Smaller Than the Smallest Speck

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"I put up my thumb and it blotted out the planet Earth." - Neil Armstrong


Have you got a moment to spare? It will take about four minutes to join me on a fantastical journey through the planets and stars. Deviating from my usual paths, I set my sights heavenward with help from the newly completed 20-year Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Their short video found on YouTube represents the most detailed 3-dimensional map of the night sky. It measures positions and distances of more than 4 million galaxies and quasars where Earth is revealed to be smaller than the smallest of specks. Such a splendidly designed map is sure to shed better light on the mysteries of the universe. As life on our infinitesimal globe struggles and thrives, it is hard to believe that we alone speculate in the cold vastness of the cosmos. Surely unknown life forms in space and time are also awestruck and wonder about their origins.

Although it reminds me of the suits some medical professionals wear during this pandemic, what better place to share this photo of my husband playing astronaut at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver, taken for laughs a while back.

Explore more horizons at SKYWATCH and OUR WORLD.

Postscript, August 2: In keeping with the theme of this post, I want to acknowledge that astronauts Behnken and Hurley came back to Earth following their historic 63-day off planet mission. Check out their return speeches HERE.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.


The power within is electric

Comments

  1. eileeninmdJuly 22, 2020 at 11:27 AM

    Hello, I enjoyed the video, the night sky is beautiful. Our universe is amazing. The photo of your hubby the astronaut is wonderful. Take care, stay safe! Have a great day and week ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mystic MeanderingJuly 22, 2020 at 1:58 PM

    Wow! Goosebumps! I love it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Himawan SantJuly 23, 2020 at 1:14 AM

    Amazing video shows ...!.

    If you look at astronaut clothing there are similarities with medical clothing to treat corona patients.

    Greetings from Indonesia.

    ReplyDelete
  4. David M. Gascoigne,July 23, 2020 at 6:20 AM

    And wouldn't you think we could just learn to take more care of this blue dot?

    ReplyDelete
  5. GattinaJuly 23, 2020 at 9:15 AM

    A dream came true for me, I have a wonderful sky view only with my eyes ! I even sometimes get up in the middle of the night to admire the stars and the full moon when it's full of coursee ! We have now such a wonderful view and the skies are so pretty. Somtime on sunset you think the sky is on fire !

    ReplyDelete
  6. carol l mckennaJuly 23, 2020 at 1:36 PM

    Awesome video ~ thanks ~ ^_^ ~ Amazing !

    Live with love each moment,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  7. colleenJuly 23, 2020 at 5:23 PM

    You'd make a good astronaut! I love stargazing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AngieJuly 23, 2020 at 8:35 PM

    Ok, I feel small. Tonight we are going to try and see the comet - just waiting for an hour and it should be dark enough!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tanza ErlambangJuly 24, 2020 at 4:57 AM

    the video so interesting....thank you for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  10. LieselotteJuly 24, 2020 at 9:32 AM

    Hat mir sehr gut gefallen.

    ReplyDelete
  11. BillJuly 24, 2020 at 12:27 PM

    Love the video, thanks for sharing. I wish all humans would respect mother earth, it's all we got.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Spare Parts and PicsJuly 24, 2020 at 1:02 PM

    As Mr. Spock would say, "fascinating!"

    ReplyDelete
  13. stardustJuly 25, 2020 at 4:11 AM

    How fascinating this journey through the stars! Thank you for the video. I believe our existence on this beautiful blue dot is a miracle living and thinking with awe and wonder. Perhaps that's why we are tested by the Universe with daunting tasks one after another.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sallie (FullTime-Life)July 26, 2020 at 5:57 PM

    I’m off to watch the video as soon as I post this comment ... when I follow a link it often leads me down a rabbit hole and I forget to come back to my starting point ... I am sure that I will enjoy and learn from this and thank you in advance !

    ReplyDelete
  15. Carol @Comfort Spring StationJuly 27, 2020 at 1:37 PM

    great fun!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yogi♪♪♪July 27, 2020 at 2:15 PM

    I love stuff like this!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lady FiJuly 28, 2020 at 1:01 AM

    This is fabulous! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Fun60July 28, 2020 at 11:59 AM

    Spectacular.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Little Wandering WrenJuly 28, 2020 at 9:47 PM

    What an interesting post, love the quote by Neil Armstrong to remind us how small we are in the Universe.

    ReplyDelete

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