Behold; MyCn18, also known as the Engraved Hourglass Planetary Nebula.

Clearly seen at last, thanks to improved imaging techniques developed since it was first observed in the early decades of the 20th century . But who’s watching who exactly? To wit:

…the sands of time are running out for the central star of this hourglass-shaped planetary nebula. With its nuclear fuel exhausted, this brief, spectacular, closing phase of a Sun-like star’s life occurs as its outer layers are ejected – its core becoming a cooling, fading white dwarf. In 1995, astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to make a series of images of planetary nebulae, including the one featured here. Pictured, delicate rings of colorful glowing gas (nitrogen-red, hydrogen-green, and oxygen-blue) outline the tenuous walls of the hourglass. The unprecedented sharpness of the Hubble images has revealed surprising details of the nebula ejection process that are helping to resolve the outstanding mysteries of the complex shapes and symmetries of planetary nebulas like MyCn 18.

(Image: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt)

apod


Eamonn Dowd & The Racketeers – Songs From The Fever Ship

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?

A veteran of the Irish music scene, Eamonn Dowd cut his teeth in bands like The Swinging Swine and Captain Hex.

Now based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Dowd has collaborated with Horslips drummer and all-round renaissance man Eamon Carr for his next album due on Claddagh Records in November.

Songs From The Fever Ship features lyrics by Carr telling the story of “the wine geese” emigres – the wild geese who fled Ireland and set up vineyards and chateaux in Bordeaux, France.

This video shot by journalist and author John Fleming gives a taste of things to come.

Nick says: I’ll drink to that.

Eamonn Dowd

Murals inspired by mythology and alchemy from Bordeaux-based anonymous artist duo MonkeyBird: clean, industrial stencilling, accented in gold and detailed with elements of classical architecture, clock workings and weighing scales.

From top: Decazeville, France (and detail); Waterford (2018); Fanzara, Valenciana, Spain; Le Locle, Switzerland; Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte, Germany (x2) and Penellas, Cataluna, Spain.

colossal

St Peter’s Square, The Vatican

Last night.

Via Reuters:

Vatican police raided the offices of the Holy See’s Secretariat of State and its Financial Information Authority, or AIF, on Tuesday and took away documents and electronic devices as part of an investigation of suspected financial irregularities, a Vatican statement said.

…The Vatican statement gave no details except to say that the operation was a follow-up to complaints filed in the summer by the Vatican bank and the Office of the Auditor General and were related to “financial operations carried out over the course of time”.

A senior Vatican source said he believed the operation, which the statement said had been authorized by Vatican prosecutors, had to do with real estate transactions

Vatican police raid top offices in financial investigation (Reuters)

Meanwhile...

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Rome, Italy

This morning.

Via The Daily Beast:

The Daily Beast has learned that [Attorney General] Bill Barr and [US attorney] John Durham were especially interested in what the Italian secret service knew about Joseph Mifsud, the erstwhile professor from Malta who had allegedly promised then candidate Donald Trump’s campaign aide George Papadopoulos he could deliver Russian “dirt” on Hillary Clinton

….The sources in Rome who confirmed that Barr and Durham came to learn more about Mifsud also told The Daily Beast that they expected Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet the same intelligence agencies on his state visit that began yesterday.

Pompeo is meeting the Italian president, the prime minister, and the Pope while in Rome. His official mandate is to discuss Libya, China trade, and sanctions on Russia, which Italy does not support. Pompeo will also be spending time with the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican….

*popcorn*

Barr Went to Rome to Hear a Secret Tape from Joseph Mifsud, the Professor Who Helped Ignite the Russia Probe (Daily Beast)

Pics: Getty/AP

The predicted path of Storm Lorenzo during the next 48 hours

Batten all your hatches down
As Lorenzo is coming to town
There’ll be strong winds and rain
And experts explain
If you’re outdoors then you might just drown

John Moynes

Map: AccuWeather

Yesterday: Swing Lo’

Earlier.

On Virgin Media One’s The Tonight Show with Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates:

Tánaiste Simon Coveney reacts to tonight’s breaking Brexit proposals (video 1):

“We certainly haven’t seen any proposals yet. I read on various social media channels that Prime Minister Johnson is going to bring forward proposals tomorrow. Some are even saying that he’s been briefing certain EU capitals in relation to these ideas since Tuesday, we haven’t seen anything. If the reports we are reading are true it doesn’t look like the basis of an agreement, that’s for sure”.

Mr Coveney added (video 2):

“The rumour mill this evening is suggesting that there would be a four year time limit, and then a choice to be made by Northern Ireland at the end of that period. But again that’s all speculation, but I mean our position has been very clear on a time limited backstop, if it’s time limited and you can’t answer the question what happens at the end of that time period, then it’s not a backstop at all.

Earlier: Wednesday’s Papers

‘We Expect The British Government To Honour That Commitment’

Border, Border

Gropes Of Wrath

Boris Johnson: UK offering EU ‘very constructive’ Brexit proposals (BBC)

Thanks Nadine Maloney and Richard Waters

Earlier:

Broadsheet.ie