Starship Asterisk*

I didn't know we could vote for more than one option.
Although there's only one milky way and countless landforms, I believe the milky way holds more wonder and deserves more study, at least from an astronomical point of view.

The arc of the Milky Way is gorgeous and astronomy is fascinating, but I'm a geologist, so banded/layered domes of the Bungle Bungles win my vote

I was confused by this poll and all I got was this stupid t-shirt...

I was going to vote for Earth, because it is closer to me. It is something I can taste, touch, smell, hear as well as see. But then I decided on the Milky Way because it is something that I will never be able to touch, or taste, or smell. So in the end I picked #3.

The whole essence of this photo is land and sky, captured together in a breathtaking moment of clarity. We gaze out at the Milky Way, but we are also part of it. The answer to the Asterisk question is astronomy, but this picture is about every science. Our monumental geology and we ourselves are made from the same stuff as stars a billion light years away, and the nature of our existence is defined by the same universal laws. The arc of sky alone could be just another Hubble photo of some distant galaxy, and, indeed, such photos are what our own world looks like in the larger scheme: an invisible, infinitesimal pin point in a swirling sea of light, and yet a pin point of such astonishing complexity that we can't even say for certain whether or not a thunderstorm will pass directly overhead tomorrow.

Beyond wrote:I picked door #3. Why? Because APOD has to do with Space, the stuff this planet is hanging in, which also makes this planet fair game for APODs.

But where is 'the lovely Carol Merrill'?

Guest wrote:

Beyond wrote:I picked door #3. Why? Because APOD has to do with Space, the stuff this planet is hanging in, which also makes this planet fair game for APODs.

But where is 'the lovely Carol Merrill'?

The Truth is, 'that', was a long time ago, and the Consequence's of that, is i forget.

I picked both sky and land as, likely viewed from somewhere up there, we are part of it all. There surely is a great mind out there and within us connecting creation in its ensemble.

I find EVERY photo interesting. They help me keep a more objective view on the universe in which we dwell, taking me beyond the desk and PC at which I am stationed much of the day. I appreciate the explanations, but sometimes wonder why the verbiage must include what I consider flagrant guesses about the age of any of the subjects photographed. Thank you for the opportunity to learn from the amazing views you offer.

Had to go with all three, because as with most things, the answer is "it depends". Love a good landscape with earth and sky, love a good galaxy shot, and I'm ok with the occasional earth-focused apod. Life would be boring without variety. I do feel this was a silly question though since it's obvious most everyone loves the land and sky mixture else why would we all keep coming back? Love learning something new everyday!

RJN wrote:Please vote for any or all of the entries -- and feel free to explain why below.

I voted for the sky because there is such a small fraction of the universe that we can see with the naked eye. The breathtaking views we have here on earth are all in danger from just our presence here. We have not been good stewards of this beautiful planet, so it is good to know that these beautiful places and spaces in the universe will still be evolving and changing in spite of us long after we burst the thin blue line.