Outer Space is Cool

I like to look at pictures and learn about things from outer space. Generally I really like looking at the photos because they are often really beautiful and wonderful. I also like it because it helps keep a balance on remembering in the grand scheme of things how teeny our little world is and the usually overly-imagined importance of our place in it.

A good web site for looking at photos of outer space is the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day website. They also have explanations of the photos written by professional astronomers so you learn about what you are looking at.

Light Echoes from V838 Mon

This is today's picture from that website. It's a star (V838 Mon) that in 2002 for some unknown reason got really bright and then dimmed. This picture shows how the "light echo" from that event is now reflecting off the interstellar dust that is all around the star. The light echo spans 6 light years in diameter.

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