I Love This!

Whether you enjoy this or that, whether you love the new Star Wars or Star Trek or neither, always remember we’re all sci-fi lovers and always celebrate our inner kids who love thinking about the future. So have a great Christmas, holidays, or whatever you celebrate. In the end, we’re all on a “pale blue dot” zipping through the cosmos, hoping we don’t get creamed by an asteroid or some gamma burst.

Yes!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a spin-off with Anson Mount, Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn reprising their Star Trek: Discovery roles as Captain Pike, Spock and Number One, is coming to CBS All Access as reported from official sources on May 15 2020.

The series will follow the trio “in the decade before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.”

Alex Kurtzman: “When we said we heard the fans’ outpouring of love for Pike, Number One and Spock when they boarded Star Trek: Discovery last season, we meant it. These iconic characters have a deep history in Star Trek canon, yet so much of their stories have yet to be told. With Akiva [Goldsman] and Henry [Alonso Myers] at the helm, the Enterprise, its crew, and its fans are in for an extraordinary journey to new frontiers in the Star Trek universe.“ 

The title and timeline suggest the series could be episodic, rather than serialized. The series premiere was written by Akiva Goldsman with the story by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet. There’s no premiere date yet set.

Beautiful ship!

USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-A, from Star Trek Beyond, by Alexander Klemm.

Weird and Wonderful Irregular Galaxies

Spiral and elliptical galaxies seem neatly put together, but what happened to irregular galaxies? Irregular galaxies have one-of-a-kind shapes and many look like blobs! Why do they look the way they do? Astronomers think the uniqueness of these galaxies results from their interactions with other galaxies — like when they pass close to one another or even collide!

Looking back at the early universe with the help of our Hubble Space Telescope’s “deep field” observations, astronomers can peek at galaxies millions and billions of light-years away. They noticed that these far-away galaxies appear unusually messy, showing more star formation and mergers than galaxies closer to the Milky Way.

We also see irregular galaxies closer to home, though. Some may form when two galaxies pass close together in a near-miss. When this happens, their gravity pulls stars out of place in both galaxies, messing up the neat structure they originally had as spiral or elliptical galaxies. Think of it like this: you happen to have a pile of papers sitting at the edge of a table and when someone passes close by the papers become ruffled and may scatter everywhere! Even though the two galaxies never touched, gravity's effects leave them looking smeared or distorted.

Some irregular galaxies result from the collision between two galaxies. And while some of these look like a blob of stars and dust, others form dazzling ring galaxies! Scientists think these may be a product of collisions between small and large galaxies. These collisions cause ripples that disturb both galaxies, throwing dust, gas, and stars outward. When this happens, it pushes out a ring of material, causing gas clouds to collide and spark the birth of new stars. After just a few million years, stars larger than our Sun explode as supernovae, leaving neutron stars and black holes throughout the ring!

Not all galaxy collisions create irregular galaxies — our Milky Way spiral galaxy has gone through many mergers but has stayed intact! And for some interacting galaxies, being an irregular galaxy may just be a phase in their transformation. We’re observing them at a snapshot in time where things are messy, but they may eventually become neat and structured spirals and ellipticals.

Irregular galaxies are similar to each other, but unique and beautiful because of their different interactions, whether they’re just passing another galaxy or taking part in a dramatic collision. Keep up with NASA Universe on Facebook and Twitter where we post regularly about galaxies.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

How did I not notice this???

THE CLONE WARS SCENES THAT SEEM ODDLY FAMILIAR (3/?)

Something to hold us over until Andor premieres.

rebellions are built on hope.

It was a routine meeting in the SGC.

Loved this movie.

Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave.

The Jedi voices:

Obi-Wan: These are your final steps, rise and take them.

Anakin: Rey.

Ahsoka: Rey.

Kanan: Rey.

Anakin: Bring back the balance Rey, as I did.

Luminara: Find the light, Rey.

Kanan: You are not alone, Rey.

Yoda: Alone, never have you been.

Qui-Gon: Every Jedi who has ever lived lives in you now.

Anakin: The Force surrounds you.

Aayla: Let it guide you.

Ahsoka: As it guided us.

Mace: Feel the Force flowing through you, Rey.

Kanan: Let it lift you.

Adi: Rise, Rey.

Qui-Gon: We stand behind you.

Old!Obi-Wan: Rey.

Yoda: Rise in the Force.

Kanan: In the heart of a Jedi lies her strength.

Obi-Wan: Rise.

Qui-Gon: Rise.

Luke: Rey, the Force will be with you. Always.