Astronomy Picture of the Day

[D B Campbell]

I think we used to have a thread about these amazing photos from NASA. One of the pictures last week was this beautiful shot of a full moon over the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130622.html
(Is it possible to take a bad photo of this site?!)

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Glad to see someone who enjoys the sciences. If there's one thing I'd ever do other than Late Antiquity, it's warp drive.

Here's one of Hyperion - it looks like the end of a sponge stick

I wonder if those craters were caused by it having enough mass to become a spheriod while it was molten, but it cooled in the process and never became a spheriod?

[PhilusEstilius]

I like those pictures very much as Astronomy is or was my other subject having created a couple of telescopes by hand grinding mirrors and also even getting myself an O level education certificate in the subject.
That was of course many years ago when in the RAF and astronomical instruments was part of my aircraft trade subjects along with all kinds of astro-navigation equipments.

[PhilusEstilius]

Here is a picture of the comet C/1995 01 ( Hale Bopp ) that was sent to me many years ago by the late Doug Arnold, who was not only a Roman re-enactor but also a Professional Astronomer.
In fact he was one of the leading authorities on Solar Astronomy and was co- author a few times with Patrick Moore, he also did a tremendous amount of work with Nasa.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Great image! This year the comet (I can't remember what it's called - SOEL maybe?) will be visible with the naked eye, they said it's visibility could rival that of Hale Bopp's back in the (80's I think)

[PhilusEstilius]

I just hope it is not as close as that one that the Russians got lately.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Lol. The Tunguska Event was caused by a Comet you know. They're usually larger than asteroids (miles across) but they melt when they enter the atmosphere, so their effects are usually drastically reduced.

[Robert Vermaat]

Lol. The Tunguska Event was caused by a Comet you know. They're

It was an alien spaceship! :-D :woot: :-D

[D B Campbell]

Another ancient site last week, but not quite as striking as Sounion:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130719.html