It's times like this I wish I had Joe's and Chuck's wordsmithing abilities. Every clear night when I don't have other projects going I do a supernova search. That involves having the software move the scope and imager about shooting a list of about 90 or so spiral galaxies I keep watch on. There's just something almost magical to be sitting here and having a new image of a galaxy pop up on the monitor every 90 seconds or so. Some are pretty run of the mill but some are just downright beautiful. And to think that the chances are good that out of all of the people on the planet there's a good chance that I'm the only one looking at that particular galaxy at that particular moment. And who knows how many civilizations I may be capturing in each shot? And how many of those have my counterpart being the only of it's species looking back at me. I just wish I could put the feeling into words better. patrick
Patrick, I think I understand. I too would have a problem waxing poetic about looking at images on a computer monitor. But when I see the same image with my own eyes while sitting at the telescope - that's a different story. :-) Kim -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Patrick Wiggins Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011 3:48 AM To: utah astronomy utah astronomy listserve Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Wish I were a wordsmith It's times like this I wish I had Joe's and Chuck's wordsmithing abilities. Every clear night when I don't have other projects going I do a supernova search. That involves having the software move the scope and imager about shooting a list of about 90 or so spiral galaxies I keep watch on. There's just something almost magical to be sitting here and having a new image of a galaxy pop up on the monitor every 90 seconds or so. Some are pretty run of the mill but some are just downright beautiful. And to think that the chances are good that out of all of the people on the planet there's a good chance that I'm the only one looking at that particular galaxy at that particular moment. And who knows how many civilizations I may be capturing in each shot? And how many of those have my counterpart being the only of it's species looking back at me. I just wish I could put the feeling into words better. patrick _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1209 / Virus Database: 1500/3556 - Release Date: 04/06/11
Patrick, I think your words convey both an emotional and intellectual connection that most if not all of us feel as we gaze upward. Anyone who knows you however brief, has to catch your enthusiasm. Thanks for reminding me of the wonders of looking up. Your words also made me think of this quote by Carl Sagan. "Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people." — Carl Sagan Jay Sent from my iPad On Apr 7, 2011, at 3:47 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
It's times like this I wish I had Joe's and Chuck's wordsmithing abilities.
Every clear night when I don't have other projects going I do a supernova search. That involves having the software move the scope and imager about shooting a list of about 90 or so spiral galaxies I keep watch on.
There's just something almost magical to be sitting here and having a new image of a galaxy pop up on the monitor every 90 seconds or so. Some are pretty run of the mill but some are just downright beautiful. And to think that the chances are good that out of all of the people on the planet there's a good chance that I'm the only one looking at that particular galaxy at that particular moment.
And who knows how many civilizations I may be capturing in each shot? And how many of those have my counterpart being the only of it's species looking back at me.
I just wish I could put the feeling into words better.
patrick _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php
Actually the words are just the first step. They convey a sense of wonder to others who we inspire to also look. But when dozens of people collect hundreds of data points their efforts look like just a boring bookkeeping chore until the data is analysed. Tycho Brahe saw a supernova in his day and he described it with words that he felt were inadequate. Today hundreds of supernovae are collected each year by pro and amateur astronomers. When we look at the data that comes from the unglamorous number crunching, the fabric of the universe emerges. Dark energy, the acceleration of expansion as well as the big bang. When Heber Curtis first saw the Jet in M87 we only had his words for it. Now we have photographed dozens of them and from the analysis comes super massive black holes and accretion disks. We looked at stars for millions of years. When we collected boring statistics and put them into the HR diagram we say the birth, evolution and death of stars. Words are just the starting point. Knowledge is the goal. DT
Very nice use of words, Mr. Wordsmith Wiggins. I often feel that awe. Best wishes, Joe --- On Thu, 4/7/11, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
From: Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Wish I were a wordsmith To: "utah astronomy utah astronomy listserve" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Thursday, April 7, 2011, 3:47 AM It's times like this I wish I had Joe's and Chuck's wordsmithing abilities.
Every clear night when I don't have other projects going I do a supernova search. That involves having the software move the scope and imager about shooting a list of about 90 or so spiral galaxies I keep watch on.
There's just something almost magical to be sitting here and having a new image of a galaxy pop up on the monitor every 90 seconds or so. Some are pretty run of the mill but some are just downright beautiful. And to think that the chances are good that out of all of the people on the planet there's a good chance that I'm the only one looking at that particular galaxy at that particular moment.
And who knows how many civilizations I may be capturing in each shot? And how many of those have my counterpart being the only of it's species looking back at me.
I just wish I could put the feeling into words better.
patrick _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php
Those were sufficient for me Patrick! Very well said. Howard On Thu, Apr 7, 2011 at 3:47 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com>wrote:
It's times like this I wish I had Joe's and Chuck's wordsmithing abilities.
Every clear night when I don't have other projects going I do a supernova search. That involves having the software move the scope and imager about shooting a list of about 90 or so spiral galaxies I keep watch on.
There's just something almost magical to be sitting here and having a new image of a galaxy pop up on the monitor every 90 seconds or so. Some are pretty run of the mill but some are just downright beautiful. And to think that the chances are good that out of all of the people on the planet there's a good chance that I'm the only one looking at that particular galaxy at that particular moment.
And who knows how many civilizations I may be capturing in each shot? And how many of those have my counterpart being the only of it's species looking back at me.
I just wish I could put the feeling into words better.
patrick _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php
participants (6)
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daniel turner -
Howard -
Jay Eads -
Joe Bauman -
Kim Hyatt -
Patrick Wiggins