Nice!

We went to the McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains out in West Texas a couple Christmases ago. It was incredible! The amount of stars is incalculable. I was looking at one very small cluster and I asked the attendant, "About how many stars are in that cluster?"

He said, "Maybe a billion or so". Yikes! I wasn't even looking at 1/1,000,000th of the stuff visible in the sky. And that's just the stuff we could see - it's unbelievable to imagine how much more is out there.

These videos are always really stunning. I've gotta think, though, that these sorts of shifted proximities would throw off the very particular gravitational interactions that make life currently possible here on earth.

Here's another (even more impossible) video that showcases bodies within our solar system at the distance of earth's moon. Amazing stuff...

And another that shows the moon at the distance of the International Space Station...

Lammastide said:

These videos are always really stunning. I've gotta think, though, that these sorts of shifted proximities would throw off the very particular gravitational interactions that make life currently possible here on earth.

Here's another (even more impossible) video that showcases bodies within our solar system at the distance of earth's moon. Amazing stuff...

And another that shows the moon at the distance of the International Space Station...

Okay, that would scare the shit out of me. If the moon was overhead like that, could you imagine being scared of it dropping on top of you.

.

I think there would be people living on the moon if it was that close and surely would gravity not be compromised. I sometimes have strabge dreams of gthe world ending and the sky showing planets really close to earth like that.

Adorecream said:

Lammastide said:

These videos are always really stunning. I've gotta think, though, that these sorts of shifted proximities would throw off the very particular gravitational interactions that make life currently possible here on earth.

Here's another (even more impossible) video that showcases bodies within our solar system at the distance of earth's moon. Amazing stuff...

And another that shows the moon at the distance of the International Space Station...

Okay, that would scare the shit out of me. If the moon was overhead like that, could you imagine being scared of it dropping on top of you.

.

I think there would be people living on the moon if it was that close and surely would gravity not be compromised. I sometimes have strabge dreams of gthe world ending and the sky showing planets really close to earth like that.

If you've not already seen it, you may like -- or rather very much dread -- the film Melancholia.

It hadn't occurred to me before until I was watching some tv series that the Moon was actually much closer to Earth in the time of dinosaurs so it must of looked massive in the sky, than it does today. During the entire span of the dinosaur existance the Moon was possibly over 5,000 - 1,500 miles closer.

[Edited 6/11/15 17:43pm]

If some of those were that close to the earth, it wouldn't have been dark, and we wouldn't be able to really see it because of the blinding light. But that was awesome.

Note to self: In the new world, I NEED to build a telescope through the roof of my home!

looks like it's time x's "if." i'm wondering how jupiter's pattern's would look up close on an early autumnm eve.

: https://cosmicriver.wordp...d-planets/

makes me glad i watched 'star wars (a new hope)' if this is to happen in my lifetime

at least we'll/some of us will have an abstract visual of what's to be, if it is to be via st wrs.

(those are either two suns or moons luke is looking at, or possibly two planets. they're pretty close.)

[Edited 6/17/15 16:06pm]

Lammastide said:

These videos are always really stunning. I've gotta think, though, that these sorts of shifted proximities would throw off the very particular gravitational interactions that make life currently possible here on earth.

Here's another (even more impossible) video that showcases bodies within our solar system at the distance of earth's moon. Amazing stuff...

And another that shows the moon at the distance of the International Space Station...

Looking up at that wouldn't scare you?

I love astronomy but I think I would cower at something like that if it were real.

babynoz said:

Lammastide said:

These videos are always really stunning. I've gotta think, though, that these sorts of shifted proximities would throw off the very particular gravitational interactions that make life currently possible here on earth.

Here's another (even more impossible) video that showcases bodies within our solar system at the distance of earth's moon. Amazing stuff...

And another that shows the moon at the distance of the International Space Station...

Looking up at that wouldn't scare you?

I love astronomy but I think I would cower at something like that if it were real.

Oh, I would absolutely die.

When I was about 7, I was very into Greco-Roman mythology, and its associated astronomy/astrology. I could tell you just about anything you wanted to know about all sorts of astronomical phenomena -- especially constellations -- and the ancient beliefs about them. I had no real experience with the sky, though, because my parents were fuddy duddies and would never let me out of the house at night to stargaze. They'd even bought me a pretty high-end telescope for a kid my age... but would never give me the chance to use it.

Anyway, one winter night, I left a playdate at a friend's house much later than I was supposed to. On my walk home, I passed through a clearing that allowed me to see an enormous stretch of sky. I looked up, and for the first time ever, I found the three stars that marked Orion's belt -- and I was utterly horrified by the idea of this giant hunter looming over me! I literally took off running the rest of my way home.

That horror has evolved into a real reverence for the scale of our universe, but something like what we see in these videos would surely be like my age 7 encounter x 1,000,000.

[Edited 6/18/15 14:14pm]

Lammastide said:

babynoz said:

Looking up at that wouldn't scare you?

I love astronomy but I think I would cower at something like that if it were real.

Oh, I would absolutely die.

When I was about 7, I was very into Greco-Roman mythology, and its associated astronomy/astrology. I could tell you just about anything you wanted to know about all sorts of astronomical phenomena -- especially constellations -- and the ancient beliefs about them. I had no real experience with the sky, though, because my parents were fuddy duddies and would never let me out of the house at night to stargaze. They'd even bought me a pretty high-end telescope for a kid my age... but would never give me the chance to use it.

Anyway, one winter night, I left a playdate at a friend's house much later than I was supposed to. On my walk home, I passed through a clearing that allowed me to see an enormous stretch of sky. I looked up, and for the first time ever, I found the three stars that marked Orion's belt -- and I was utterly horrified by the idea of this giant hunter looming over me! I literally took off running the rest of my way home.

That horror has evolved into a real reverence for the scale of our universe, but something like what we see in these videos would surely be like my age 7 encounter x 1,000,000.

[Edited 6/18/15 14:14pm]

Amazing! That story reminds me of myself except that my mother encouraged my fascination with the stars and we visited the planetarium several times. I used to lie on my back on the hood of her car and stare at the sky for hours picking out constellations.

It is truly a mind blowing experience seeing the whole sky for the first time without any lights though. I am a city girl so the first time it happened to me was in my teens. We were on a road trip and our car broke down. We had to get out and sit by the side of a country road in pitch darkness while they tried to get the car running....not even the moon was out. When my godsister and I got out of the car and looked up we went down on our knees wimpering.

I also share your love of mythology although I eventually drifted more toward Egyptian mythology, I love all of it. My favorite Greek myth is probably Apollo and his twin sister Artemis.

Did you ever watch Joseph Campbell's series of lectures?

babynoz said:

Lammastide said:

Oh, I would absolutely die.

When I was about 7, I was very into Greco-Roman mythology, and its associated astronomy/astrology. I could tell you just about anything you wanted to know about all sorts of astronomical phenomena -- especially constellations -- and the ancient beliefs about them. I had no real experience with the sky, though, because my parents were fuddy duddies and would never let me out of the house at night to stargaze. They'd even bought me a pretty high-end telescope for a kid my age... but would never give me the chance to use it.

Anyway, one winter night, I left a playdate at a friend's house much later than I was supposed to. On my walk home, I passed through a clearing that allowed me to see an enormous stretch of sky. I looked up, and for the first time ever, I found the three stars that marked Orion's belt -- and I was utterly horrified by the idea of this giant hunter looming over me! I literally took off running the rest of my way home.

That horror has evolved into a real reverence for the scale of our universe, but something like what we see in these videos would surely be like my age 7 encounter x 1,000,000.

[Edited 6/18/15 14:14pm]

Amazing! That story reminds me of myself except that my mother encouraged my fascination with the stars and we visited the planetarium several times. I used to lie on my back on the hood of her car and stare at the sky for hours picking out constellations.

It is truly a mind blowing experience seeing the whole sky for the first time without any lights though. I am a city girl so the first time it happened to me was in my teens. We were on a road trip and our car broke down. We had to get out and sit by the side of a country road in pitch darkness while they tried to get the car running....not even the moon was out. When my godsister and I got out of the car and looked up we went down on our knees wimpering.

I also share your love of mythology although I eventually drifted more toward Egyptian mythology, I love all of it. My favorite Greek myth is probably Apollo and his twin sister Artemis.

Did you ever watch Joseph Campbell's series of lectures?

Very cool to hear about similar paths.

Interesting you would ask about Joseph Campbell. I'm listening to the The Power of Myth series right now on Audible. I've also been intrigued lately by a graduate program in comparative mythology constructed largely around his research. Enrollment would involve a move to California, which I couldn't do right now, but the curriculum is really interesting.

[Edited 6/18/15 16:24pm]

Lammastide said:

babynoz said:

Amazing! That story reminds me of myself except that my mother encouraged my fascination with the stars and we visited the planetarium several times. I used to lie on my back on the hood of her car and stare at the sky for hours picking out constellations.

It is truly a mind blowing experience seeing the whole sky for the first time without any lights though. I am a city girl so the first time it happened to me was in my teens. We were on a road trip and our car broke down. We had to get out and sit by the side of a country road in pitch darkness while they tried to get the car running....not even the moon was out. When my godsister and I got out of the car and looked up we went down on our knees wimpering.

I also share your love of mythology although I eventually drifted more toward Egyptian mythology, I love all of it. My favorite Greek myth is probably Apollo and his twin sister Artemis.

Did you ever watch Joseph Campbell's series of lectures?

Very cool to hear about similar paths.

Interesting you would ask about Joseph Campbell. I'm listening to the The Power of Myth series right now on Audible. I've also been intrigued lately by a graduate program in Comparative Mythology constructed largely around his research. Enrollment would involve a move to California, which I couldn't do right now, but the curriculum is really interesting.

Wow! Great minds and all of that.....

I have to update my stash because my Joseph Campbell stuff is all on vhs.

You might also enjoy this if you haven't seen it yet. Campbell was one of George Lucas' mentors.


https://vimeo.com/38026023