TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
Oct 31 2022
LDN 43: The Cosmic Bat Nebula
What is the most spook-tacular nebula in the galaxy? One contender is LDN 43, which bears an astonishing resemblance to a vast cosmic bat flying amongst the stars on a dark Halloween night. Located about 1400 light years away in the constellation Ophiuchus, this molecular cloud is dense enough to block light not only from background stars, but from wisps of gas lit up by the nearby reflection nebula LBN 7. Far from being a harbinger of death, this 12-light year-long filament of gas and dust is actually a stellar nursery. Glowing with eerie light, the bat is lit up from inside by dense gaseous knots that have just formed young stars.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
98% audience score, you say?
Correction, 89%
India Morbi bridge collapse: Nine detained for 'negligence'; death toll rises to 134
On Monday, the local police arrested at least nine people and launched a criminal investigation into the suspension bridge collapse which took place in the Indian state of Gujarat town, Morbi. The death toll from the incident that took place late Sunday rose to 134 people making it one of the deadliest accidents in the country over the last decade or so.
The bridge was constructed over a century ago in 1877 and had re-opened after extensive repairs and renovations. Reports indicate that at least nine unnamed people who were responsible for the renovation, maintenance and management of the bridge have been detained. This comes after a private operator had carried out the work and the bridge was opened without any fitness certificate, said the local officials.
In a press conference, Ashok Yadav, Inspector-general of Rajkot range, said, “Among the nine people arrested two are managers of Oreva company, two ticket clerks along with two contractors and three security guards for negligence.” He added, “Yesterday, a tragic incident took place, we registered an FIR against negligence under sections 304, 308 and 104,” while the police and administration had “responded swiftly.”
So far, 134 people have been killed and more than 100 people have been injured. The camera CCTV footage of the moments before the bridge collapsed shows a group of young men taking photos and rocking the bridge from side to side after which the cables holding the bridge snapped and the people tumbled into the river. The bridge was about 10 metres above the Machchhu River in the centre of Morbi town.
The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 400,000 ($4,856) to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 ($600) for the injured. Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister has said that he will visit Morbi following the incident, while he has cancelled his roadshow in the poll-bound state scheduled to be held in Gujarat’s city Ahmedabad, 300 kilometres from the site of the accident, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources.
https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-morbi-bridge-collapse-nine-detained-for-negligence-death-toll-rises-to-134-529984
https://youtu.be/zXQDw0XWvoo