Author Archives: Chompsky

No, the other kind.

Behold: NGC772, aka Arp 78 – an odd shaped galaxy 100 million light years from our own Milky Way in the constellation of Aries. Most peculiar, in fact. To wit:

…the island universe is over 100,000 light-years across and sports a single prominent outer spiral arm in this detailed cosmic portrait. Its brightest companion galaxy, compact NGC 770, is toward the upper right of the larger spiral. NGC 770’s fuzzy, elliptical appearance contrasts nicely with a spiky foreground Milky Way star in matching yellowish hues. Tracking along sweeping dust lanes and lined with young blue star clusters, Arp 78’s large spiral arm is likely due to gravitational tidal interactions. Faint streams of material seem to connect Arp 78 with its nearby companion galaxies.

(Image: Bernard Miller)

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Behold: the 1961 MG MGA, or rather, a frame-off ‘outlaw’ restoration of the same classic MG roadster by Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

Initially disassembled down to its component parts, the original car has been rebuilt to Concours spec with a 1.6 litre dual overhead four cam engine, upgraded disc brakes, modern suspension and an Oxblood leather interior.

Accepting online bids later this month.

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Cillín Caoimhín, Co. Cill Mhantáin/ Hollywood, West Wicklow.

(Thanks Colm)

Sunset over the River Fane, Co. Louth yesterday.

(Thanks Kieran Murphy)

‘Changing of the seasons on [St Stephen’s Green], Sunday morning’and ‘phenomenal colour in Stephen’s Green [Saturday] morning. The red was properly vibrant! ‘

(Thanks Colum Cronin)

Behold: the Ferrari Portofino M Spider – an upgraded version of Ferrari’s grand tourer with 20 extra bhp squeezed from the 3.8l twin turbo V8, a new rear wheel eight speed transaxle and electronics reprogrammed to smooth power delivery and boost fuel economy.

The M stands for ‘Modificata’.

Saranno 205.000 €, grazie.

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The serene variegated sculptures of Australian artist Gil Bruvel – his expression of Vipassanā meditation, which strives for introspective, judgement-free contemplation of the mind.

Composed of stacked and glued, burned and painted sticks, pixellated up close and coherent at a distance serving as “a reminder of what it looks like to be centred and at peace.”

Fadó fadó…

More of his work here.

colossal

Solar activity follows an approximately 11 year cycle, the minimal point of which occurred last December. Solar Cycle 25 has now begun. To wit:

…[the] quiet Sun, at minimum activity, appears on the right of this split hemispherical view. In contrast, the left side shows the active Sun at the recognised maximum of Solar Cycle 24, captured in April 2014. The extreme ultraviolet images from the orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory highlight coronal loops and active regions in the light of highly ionised iron atoms. Driving the space weather around our fair planet, Solar Cycle 24 was a relatively calm one and predictions are that cycle 25 will be calm too. The cycle 25 activity maximum is expected in July 2025. Solar Cycle 1, the first solar cycle determined from early records of sunspot data, is considered to begin with a minimum in February 1755.

(Image: NASA, SDO)

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