Monday, December 17, 2007

Star fire; rose water


Today, NASA released a photo of one galaxy "attacking" another galaxy. A powerful jet of radiation, x-rays and gamma rays from a large black hole in the first galaxy is blasting the second galaxy. Scientists said this is the first time they have seen one galaxy assault another. The jet of radiation contains a tremendous amount of energy and as it punches into the second galaxy, will vastly change the makeup of its planets, perhaps creating new planets and stars in its wake. The photo is awesome:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/news/07-139.html

And it’s been a Monday in the neighborhood. Fire trucks screaming by our house this morning on our usually quiet street. And backhoes and other large machinery roaring in the alley behind our house, repairing the aging sewer line. We turned on the water—and it was rusty brown. Nice. The local water company told us it was because of the sewer repair; all the rumbling from the machines stirs up the iron and magnesium in the water pipes. But it's safe to drink...

Later found out there had been a fire in an apartment on the block up from us. Luckily, no one was hurt. When I drove by later, they had it taped off and a large pile of what may have been a sofa was in the yard. Maybe it was attacked by a death ray from outer space…

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The universe contains vastly more order than Earth-life could ever demand. All those distant galaxies, irrelevant for our existence, seem as equally well ordered as our own.
-Paul Davies

When a heart is on fire, sparks always fly out of the mouth.
-Proverb

Water which is too pure has no fish.
~Ts'ai Ken T'an

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