Impossibly Huge Collisions

The universe is majestic in its complexity, size, and simplicity. At galactic scales, things tend to act in fairly straightforward Newtonian movements. None of that exotic quantum mechanics, matter acting as waves and/or particles.
Simplicity, albeit on a grand scale, with billions upon billions of what can be modeled as point masses.

The really interesting thing about galactic collisions is that stellar collisions are vanishingly rare. Hundreds of billions of stars flying around each other, yet none of them meet.


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  1. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    Luckily the Universe does not have to commute on 290 or 288.
    Simple

  2. GJT Avatar
    GJT

    Or an old star not doing the solar limit.

  3. TexMo Avatar
    TexMo

    MHarper is approaching retirement at light speed!

  4. mharper42 Avatar
    mharper42

    TexMo, it does feel that way. I’ll read the article on my lunch break. Later, y’all.

  5. El Gordo Avatar

    I check the APOD every day first thing. It tends to remind me just what an insignificant little part of the universe we actually occupy and how powerless we are to effect significant change when dealing with Mother Nature.

  6. OletimerLin Avatar
    OletimerLin

    G’Morning All
    But we may be able to go fast enough to witness it

    “Set a course, ensign. Maximum warp. Engage.”
    The ability to travel faster than the speed of light has been thoroughly noted as one of the least realistic pieces of technology in the Star Trek universe. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity that would make it possible, since nothing with mass can go faster than the speed of light. It turns out that there may be a loophole.
    Faster than light technology will not be a matter/antimatter engine like what is found in Star Trek. Instead, it may depend on altering space itself. It happens naturally, but whether or not humans can manipulate space to make it work for us remains to be seen. NASA scientists are currently devising a field test on warp drive technology.

    https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/969041_595046233849725_962623673_n.jpg
    More info:
    http://bit.ly/17ZXlJQ

  7. OletimerLin Avatar
    OletimerLin

    Something all father’s to be should go through:
    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=39c_1368515756

  8. OletimerLin Avatar
    OletimerLin

    Everything’s bigger in Texas

    Fort Bend teen sets Texas record with monster alligator

    A Fort Bend County man has set the record for an alligator caught in Texas, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
    The 800-pound, 14-foot, 3-inch gator could be 30 to 50 years old according to its size. At 800 pounds, it is the heaviest alligator for which TPWD has a certified weight. It is not the longest alligator documented by the agency though.
    Braxton Bielski, an 18-year-old high school senior, bagged the giant alligator in the James E. Daughtrey Wildlife Management Area near the Choke Canyon Reservoir 90 miles south of San Antonio.

    Front end loader
    http://ronenews92fm.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/alligator-bielski.png
    Ground
    http://media.khou.com/images/470*261/texas-gator-3.jpg

  9. OletimerLin Avatar
    OletimerLin

    The word according to Bubba
    ““In keeping with the Laws of the Prophet Bubba and the Code of the UIL, as set forth in the Book of First Downs: as the sun sets on Friday nights the rites of the Texas state religion are celebrated: high school, smash-mouth football. ‘And lo, the children of Jim Bob do take to the roads in caravans and they do go up unto the stadium by tribes, the Indians of Groveton, the Panthers of Lufkin, the Mustangs of Overton, and the very Wildcats of Palestine, and who shall withstand the traffic jams thereof?’ Thus is it written, and so it is and shall be.”

    ― Markham Shaw Pyle

  10. OletimerLin Avatar
    OletimerLin

    Holder Says “No” To Special Counsel For Benghazi
    Apparently this ranks right up there in importance with Black Panthers intimidating white voters
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FFZJSvgtI88

  11. Tedtam Avatar

    The majesty of the universe really brings me to the awe of God.

  12. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    bagged the giant alligator in the James E. Daughtrey Wildlife Management Area near the Choke Canyon Reservoir 90 miles south of San Antonio.

    He’d have to be big to make it that far inland.

  13. Tedtam Avatar

    Krauthammer nails it:
    Conservative author and columnist Charles Krauthammer offers his analysis: “[The announcement] was a holding operation. That was the absolute minimum he could have done. He relieves one person – he obviously had to – he had to relieve at least one person and he chose, of course, the acting commissioner.”

    “But I would’ve expected more,” he added. “The other actions he announced are, up to now, meaningless. Obama, this administrating, has said a hundred times they’re going to hold X, Y, or Z accountable for all kinds of behavior.”
    He continued:

    In Benghazi, regarding a lot of other scandals, he even speaks about Syrian generals are going to be held accountable. It means nothing.
    And then he says there’s going to be an investigation from Treasury. Well, that just means that the left hand of the government investigating the right hand. He did say he’d cooperate with Congress, but then he has the chutzpa to essentially warn republicans not to make this into a political event.
    [W]e’re talking about is the IRS applying political criteria — inexcusably, unconstitutionally, probably criminally — and deciding who it’s going to investigate.
    “I found this the bare minimum,” he concluded. “It’ll hold them for 12 hours, but no more.”

    I caught most of the announcement. Hubby and I were watching TV, and all I could do was repeat “BULLS**T! BULLS**T!” during the whole thing. He’s acting. Krauthammer’s right. The heat was getting too high, and he did what he had to do to mollify his waking-from-their-hypnotic-state followers. I don’t believe a word he says – he’s bullwissed his way into office, through the office, and hopefully – out of office.

  14. Tedtam Avatar

    Lotsa hot gas floating around.
    I blame Bush.
    Dang weather machine even reaches the Sun!

  15. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    “BULLS**T! BULLS**T!”

    Somebody’s got a potty mouth.

  16. Tedtam Avatar

    She-Jack is declared out of order.
    Heck, we could’ve told them that YEARS ago!

  17. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    btw – anyone know who died recently?
    Saw some half-staff flags today..

  18. Tedtam Avatar

    #17 WB

    Somebody’s got a potty mouth.

    I lose a little control when I see TBO lying to my face.

  19. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    That’s why I actively avoid seeing his ugly mug.
    btw – You’re setting a wonderful example for your children.

  20. Tedtam Avatar

    When my kids were young, I was very careful about my language. The “F” word was one I could never say, even in private. I had one major slip with Lovely when I almost got hit by a car – that’s a story I still like to tell – but being married to a plumber has left its mark on me. I know I need to begin cleaning it up a bit, what with grandchildren and all.
    I still recoil inside when I hear my kids using adult language. It seems so unnatural to hear it coming from their lips when I know how careful I was when they were little. I knew I couldn’t protect them from it outside the home. /sigh

  21. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    This friend of mine was driving around doing errands with his ~2 year-old daughter in her car seat in the back seat.
    Someone cut him off and he blew his horn.
    He then heard a little voice from the back seat say, “B!tch.”

  22. Katfish Avatar

    #19 – “maybe” for the tornado destruction up in Granbury?

  23. Sarge Avatar

    Normally, I don’t like being stereotyped, but in this case, I’ll give it a pass.

  24. Tedtam Avatar

    #23 WB
    When Lovely Daughter and Handsome Son were very young, I belonged to a gym and they went with me on Saturdays to play in the child care center while I worked out. One morning, as I was driving home with them tucked in their safety seats in the back, someone backed out without looking and almost hit my car. I slammed on my brakes and said “S**T!” rather forcefully. The other driver saw me and pulled back into the parking spot so I could drive by. A little rattled, I began moving forward and I heard Lovely in the back seat, trying the word on for size, using different inflections and tones. As I heard her repeating the word over and over, I had to make a choice – make a big deal of her using the word, which might reinforce it in her pretty little head, or distract her and hope she would forget it. I decided on the latter, and interrupted her word string to talk about other topics. I did not hear the word again for a long time, so I thought I did the right thing.
    About that time, I had heard a story about a toddler calling 911 when his mother fell unconscious for some reason, and I got to thinking – I’m alone in the house with the kids a lot, and if I had an accident, Lovely was smart enough to call for help. So we played “The 911 Game” occasionally – I would fall down and refuse to wake up. Lovely would try to wake me, and if I didn’t get up, she’d go to the phone. I’d get up, put my finger on the button so the call wouldn’t actually dial, and talk her through what to do.
    A few weeks after the parking lot slip, I fell down on the couch. Lovely was wearing a cute little pink dress that day, and she came over and began pushing me back and forth: “Mommy wake up! Wake up Mommy! I don’t want to play ‘911’ !” In a real situation, I wouldn’t wake up, so I just laid there. Instead of going to the phone, Lovely turned her back to the couch (which came up almost to her shoulders at this point), and began slo-o-o–o-wly sliding down, bunching her dress up behind her. She stopped a few inches from full slide, then did the last few inches all at once, heaving a huge sigh, and uttering very, very clearly in an exasperated voice: “S**T!”
    Mommy came out of her coma and we had a talk.

  25. mharper42 Avatar
    mharper42

    The really interesting thing about galactic collisions is that stellar collisions are vanishingly rare.

    Yabbut galaxies are almost entirely empty space. Those are some great comparisons between actual photos and what they may represent that might have happened a gazillion years ago.
    I was going to “read the article” but it was just a video. 🙁

  26. Sarge Avatar

    Seen on FB:

    This week’s lesson: Only give the government power you’d be comfortable giving to vindictive, incompetent morons..

  27. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    Yabbut galaxies are almost entirely empty space.

    Actually, so are you.
    The difference being that at the scale of the molecules, etc. in your body, all the electrical & nukuler forces are significant.

  28. Tedtam Avatar

    More abortion “born alive” stories. Heartbreaking.
    When the lady talks about the toes, I almost started crying. How could they work in this place?

  29. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    He called her an empty space.

  30. GJT Avatar
    GJT

    being married to a plumber has left its mark on me

    Might as well go ahead and blame Bush too while you’re at it.

  31. Tedtam Avatar

    Caption:
    This thing ain’t big enough to cover my wiss!
    Marines – doorstops, decoration, door openers, and umbrella holders.

  32. Adee Avatar
    Adee

    Will be interesting to see how fast the Houston abortionist’s deeds become the subject of a Harris County Grand Jury investigation. A GJ does not have to wait for the DA to present a case for investigation, it can take the lead and insist on doing one. Let us hope we do not hear crickets on this outage.
    At least the little ones are safe in the Lord’s loving arms.

  33. Hamous Avatar

    And on Thursday, President Obama backed up his long-time ally.
    “I have complete confidence in Eric Holder as attorney general,” he said at a press conference…

    Note to Eric “BP” Holder – This usually means “Watch out!”
    ♬ The wheels on the bus go round and round! ♬

  34. Katfish Avatar

    #36 – *scratchin head*………………….what the wiss is wrong with the large overhang aka shelter right behind TOTUS?
    dumaxxes!

  35. CbR Avatar
    CbR

    #39 Hamous – And on more occasions than not lately they go “BUMP!! … BUMP”

  36. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    Adee
    I’ll be very surprised if that jerk in the DA’s office passes up the opportunity for some splashy press coverage.

  37. TexMo Avatar
    TexMo

    #36 & 40
    How about a rain/overcoat?

  38. Hamous Avatar

    Hmmm. I’m seeing reports that Reid Ryan is the next Astros president.

  39. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    Did they fire the owner yet?

  40. texanadian Avatar
    texanadian

    speaking of collisions… this isn’t
    http://blurbrain.com/mind-boggling-balancing-act-video/
    but it is cool

  41. mharper42 Avatar
    mharper42

    34 Shannon says:
    May 16, 2013 at 1:22 pm
    He called her an empty space.

    I’m sure he intended it in a kind way.

  42. Hamous Avatar

    Heh. This is now making the rounds. From the MARINE CORPS UNIFORM REGULATIONS:

    3035. UMBRELLAS.
    Female Marines may carry an all-black, plain standard or collapsible umbrella at their option during inclement weather with the service and dress uniforms. It will be carried in the left hand so that the hand salute can be properly rendered. Umbrellas may not be used/carried in formation nor will they be carried with the utility uniform.

    So Mocha jesus was responsible for a Marine violating regulations 😉

  43. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    Bea Arthur.
    /wipes perspiration from forehead

  44. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    He didn’t happen to do one of June Cleaver, did he?

  45. Tedtam Avatar

    #47 Texanadian
    That! Was! Amazing!

  46. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    And most importantly, what about Donna Reed?
    /swoon

  47. Super Dave Avatar
    Super Dave

    And most importantly, what about Donna Reed?

    Adrienne Barbeau 😀

  48. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    Man, the Dems are lining up to whack on the IRS. Even pelosi.
    What courage!

  49. Bonecrusher Avatar
    Bonecrusher

    #58: And some of these same lying Ds are the ones who were demanding that the IRS investigate the conservative (read R voting) groups.
    Because of the obvious outrageously illegal behavior of the IRS, now is the perfect time to advance the Fair Tax (natl retail sales tax) and rip the IRS out by the roots and toss its carcass into the furnace of incredibly bad ideas.

  50. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    texpat’s baby brudder is a perv

  51. GJT Avatar
    GJT

    So what, you’re looking for pics of the Beav?

  52. Bonecrusher Avatar
    Bonecrusher

    The difference being that at the scale of the molecules, etc. in your body, all the electrical & nukuler forces are significant.

    GEEK, DWEEB, NERD, etc.
    Actually what he said is true.

  53. Super Dave Avatar
    Super Dave

    Ward, you sure were hard on the Beaver last night. 😉

  54. GJT Avatar
    GJT

    😆 SD knows the song I’m singin’.

  55. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    You people should be ashamed.
    Shannon I can understand, given that he is, well, shannon and all. But you people should have a bit more personal dignity left upon which to call.

  56. mharper42 Avatar
    mharper42

    Dignity shmignity.

  57. mharper42 Avatar
    mharper42

    Did I mention that I had another one of those 8 pm staff meetings by conference call & shared desktop? Did I mention it started at 8 P! M! ? Did I mention it was my LAST such meeting?

  58. wagonburner Avatar
    wagonburner

    🙄

  59. phil Avatar
    phil

    Classic Coop
    And my favorite number to boot.

  60. GJT Avatar
    GJT

    I noticed it was over by 9:14. Prolly 8:30.

  61. mharper42 Avatar
    mharper42

    Actually, I bailed on ’em after 20 mins. No sense listening to what they plan for the next version.

  62. mharper42 Avatar
    mharper42

    #26 Sarge
    About that strong men are conservative, liberal men are weaklings: Think Harry Reid. Looks like he could barely lift a piece of toast. And Bronco, we’ve seen him with a pickaxe in hand, and riding a bike.

  63. Tedtam Avatar

    Well, heck, he can’t even hold an umbrella!

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