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Astro Humor & Cosmic Thought
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Hubble's Top-10 Photos |
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After correcting an initial problem with the lens, when the Hubble Space Telescope was first launched in 1990, the floating astro-observatory began to relay back to Earth, incredible snapshots of the "final frontier" it was perusing.
Recently, astronauts voted on the top photographs taken by Hubble, in its 16-year journey so far. Remarking in the article from the Daily Mail, reporter Michael Hanlon says the photos "illustrate that our universe is not only deeply strange, but also almostimpossibly beautiful."
Hubble Telescope's top ten greatest space photographs. Awesome!!!
The Sombrero Galaxy - 28 million light years from Earth - was voted best picture taken by the Hubble telescope. The dimensions of the galaxy, officially called M104, are asspectacular as its appearance. It has 800 billion suns and is 50,000 light years across.
The Ant Nebula, a cloud of dust and gas whose technical name is Mz3, resembles an ant when observed using ground-based telescopes... The nebula lies within our galaxy between 3,000 and 6,000 light years from Earth.
In third place is Nebula NGC 2392, called "Eskimo" because it looks like a face surrounded by a furry hood. The hood is, in fact, a ring of comet-shaped objects flying away from a dying star. Eskimo is 5,000 light years from Earth.
At four is the Cat's Eye Nebula.
The Hourglass Nebula, 8,000 light years away, has a "pinched-in-the-middle" look because the winds that shape it are weaker at the centre.
In sixth place is the Cone Nebula. The part pictured here is 2.5 light years in length (the equivalent of 23 million return trips to the Moon).
The Perfect Storm, a small region in the Swan Nebula, 5,500 light years away, described as 'a bubbly ocean of hydrogen and small amounts of oxygen, sulphur and other elements'.
Starry Night, so named because it reminded astronomers of the Van Gogh painting. It is a halo of light around a star in the Milky Way.
The glowering eyes from 114 million light years away are the swirling cores of two merging galaxies called NGC 2207 and IC 2163 in the distant Canis Major constellation.
The Triffid Nebula. A 'stellar nursery', 9,000 light years from here, it is where new stars are being born.
You have just seen the Top 10 Hubble Pictures!!!
...of course, Wandering Star's customers have their own favorite, the "Eye of God":
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The Five Minute Vacation |
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This holiday,
I've been so busy with the Holiday Festivals, teaching computers, and
taking care of my two babies that I literally have only had 2 days off
since October.
To keep myself happy and healthy, I have become the master of what I call the "5-Minute Vacation."
When I'm driving and I see a beautiful tree, I stop the car, get out,
stand under it, breathe in the oxygen, and imagine that I've just spent
5 days camping in the woods.
When I was in Safeway the day before yesterday, I
grabbed a bag of chocolate covered raisins and skimmed a copy of People
Magazine from cover to cover, just standing by the checkout line.
At a party, Laurele and I regaled each other with
stories of our wildlife encounters in Costa Rica (I was face-to-face
with a terrified sloth who took 20 minutes to "speed" up the tree; she
told me of a family whole son was stalked and almost hunted by a puma). For Five
Minutes I immersed in a visit to Costa Rica.
My secret during these intervals is to immerse myself
in the moment, breathe, relax, and let go completely. When I'm done,
I'm completely refreshed!
Tell us about your 5-Minute Vacation! Please visit our blog on Facebook, MySpace, or Tribe.
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If an Asteroid Hit Earth... |
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This video, set to Pink Floyd, is visually stunning but scared me...perfect for Scorpio and Halloween...
What would happen if an Asteroid hit the Earth? This is what happened to the dinosaurs...
http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2008/09/09
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How You Drive Saves Gas |
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Do you move your foot from gas to brake to gas to brake while you drive? If so, each switch costs you money! Jackrabbit starts and hard brake stops reduce travel time by only about 4 percent -- that's only 75 seconds on a 30-minute trip.
You can increase your gas milage up to 25% simply by changing your driving habits. It does mean driving like your grandmother, but if you use these tips you'll put money in your pocket AND reduce our need for Middle Eastern oil imports by half (Mother Jones ). Not to mention decreasing global warming!
I've become very conscious of my driving habits, and as a result see all the other cars wasting tons of gas! Braking, accelerating, and idling are all unnecessary wastes of gas.
1) Try to maintain one speed. Traffic lights are timed so that if you go the speed limit, you'll hit a string of greens. Instead of going fast and then having to slow down when you come up on the car behind you, accelerate enough to get going and maintain that speed. You'll find you'll rarely speed up and slow down, even as all the other cars do around you.
2) If the traffic light ahead of you is red (or has been green for awhile), take your foot off the gas and coast to the light. Either you'll arrive just in time for the light to turn green again without braking at all, or you'll only have to sit at the light for a few seconds.
3) In a parking lot, find a spot at the highest elevation so you can roll out later. Even better, find a spot without a car or barrier in front of you so that you can just roll forward to leave - backing out, braking, and going forward again use gas. If you have to park a few rows further to get a spot without being nose-to-nose, it's worth it - the extra walk will do you good too!
4) We throw gas away when we accelerate fast, turn on the air conditioning, leave heavy stuff in the trunk, drive with a roof rack, don't change the oil, underinflate our tires, roll down the windows, and when we speed.
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Food: God's Pharmacy |
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It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...
God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!
God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebell ums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries
Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just l ike the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.
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How to See Your Third Eye |
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Yes, your third eye really exists! When I need to get in touch with my core strength, I do this meditation and it takes me as far as I want to go...
Stand in front of a mirror, or sit comfortably.
Look yourself in the eye. Then relax your gaze so that your eyes cross, just like looking at one of those Magic Eye pictures. Shift the two images until the two eyes you see in the mirror blend together into one. Once you're close the images will lock into place and you can relax and breathe. There!
Now, in addition to seeing your eyes in the mirror, you can see a Third Eye right in between them, in the middle of your eyebrows.
Notice that this eye looks like your eyes, but different. It's wise, and deep. It sees right through you, past your image in the mirror and into your soul.
Ask a question; you'll get a clear answer. Look for strength; you'll find it by looking into your own core.
You've found the eye in the storm.
(please, when you share this with others, please attribute the source to ©2008 Alicia Katz, Wandering Star!)
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Riddle! |
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Q: Why is a moon rock tastier than an Earth rock?
A: Because it's a little meteor!
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Celebrating the Global Marketplace |
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A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life. "
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and soon until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?"
"Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
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A Matter of Perspective II |
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Now, THIS is really fascinating - it's rather dazzling to see it presented this way.
I CERTAINLY THOUGHT THIS WAS ENLIGHTENING. BEYOND OUR SUN ... IT'S A BIG UNIVERSE.
ANTARES IS THE 15TH BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY.
IT IS MORE THAN 1000 LIGHT YEARS AWAY.
NOW HOW BIG ARE YOU?
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NOW TRY TO WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND THIS.........
THIS IS A HUBBLE TELESCOPE ULTRA DEEP FIELD INFRARED VIEW OF COUNTLESS "ENTIRE" GALAXIES BILLIONS OF LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.
BELOW IS A CLOSE UP OF ONE OF THE DARKEST REGIONS OF THE PHOTO ABOVE.
HUMBLING, ISN'T IT?
NOW HOW BIG ARE YOU?
AND HOW BIG ARE THE THINGS THAT UPSET YOU TODAY?
KEEP LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE.
AND DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!
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We Like Da Moon! |
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Click on this picture to see one of Alicia's all-time favorite videos!
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A Matter of Perspective |
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This video showing how the Earth & our solar system compares to the other stars in our universe will blow your mind...we are very, very, very, very small. If you have a big ego, you'll see how we're just a small part of what's out there. And if you have low self-esteem, know that you have every possibility of being larger than life!
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-3974466981713172831
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