The Things We’re Overlooking

I feel like we’ve been in crisis mode for years now. Each news cycle is more shocking than the last, and because of that, I’m losing the will to be shocked anymore. I now understand how people can seem lethargic in war zones. It just all becomes too much.

But the most heartbreaking aspect of this, in my opinion, is that other things are happening, miraculous things, spectacular things, horrific things, record-breaking things, and we don’t even hear about them because we’re overwhelmed by Trump’s tomfoolery or this nightmare pandemic.

For example, check out this article entitled, “First Ever Image of a Multi-Planet System around a Sun-like Star Captured by ESO Telescope”. And the most amazing thing is that this system is located only about 300 light years from us. On a universal scale, we’re practically neighbors.

And we have a great deal in common. Our suns are very similar, although theirs is younger. And there are two gas giants circling that sun, similar to ours, although a great deal larger and farther out. Soon, astronomers hope to see if there are smaller planets in the system as well.

What an amazing discovery. This is the first time we’ve seen anything like this, ever. We can learn a lot from this system. This is huge. This is incredibly exciting!

And yet it gets lost in the drama that is our current reality. It makes you wonder what else we’re missing.

First ever image of a multi-planet system around a Sun-like star — This image, captured by the SPHERE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, shows the star TYC 8998-760-1 accompanied by two giant exoplanets, TYC 8998-760-1b and TYC 8998-760-1c. This is the first time astronomers have directly observed more than one planet orbiting a star similar to the Sun. The two planets are visible as two bright dots in the centre (TYC 8998-760-1b) and bottom right (TYC 8998-760-1c) of the frame, noted by arrows. Other bright dots, which are background stars, are visible in the image as well. By taking different images at different times, the team were able to distinguish the planets from the background stars. The image was captured by blocking the light from the young, Sun-like star (top-left of centre) using a coronagraph, which allows for the fainter planets to be detected. The bright and dark rings we see on the star’s image are optical artefacts.

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Author: The View from a Drawbridge

I have been a bridgetender since 2001, and gives me plenty of time to think and observe the world. View all posts by The View from a Drawbridge

3 thoughts on “The Things We’re Overlooking”

I saw that the other week and was duly impressed. Agree several hundred percent about how all this crap makes us miss other, better stuff. Except some of us don’t miss it. You found that article on those exoplanets, for instance. Me, I’m always finding crazy/neat things to get fascinated with. Keeps me out of bigger mischief.
Y’all hang on to your knowledge of good things. It’ll help hold you together.

The View from a Drawbridge says:

August 10, 2020 at 10:16 am

So true, Angi!

Reply

A partial explanation for Trumps tomfoolery. It ends on a hopeful note.

Most people don’t even realize that children are still being separated from their parents at the border. https://www.splcenter.org/news/2020/06/18/family-separation-policy-continues-two-years-after-trump-administration-claims-it-ended
Have to dig beneath mainstream, easy access, news to stay fully informed. Unfortunately, many are raised to be fast food consumers. You do the digging but they can’t make the effort to read. Maybe, if you were in a zany entertaining video format, you’d reach more of those who really need their eyes opened. Break out the whistles, kazoos and clown shoes… it works for Trump’s circus.