Behold: UGC 6945, aka Arp194 – a trio of merging galaxies 570 million light years from Earth. To wit:

Usually when galaxies crash, star formation is confined to galaxy disks or tidal tails. In Arp 194, though, there are bright knots of young stars right in a connecting bridge. Analyses of images and data including the featured image of Arp 194 from Hubble, as well as computer simulations of the interaction, indicate that the bottom galaxy passed right through the top galaxy within the past 100 million years. The result has left a stream of gas that is now falling toward the bottom galaxy. Astronomers hypothesize that stars form in this bridge because of the recent fading of turbulence after the rapid collision. In about a billion years, the galaxies — including a smaller galaxy superposed on the upper galaxy will all merge into one larger galaxy.

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

apod

Yesterday morning.

Free the lanes.

An alphabet of animated loops by motion design studio Mr Kaplin wherein each letter is the first letter of the concept also illustrated (Reflective ‘R’, Planetary ‘P’ and so forth.)

kottke

NASA yesterday scrapped  a planned historic spacewalk by two women astronauts, citing a lack of available spacesuits that would fit them

Women must constantly face
A world where they’re kept in their place
And not just down here
On our earthly sphere
There’s a glass ceiling up there in space

John Moynes

PIc: NASA

‘Dublin Interactive’

A mural with a difference.

Brian Kenny, of Lightscape [a projection mapping & creative content studio based in Dublin] writes:

We developed this interactive wall mural to show us real time information about our neighbourhood.

Using projection mapping and interactive ink, it displays information about things like weather and transport links (more details at link below).

The ink is responsive to touch so you can order a pizza or a taxi by pressing on the graphic.

Dirty walls!

In fairness.

Dublin Interactive Mural (Lighscape)

Petition on Uplift

A petition has been launched calling on the Government to reverse its plans to put an estimated two million documents relating to the work of three commissions out of the reach of the public for 75 years.

The documents are related to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, the Residential Institutions Redress Board and the Residential Institutions Redress Review Committee.

Details of the plans to seal the documents emerged when Minister for Education Joe McHugh published the Retention of Records Bill in February.

The petition has been launched by Laura Collins, who is a daughter of an industrial school survivor.

Laura writes:

“This legislation cannot be passed. It goes against the FOI (Freedom of Information) Act.

“…If they lock these records away for 75 years, no one could investigate the cover-up which they created around the institutions and how they went on to further abuse survivors’ rights.

“They had gagged survivors during the Ryan Report so they cannot speak out. But we can, as their children. Please sign this petition and take a stand and help lift the blanket of secrecy. Thank you all.”

The petition can be signed here

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