you ever seen another galaxy with your own eyes? The featured image shows the Large Magellanic Cloud (or LMC), one of the closest neighbors of our Milky Way. If you are anywhere south of latitude 20° N (but the further south, the better), you can see it with the naked eye if you go to a dark sky location, away from big cities and light polution. It is a dwarf irregular galaxy about 163,000 light-years away, and a member of our Local Group of galaxies. Despite being small, with a total mass approximately equivalent to 10% - 20% of the mass of the Milky Way, the LMC is very actively forming stars. This is likely due to the gravitational push and pull of tides caused by the Milky Way on the LMC. Astronomers predict that it will collide with the Milky Way in in about 2 billion years. https://www.youcanseethemilkyway.com/blog/what-galaxies-can-you-see-with-the-naked-eye https://www.instagram.com/p/Da5kVNrkSwA/?img_index=1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Magellanic_Cloud https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/milkyway1.html https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/latitude.html https://www.astronomy.com/observing/take-a-closer-look-at-the-large-magellanic-cloud/ https://esahubble.org/wordbank/dwarf-galaxy/ https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/types/#irregular-galaxies http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/localgr.html https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260219.html https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ad1f58/pdf https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1687425961065-46efeb465c66 https://www.sci.news/astronomy/large-magellanic-cloud-milky-way-collision-06788.html https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260723.html #space #astronomy #science #astrophotography #photography #nature #star #NASA #apod

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@grobi@defcon.social 2026-07-27 08:21

2026 July 28 Barnards Loop over Twin Volcanoes * Image Credit & Copyright: Gonzalo Laserna Vargas https://www.instagram.com/gonlaserna_audiovisual Explanation: What's connecting these two volcanoes? In ancient folklore, the two volcanoes, Parinacota (left) and Pomerape (right), are connected by representing a mythical prince and princess who engaged in a forbidden romance. Beneath the ground, the two peaks are not known to be connected by a common pool of hot magma, and neither volcano has erupted in the past 1000 years. Above the ground, there is usually nothing in the sky that connects them -- except if you use careful timing and look from a specific location. The featured well-planned image was captured from Bolivia in mid-April with a series of camera exposures taken on the same day and from the same location. Then, Barnard's Loop appeared to connect the volcanic peaks. Also visible in the image is the Orion Nebula in the center, the star Betelgeuse on the right, and the Rosette Nebula on the upper right. https://youtu.be/Jwpue5dq_wA?t=171 https://qhapaqnan.qiri.cl/ancient-legends/ https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/parinacota-volcano-south-america-76144/ https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap051002.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DXpszcJCY6n/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivia https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090224.html https://science.nasa.gov/universe/what-is-betelgeuse-inside-the-strange-volatile-star/ https://science.nasa.gov/universe/what-is-betelgeuse-inside-the-strange-volatile-star/ https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200329.html https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260728.html #space #astronomy #science #astrophotography #photography #nature #star #NASA #apod

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