NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Nov 12, 2023

Gibbous Moon beyond Swedish Mountain

This is a gibbous Moon. More Earthlings are familiar with a full moon, when the entire face of Luna is lit by the Sun, and a crescent moon, when only a sliver of the Moon's face is lit. When more than half of the Moon is illuminated, though, but still short of full illumination, the phase is called gibbous. Rarely seen in television and movies, gibbous moons are quite common in the actual night sky. The featured image was taken in Jämtland, Sweden near the end of 2018 October. That gibbous moon turned, in a few days, into a crescent moon, and then a new moon, then back to a crescent, and a few days past that, back to gibbous. Setting up to capture a picturesque gibbous moonscape, the photographer was quite surprised to find an airplane, surely well in the foreground, appearing to fly past it.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?

NASA Administrator Honors Life of Apollo Astronaut Frank Borman

NOV 09, 2023

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on the passing of former NASA astronaut Col. (ret.) Frank Borman, who passed away Nov. 7, in Billings, Montana, at the age of 95.

“Today we remember one of NASA’s best. Astronaut Frank Borman was a true American hero. Among his many accomplishments, he served as the commander of the Apollo 8 mission, humanity’s first mission around the Moon in 1968.

“His lifelong love for aviation and exploration was only surpassed by his love for his wife Susan.

“Frank began his career as an officer with the U.S. Air Force. His love of flying proved essential through his positions as a fighter pilot, operational pilot, test pilot, and assistant professor. His exceptional experience and expertise led him to be chosen by NASA to join the second group of astronauts.

“In addition to his critical role as commander of the Apollo 8 mission, he is a veteran of Gemini 7, spending 14 days in low-Earth orbit and conducting the first rendezvous in space, coming within a few feet of the Gemini 6 spacecraft.

“Frank continued his passion for aviation after his time with NASA as the CEO of Eastern Airlines.

“Frank knew the power exploration held in uniting humanity when he said, ‘Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.’ His service to NASA and our nation will undoubtedly fuel the Artemis Generation to reach new cosmic shores.”

For more about Borman’s NASA career, photos, and his agency biography, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/former-astronaut-frank-borman/

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-administrator-honors-life-of-apollo-astronaut-frank-borman/

Kash Patel

@Kash

Happy Diwali

Nov 12, 2023, 5:38 AM

https://truthsocial.com/@Kash/posts/111397851252046022

Incredible Photos of a Pond Turned Bright Pink Are a Warning

Nov 10, 2023 at 6:58 AM EST

Photos and videos of a receding lake in Hawaii have flooded social media as its normally blue waters turned Pepto-Bismol pink. However, the underlying cause of this phenomenon at Maui's Kealia Pond is something far less rosy.

"Standing in front of the pink water made me feel like I was on a different planet, but then I grounded into the knowing that this is naturally occurring on Earth and I felt so grateful to be existing in this ecosystem," Molly Eichenberger, a Maui-based artist and video producer at I don't know baby, told Newsweek. "I have never seen this before in my life."

Pink lakes exist around the world and are colored by the unique blend of algae and bacteria that call their waters home. However, no one has ever seen the refuge pond turn this color before, not even volunteers who have been working there for 70 years, according to U.K. newspaper The Guardian.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge say that the vibrant water is most likely not caused by toxic algae. "It appears to be a single-celled organism called halobacteria," they added.

Halobacteria are a type of bacteria that thrive in intensely salty environments and emit a red pigment. While these are not inherently dangerous on their own, their presence does not bode well for the animals and plants that call Kealia Pond home.

"Although this is beautiful, we have to keep in mind that this is a huge shift for the ecosystem and that we need to all be mindful of our impact on the environment," Eichenberger said. "Maui's water supplies are a tricky topic that has screamed out for relief recently with the fires. This type of bacteria thrives in high salinity, and the dryness of the wetland lately could have contributed to this phenomenon."

The water at Kealia Pond now is twice as salty as seawater, according to staff. This high salinity is likely caused by the ongoing drought in Maui—as water in the pond evaporates, the salt inside becomes even more concentrated.

Bret Wolfe, refuge manager at Kealia Pond, told The Guardian that heavy rain will hopefully raise the water levels, reducing the salinity and returning the lake to its natural color.

https://www.newsweek.com/incredible-photos-pond-pink-warning-hawaii-1842638