Brad Snowder @Skywise@octodon.social

From sub-atomics to the multi-verse, the science of optics has bracketed our physical reality. Together they have revealed that the geometry of the macrocosm tends to recapitulate the microcosm.

If you have clear skies, tonight is perfect for seeing M104, the Sombrero Galaxy, which is aptly named as you can see.

The cut-scenes in @FarCrygame are more punishment than reward, excruciatingly boring. Fingernails-on-chalkboard monologues. The ending may the most horrible bit of game story writing ever. Selling my copy back and I'm done with the whole FC production.

I could always tell what my dog was thinking by using the Vulcan mind-meld. He was always thinking "not this again."

The Milky Way Galaxy is strewn with massive clumps of dust which is unfortunate for people with unreasonable expectations of tidiness.

Messier 50 is a cluster of young stars in a tight little group like a bunch of kids pretending that high school doesn't suck.

The Rosette Nebula is a massive cloud with lots of adorable baby stars and jealous star wannabees. It's mostly made of stuff that doesn't smell nearly as nice as its namesake.

The constellation Monoceros (The Unicorn) was named after the unicorns mentioned in the Bible. So it's not directly associated with any of those wacky ancient mythical stories, other than the ones in the Bible.

Nova Muscae 1991 is a star system giving off a lot of x-ray energy. An x-ray technician once told me that getting an x-ray exam isn't dangerous but then he hid behind a heavy lead wall while he flipped the switch, so I would keep my distance from Nova Muscae 1991.

The day Mars went to a picnic.
https://skywiseunlimited.com/2018/04/15/mars-at-the-picnic/

The constellation Musca is The Fly. A star-map maker named it but there was already a fly which was part of Aries. During those days folks called Musca the southern fly to distinguish from the northern fly but eventually the northern one went away and Aries became a no-fly zone.

A planetary nebula happens when stuff is thrown from a star that is not only spinning, but having star-quakes, expanding/contracting, and belching/farting. Other side effects are nausea, vomiting, coma, & death. Ask your doctor if you are healthy enough for coronal mass ejections.

The Ant Nebula is a nebula that looks like an ant.

Be warned, in just a few billion years our sun is going to get angry and start to lose its shit.

The Fine Ring Nebula is in the constellation Norma. It's not the best ring nebula, but it's fine.

Just as we have a north star but no south star, Saturn has a south star but no north star. On the other hand it does have a weird hexagon shaped cloud around its north pole. And that’s a weird damn deal right there.

Barnard’s Star is a red dwarf near Ophiuchus’ right shoulder. It’s the star with the greatest proper motion. It’s moving so fast across the sky, it's not a white spot on star maps. It is shown as a line, with dated tick marks.

Nothin says lovin like somethin from the coven.

Ophiuchus is the 13th constellation of the Zodiac and while you are considering the astrological influences of these stars be sure to take into account that the Chinese call this constellation “The Shopping Mall.”

Astrologers, light some smelly candles and draft vague over-simplified interpretations of human interaction. Because THIS is why you are the way you are, the temporary local arbitrary patterns formed by big balls of nuclear fusion. This, and also your mother hit you with a hair brush.