Sunset on Mars

Nasa released the above image as a part of their ongoing Image Of The Day. Sunset on Mars (full size), sent on May 19 by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit.

On May 19, 2005, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this stunning view as the Sun sank below the rim of Gusev crater on Mars. This Panoramic Camera mosaic was taken around 6:07 in the evening of the rover’s 489th Martian day, or sol.

Sunset and twilight images are occasionally acquired by the science team to determine how high into the atmosphere the Martian dust extends, and to look for dust or ice clouds. Other images have shown that the twilight glow remains visible, but increasingly fainter, for up to two hours before sunrise or after sunset. The long Martian twilight (compared to Earth’s) is caused by sunlight scattered around to the night side of the planet by abundant high altitude dust. Similar long twilights or extra-colorful sunrises and sunsets sometimes occur on Earth when tiny dust grains that are erupted from powerful volcanoes scatter light high in the atmosphere.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Texas A&M/Cornel

Ya know, I just wish there were larger resolutions.

Mustachoed Sensationalist

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?

Friedrich Nietzsche

The philosophy of the West, when applied to Christianity, tends to be affirming of its values. However, you can deconstruct it so far as to destroy it, and we haven’t replaced it with any universal set of morals. So when it’s gone, what then? Chaos. The individual will reign and justice will be a self-centered entity, with every person will see the world as their oyster. Perhaps, as in Plato’s Gorgias.

Keytars

These key covers from GAMA-GO are most definitely a needed purchase in my life. I just wish I could justify the shipping cost (it’s over $1 more than the cost of the item). $6 is one thing, $14 is another..

Link to GAMA-GO.

“I am closing after the SB Lady Daphne has passed upstream.”

I have real mixed feelings about Twitter. One on hand, it could be useful for keeping tabs on friends without having to check in via text messaging or IM; on the other, absolutely no one I know uses it, and I’m not about to follow a bunch of strangers online. And let’s not get into the idea that Twitter’s service could be used for stalking or harassment.

However, I have often overlooked the other uses of Twitter- which mostly turn out to be a really poor version of someone’s blog- and this one’s simply wonderful.

Over on http://twitter.com/towerbridge, you can follow along as London’s Tower Bridge opens and closes to allow various vessels access to the river Thames. Pretty useless to anyone not piloting those ships, but still fun to imagine the Tower Bridge multitasking to post to Twitter while it mindlessly cranks the draws up and down all day- talk about a monotonous job!

Found via this Ask MetaFilter thread.