Author Archives: Chompsky

What the heck is going on in and around the optically dark star-forming region of the Cave Nebula, sez you. Easy now. NASA’s orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope reveals the scene in four colours of infrared light. To wit:

The Cave Nebula, catalogued as Sh2-155, is quite bright in infrared, revealing details not only of internal pillars of gas and dust, but of the illuminating star cluster too – all near the top of the image. The red glow around the Cave’s entrance is created by dust heated by bright young stars. To the right is Cepheus B, a star cluster that formed previously from the same cloud of gas and dust. Other interesting stars of Cepheus come to light in infrared as well, including those illuminating an even younger nebula toward the image bottom, and a runaway star pushing a bow shock, tinged in red near the image centre. This region spans about 50 light years and lies about 2,500 light years toward the constellation of the King of Aethiopia (Cepheus).

(Image: NASA, JPL-Caltach, Spitzer Space Telescope)

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Behold: the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Continuation Coupe – the result of 4,500 hours of labour using original manufacturing techniques and modern technology – a reconstruction of the mighty 1960 DB4 GT Zagato of which only 19 were ever built.

This one-off remake, (which debuts this month on the Circuit de la Sarthe during the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans – the race that prompted the creation of the original), features exterior paint matched from the original 1960s supplier, an Obsidian Black leather interior, FIA approved roll cage, carbon fibre racing seat, four speed transmission and a 390bhp, 4.7-litre inline six engine.

Making it the finest and most powerful DB4 GT Zagato in the world.

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The Abyss – that’s what NASA is calling this unusually dark cloud feature observed by the Juno probe during its latest pass over Jupiter. To wit:

Surrounding cloud patterns show the Abyss to be at the center of a vortex. Since dark features on Jupiter’s atmosphere tend to run deeper than light features, the Abyss may really be the deep hole that it appears — but without more evidence that remains conjecture. The Abyss is surrounded by a complex of meandering clouds and other swirling storm systems, some of which are topped by light coloured, high-altitude clouds. The featured image was captured last month while Juno passed only about 15,000 kilometres above Jupiter’s cloud tops. The next close pass of Juno near Jupiter will be in July.

(Image: NASA, Juno, SwRI, MSSS; Processing & License: Gerald Eichstädt & Sean Doran)

apod

Behold: the Legacy Dodge Power Wagon – 21st century upgrades of the medium duty T137 workhorse produced from 1945 to 1981 – slightly more civilised versions of the WW2 WC-series military vehicles.

Reconstructed from original donor vehicles by Legacy Classic Trucks, each Power Wagon is given a V8 engine, new transmission and driveline, a strengthened chassis, upgraded interior and a range of custom tweaks, including a 6×6 option.

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