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If you have a newer computer with lots of memory for such "necessities" as
desktop images and screensavers (such as the free "Webshots" system) then
by all means - visit the NASA "image of the day" site (just like E.T. you
too can "call home" this month).
For instance this incredible image of the Sombrero Galaxy (and many more)
are free for the taking from the NASA site.
You can drop them right into your Webshots folder and they are beautiful
hi-rez. Something for free from Sam (kind of, if you don't count your taxes) and
with Hubble soon to expire, without a minor miracle, this may be the end of the
best of these images.
In springtime, as DST approaches, the aliens among us can start to call
home again as Virgo reappears in the night sky, rising in the south-east
about midnight. The Virgo Cluster, with its some 2000 member galaxies dominates
our intergalactic neighborhood, as it represents the physical center of our
Local Supercluster (also called Virgo or Virgo-Coma Supercluster), and
influences all the galaxies and galaxy groups by the gravitational attraction of
its enormous mass.
This is *our universe* - plain and simple. It is a small fraction of
the night sky (if you deduct the Milky way itself which is local), yet it
contains everything that we will ever know for sure about the entire universe.
That is because we are tied with the umbilical cord of gravity to only this
small part of the sky, and everything else "could be" in another dimension, as
far as we will ever know.
Our Milky Way galaxy is a captive of the Virgo Cluster and Supercluster,
and eventually it will fall and merge into, or be eaten-up by the cluster.
Following which, there will probably be another local "little bang" or at least
the start of another long pulsation cycle.
Virgo is the second largest constellation we can view. It is highest in the
northern hemisphere during May and June, and departs in October, until next
spring. Virgo is the only female sign in the zodiac, and the sun spends more
time in this constellation than in any other zodiac sign. Keep in mind the
differences between our galactic center (that is, the Milky Way's center in
Sagittarius), and our galactic cluster's center in Virgo: which is the center of
thousands of galaxies of which the Milky Way is merely one of average
size.
The easiest way to find Virgo, is (after midnight) to begin with the Big
Dipper in the northeast sky. If you follow the arc of the Big Dipper's handle
eastward, you will "arc to Arcturus" the bright orange star midway up in the
eastern sky that marks the base of the kite-shaped figure of the Herdsman, in
early Spring laying almost horizontal. Continuing the line from Arcturus and you
will "speed to Spica" the brightest star in Virgo rising in the southeast. Spica
is really the only bright star visible in Virgo since the main part of this
constellation is the cluster of galaxies. Spica is, in fact, exceedingly close
to us and a double-star with total luminosity is 2000 times that of our Sun. The
supercluster itself is about 50-65 million light-years away in the background
and Spica is in the foreground.
Orion has now moved into the western sky and that area appears relatively
empty of stars. The north-western sky is somewhat richer with the
Pleiades. Slightly above them can be found the V-shaped constellation of
Taurus. Almost directly north is Gemini, with its two bright stars, Castor
and Pollux. Further east is Leo, with its main star, Regulus. Two brilliant
stars stand out overhead- esp. Sirius. The Milky Way runs overhead
from north-west to south-east.
The Sombrero galaxy is technically not in Virgo, but close. This
one is the most beautiful image of the dozen or so which I have downloaded
from the NASA site. Enjoy.
Jones
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