Draw a one centimetre square on your finger & hold it towards the Sun 👆

Now consider that some 60 billion neutrinos hit it every second, created by nuclear fusion in the solar core 500 seconds ago 🙀

Even if it’s nighttime & your finger has to point down through Earth’s surface – they don’t care 🙃

But if it makes you feel better, there are only about 2 solar neutrinos in each cubic centimetre of you at any given instant 🤷‍♂️

Well, plus another 300 from the Big Bang 😬

#Astrodon #BigNumberology

Watching a programme on BBC Scotland about a big shinty final between Kingussie & Lovat.

In a discussion of the catering for the post-final party, they say they’re expecting 3,000 people & have ordered in 48,000 drinks.

Yes, that’s 16 drinks per person.

Impressed 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😬👍

And now a lovely colour image of the strange low-surface brightness ionized oxygen nebulosity (the green-blue patch) right next to M31, the Andromeda galaxy, newly discovered by Marcel Drechsler et al.

Lots of interesting discussion below the image – they favour a location at the same distance as M31, although the scale & homogeneity of the structure does make me wonder whether it's much closer, in our galaxy.

https://www.astrobin.com/1d8ivk/

#astrodon #space #astronomy

Well now, that’s a mighty strange thing 😳

A previously unknown, very extensive, low-surface brightness nebulosity near the Andromeda galaxy, M31, seen in the [OIII] emission line at 5007Å.

Discovered by Drechsler et al. in autumn last year using a 106mm refractor, showing again that not all astronomy needs the biggest telescopes 🔭

Perhaps in the halo of M31 & linked to its stellar streams? 🧐

More below 👇

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/acaf7e

#astrodon #space #astronomy

Do you engage less with #mastodon accounts when they use #twitter links?

Please boost - as I wish to gauge if my narrow observations, thus far are right.

Something old to start the New Year
A Big Sky over Harris, from Berneray

One of my favourite images taken 20 years ago on a trip to the Outer Hebrides after a stormy night in a small tent on Berneray. My camera was malfunctioning, It didn’t like the damp. But I did get this shot.