Starship Asterisk*

Question: when a theory is founded on a circular definition, why should we be surprised when that theory yields surprising or puzzling results? Relativity is founded on a circular definition: the operational definition of time, i.e., "time is that which is measured by clocks." When we ask ...

Ooop! Sorry, I failed to see that this is a "roll-on-roll off" (RORO) image showing different images depending on whether the cursor is on the image or not. Will all viewers have access to the RORO feature?

Come on here! The text does not state clearly that this image of the moon has been digitally manipulated to accentuate the point being made! It comes across as dishonest! Please! Ooop! Sorry, I failed to see that this is a "roll-on-roll off" (RORO) image showing different images depending ...

Thanks, Chris. All helpful information. Puts us face-to-face with our vulnerability to factors far, far beyond our control, a reality few of us are comfortable accepting. Turns out maybe we're really not lords and masters of the universe after all. Reminds me of a favorite quote: "Do what you c...

Thanks. Who are the folks in our government who should be promoting and lobbying for an improved early detection system? NASA? Homeland Security? Other? Sadly, in the press of more immediate alligators nipping at our leaders' ears, projects such as this too often get lost in the shuffle. It's only o...

Thanks. Any information about a timetable (and/or funding) for such a space-based detection system?

Thanks, Chris. Let's hope we never need to use it. I forget the title of the film that dealt with this topic, but, as I recall, it struck me as being perhaps a bit too close to reality for comfort regarding the way people reacted to the situation.

Thanks, Chris; that's helpful. It's far from clear (to me at least) how the 13-day early warning (16 June - 29 June) might have been used had the asteroid been on a collision course with a heavily populated area. Are you aware of preexisting plans that might have been implemented? Can't help wonderi...

How much damage would Asteroid 2024 MK have caused if there had been a direct impact? How would it compare with the well known Tunguska Event, for example? Can we offer any informed speculation on that? Thanks.

I was dismayed to read yesterday (27 June 2024) that Asteroid 2024 MK, measuring between 120 and 260 meters, was first discovered on 16 June 2024, and that it will pass within 290,000 kilometers (180,000 miles) of earth on 29 June 2024. For publicly available details, please see: https://www.earth.c...

We had a similar red aurora over Crozet, Virginia, USA on the night of 10/11 May 2024. Very pretty . . . and unusual!

Ann, thank you! Appreciate your explanatory details!

Am I correct in thinking that M100 is not a "barred" galaxy? And if so, do we understand why some galaxies are barred and others are not?

Thank you, bystander!

Any educated speculation about the cause of the rusty coloration of the long, curving fractures?

Is gravitational attraction causing the stars to move toward the center of the cluster? If not, why not?

Looks more rectangular to me, with the longer axis vertical in the image. But then what do I know?

Is Jupiter the tiny little dot in the lower left corner of this image? If so, there is no way I'll ever be seeing any of its moons. Sorry, but the effect of this image is disappointing and underwhelming.

Question: Is anyone else surprised that comets are still being discovered by individual astronomers such as in this case? It seems that automated searches are still not fool-proof. https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-soho-comet-search .

I'm surprised no mention was made of the seemingly hexagonal shape of some portions of this image, which are reminiscent of Saturn's polar hexagon. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn%27s_hexagon . Nature seems to like hexagons.

The needlessly sensational and misleading title of this APOD is unwelcome. It's not April Fools Day.

Yes, to all those puzzled by the color business, me too. Among the most interesting features is the "tail," which looks white in the image I'm viewing.

Probably. Thanks again!

Start from the black buoy in the water, go straight up halfway to the height of the sky that you can see in this image. And go a little to the right. There is is, the new Moon. Beautiful image! Ann Yes, it is, and thank you for your help; I'd not have found it without your directions. That said, th...

Thank you!