Before the humans came we didn’t speak so much because we were like this one, who years ago was the girl who was hurt in darkness and ate what was given to her. We were like her. You decide why we were like her and why we were not like her. Why she’s like herself or is not. We’ve been like all things; we left the city during the drug time and speak more now.

Before the humans came we didn’t speak. We’ve been like countless things, we’ve been like all things, we’ve been like the animals over Embassytown in the direction of which I raise my gifting, which is a speaking you’ll come to understand. We didn’t speak, we were mute, we only dropped the stones we mentioned out of our mouths, opened our mouths and had the birds we described fly out, we were vectors, we were the birds eating in mindlessness, we were the girl in darkness, only knowing it when we weren’t anymore.

We speak now or I do, and others do. You’ve never spoken before. You will. You’ll be able to say how the city is a pit and a hill and a standard and an animal that hunts and a vessel on the sea and the sea and how we are fish in it, not like the man who swims weekly with fish but the fish with which he swims, the water, the pool. I love you, you light me, warm, you are suns.

You have never spoken before.

from Embassytown by China Mieville 📚 💬

Loveliness and stillness clasped hands in the bedroom, and among the shrouded jugs and sheeted chairs even the prying of the wind, and the soft nose of the clammy sea airs, rubbing, snuffling, iterating, and reiterating their questions – “Will you fade? Will you perish?” – scarcely disturbed the peace, the indifference, the air of pure integrity, as if the question they asked scarely needed that they should answer: we remain.

• from To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Sun

My Observations:

Taken: 21 July 2024 at 6:07 PM EST

Equipment: Unistellar Equinox2

General Information:

From our perspective on Earth, the Sun may seem like a constant, unchanging source of light and warmth in the sky. However, the Sun is actually a dynamic and ever-evolving star, continually emitting energy into space. The scientific study of the Sun and its impact on the solar system is known as heliophysics.

As the largest object in our solar system, the Sun boasts a diameter of approximately 865,000 miles (1.4 million kilometers). Its immense gravity is what binds the solar system together, maintaining the orbits of everything from the largest planets to the tiniest pieces of debris.

Despite being the focal point of our solar system and crucial for our existence, the Sun is merely an average star in terms of size. There are stars that are up to 100 times larger, and many other solar systems host multiple stars. By examining our Sun, scientists gain valuable insights into the functioning of distant stars.

The Sun’s core is its hottest region, with temperatures soaring above 27 million °F (15 million °C). The surface, known as the photosphere, is cooler in comparison, with temperatures around 10,000 °F (5,500 °C). Interestingly, one of the Sun’s great mysteries is its outer atmosphere, the corona, which becomes hotter with distance from the surface. The corona can reach temperatures up to 3.5 million °F (2 million °C), significantly hotter than the photosphere.[^ChatGPT summary of NASA Facts page]

Additional Details from NASA:

The Sun - NASA Science

NASA Image Gallery of Sun:

NASA Image Gallery of Sun

Three dead astronauts had fallen to Earth and been planted like tulips, buried to their rib cages, then flopped over in their suits, faceplates cracked open and curled into the dirt. Lichen or mold spilled from those helmets. Bones, too. My heart lurched, trapped between hope and despair. Someone had come to the city from far, far away—even, perhaps, from space! Which meant there were people up there. But they’d died here, like everything died here.

Excerpt From: Jeff VanderMeer. “Borne.”

📚 💬

Finished reading: The Laws of Connection by David Robson 📚

Three stars

Finished reading: Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan 📚

Five stars!

Finished reading: Shift by Hugh Howey 📚

Four stars!

Finished reading: Natural Magic by Renée Bergland 📚

3 stars

Finished reading: To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers 📚

3 stars

Finished reading: Eversion by Alastair Reynolds 📚

Five stars!

Finished reading: Savor by Thich Nhat Hanh 📚

Five stars.

Finished reading: The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh 📚

Five stars

Finished reading: Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall 📚

Four stars

Finished reading: Enlightenment by Sarah Perry 📚

Three stars

I just realized that my “To Read” list has 310 books on it. I think I might have a problem!

Finished reading: After 1177 B.C. by Eric Cline 📚

Three stars

My observation:

Taken: 1 June 2024 at 10:57 PM EST

Equipment: Unistellar Equinox2

General Information:

• Messier Designation: M101
• Type: Spiral Galaxy
• Distance from Earth: 21,000,000 light years

The Pinwheel Galaxy, known as Messier 101 (M101), is a face-on spiral galaxy situated approximately 21 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. This galaxy is renowned for its well-defined spiral arms, which are adorned with a multitude of star-forming nebulae, young blue star clusters, and vast regions of ionized hydrogen. These features make it a dazzling example of a grand design spiral galaxy. M101 spans about 170,000 light-years across, making it one of the largest galaxies in its local group. Its proximity and relative brightness allow astronomers to study its composition and structure in great detail, contributing significantly to our understanding of the dynamics and evolution of spiral galaxies.

Additional Details from NASA:

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-101/

Hubble Image:

https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/m101-jpg.webp?w=2048&format=webp

My Observation:

Taken: 1 June 2024 at 10:45 PM EST

Equipment: Unistellar Equinox2

General Information:

• Messier Designation: M51
• Type: Spiral Galaxy
• Distance from Earth: 23,000,000 light years

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51 (M51), is a classic spiral galaxy located approximately 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. This galaxy is famed for its striking appearance and well-defined structure, featuring prominent spiral arms that coil tightly around its luminous core. M51 is particularly noted for its grand design spiral structure, which is rich in star-forming regions, pinkish nebulae, and clusters of young, hot stars. It is often paired with a smaller companion galaxy, NGC 5195, which appears to be interacting with M51, enhancing its spiral structure through gravitational forces. This interaction has made M51 a popular subject in both professional astronomical research and amateur astrophotography, providing valuable insights into the dynamics of galaxy formation and evolution.

Additional Details from NASA:

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-51/

Hubble Image:

https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/m51-and-companion_0-jpg.webp?w=2048&format=webp

My Observation:

Taken: 1 June 2024 at 11:02 PM EST

Equipment: Unistellar Equinox2

General Information:

• Messier Designation: M63
• Type: Spiral Galaxy
• Distance from Earth: 27,000,000 light years

The Sunflower Galaxy, also known as Messier 63, is a stunning example of a spiral galaxy located approximately 27 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. This galaxy is particularly noted for its intricate spiral arms, which are densely packed with star-forming regions, clusters of young blue stars, and lanes of dark dust, giving it a striking resemblance to a sunflower. Its bright core and the graceful sweep of its arms are highlighted by the backdrop of space, making it a favored subject of study among astronomers. The Sunflower Galaxy is part of the M51 Group, a galaxy group that includes the famous Whirlpool Galaxy, and its relatively bright appearance makes it a popular target for both professional and amateur astronomers.

Additional Details from NASA:

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-63/

Hubble Image:

https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/potw1536a-jpg.webp?w=2048&format=webp

Finished reading: Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton 📚

Three stars

4000 year old Babylonian recipes:

I loved everything about this. The video, the fact that these recipes were preserved. That the Yale team actually made a few of the recipes.

babylonian-collection.yale.edu/about/bab…

My observation:

Taken: 20 May 2024 at 9:36pm EST

Equipment: Unistellar Equinox2

General Information:

• Type: Moon
• Distance from Earth: 384,400 km

The Moon, Earth’s only natural satellite, is a rocky body with a geologically diverse surface, characterized by vast plains called maria, impact craters, and highland regions. Its geology includes basaltic plains from ancient volcanic activity and anorthosite highlands, shaped significantly by asteroid impacts. The Moon orbits Earth at an average distance of about 384,400 kilometers, completing a revolution in approximately 27.3 days, which also matches its rotational period, resulting in the same side always facing Earth (synchronous rotation). This orbital relationship profoundly affects Earth’s tides and stabilizes its axial tilt, contributing to a stable climate over geological time scales. The interplay of tidal forces also causes a gradual increase in the Moon’s distance from Earth by about 3.8 centimeters per year.

Additional Details from NASA:

https://science.nasa.gov/moon/

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Image:

Finished reading: Our Moon by Rebecca Boyle 📚

Four stars

Hello Barred Owl!

Finished reading: The Magicians by Lev Grossman 📚

Four stars