The Dark Side

What is that? Looks like a Muppet.

Tormenting that old man should go double when he's a bunny~ X3

[Same Age AU] v2 “Stop glaring at everyone. And stop yanking at my pants, they can’t go any higher.” “Do you even have underwear?” “That you can see for yourself. Later. If you behave, of course.” Same age, but both are Jedi Knights. An undercover mission. It was meant to be a solo mission for Obi-Wan, but then Anakin saw the outfit and went "Hahaha. No fucking way." So he pulled all the strings he could, bragged his Chosen One's rights, and got himself into this mission too. He may or may not have mind-tricked someone to go and stare at the wall for three hours because they stared at Obi-Wan's hips. v1

Full height version:

[Same Age AU] v2 “Stop glaring at everyone. And stop yanking at my pants, they can’t go any higher.” “Do you even have underwear?” “That you can see for yourself. Later. If you behave, of course.” Same age, but both are Jedi Knights. An undercover mission. It was meant to be a solo mission for Obi-Wan, but then Anakin saw the outfit and went "Hahaha. No fucking way." So he pulled all the strings he could, bragged his Chosen One's rights, and got himself into this mission too. He may or may not have mind-tricked someone to go and stare at the wall for three hours because they stared at Obi-Wan's hips. v1

Full height version:

“You can never outgrow flowers :) ”

-Qui-Gon Jinn, probably.

this is not just "a picture", it's Pale Blue Dot, one of the most famous works of astrophotography ever made public. and it was not just "a dying spacecraft", it was Voyager 1, a probe launched in 1977 to study the atmosphere and moons of Jupiter and Saturn, among other things. both Voyager probes carried on them a golden record meant as an introduction to humanity for any alien species that might discover them (if you saw Kane Parsons' Backrooms, you've heard the contents of that record coming out of a cardboard caveman standee). they did this because NASA planned to sundown these probes by letting them drift out of the solar system to parts unknown. Voyager 1 is currently 16 billion miles away, the farthest any manmade object has ever traveled from earth.

AND it's not even dead! despite supposedly being a "dying spacecraft" all the way back in 1990, Voyager 1 is not expected to be fully out of commission until 2036. to keep the probe alive they've switched off unneeded tools, adjusted its trajectory, even essentially updated the firmware, and through all that time it's basically never stopped sending back priceless data for scientists to analyze.

this is the original Pale Blue Dot, by the way:

it's relevant because "a single point of light smaller than one pixel" makes a lot more sense in the context of the original than it does in the heavily corrected version up top, where our pale blue dot looks more like a vibrant dwarf star. the difficulty of spotting earth in these waving curtains of space IS the entire impact of the picture! the blue dot is "pale" because it's hard to see! by making earth stand out so brilliantly, Terribly Interesting have inadvertently created the impression that earth is this vibrant glowing pearl, bright for all to see for billions of miles around. and it just isn't! the point is not that we can see earth from far away, but that we almost can't, because we aren't the center of the universe! when science educators past have used this image they often referred to one where the earth is circled in bright red, which only further emphasizes how small and fragile our home really is.

but hey, if you DO want an improved version of Pale Blue Dot you don't even need photoshop:

this is Pale Blue Dot Revisited, released by NASA in 2020. this is a reinterpretation of the original data using modern image processing techniques to create a more realistic or at least more high-definition rendering of the scene. it's important to understand that this is not the original image dropped into photoshop and airbrushed. strictly speaking, there isn't an "original" Pale Blue Dot the way there are negatives of traditional photography. astrophotography is almost always the product of raw data being deliberately interpreted by scientists, so the same data can produce many different images (ie if they want to emphasize the infrared spectrum vs visible light). similar work was done by Don P. Mitchell in ~2005 to enhance images taken by Soviet Venera probes of the surface of Venus to be less noisy.

here's an original:

and here's Mitchell's version:

i'm not here to argue which is "better" (and i highly recommend you read the source for this one because it's quite fascinating), just to give another example of the process in action and hopefully clarify how it's distinct from editing a jpeg in photoshop. also i just think it's neat!

which is the real reason i went to the trouble of making this post. Terribly Interesting may indeed find all of this to be terribly interesting, but it appears to be interest for the sake of a vague transient feeling of having been interested and little else. it doesn't name the probe, the photo in question, nor does it give historical context for the mission it was part of. the only substantial thing it says about the probe, that Voyager 1 is a "dying spacecraft", is so frustratingly oversimplified it may as well just be a lie.

so what's actually learned here, if you're someone who knows none of this history? that one time there was a thing and it did a thing? earth tiny from far away?? obviously it's just one image macro but i see this kind of thing making the rounds SO often, a screenshot with like two sentences on it explaining the image with as little descriptive text as possible. it's like there's a space-themed inspiration-posting rulebook that says you can't imply the existence of information not contained within the image. mention NASA? mention Voyager 1? mention Pale Blue Dot? nope! "a dying spacecraft" took "one last photograph", and here's a photoshopped version to make earth more visible.

and it might not even get to me nearly as much if this was any other space photo. i could accept that space stuff is complicated and this kind of fast-food image can only say so much if we were talking about Cassini or JWST's role in helping us find exoplanets. but this is Pale Blue Dot, the brainchild of arguably THE science communicator Carl Sagan! he wrote a book about Pale Blue Dot, he was on TV to announce the image personally! it's arguable that no astrophotograph exists whose context has been more digestibly packaged for laymen than Pale Blue Dot, which just makes it that much more egregious when someone doesn't go to the trouble.

so much of what i love about astronomy and studying the past & future of space travel is that everything you can learn is a doorway to learning more. you can't earnestly read about Voyager or Cassini or Venera or any other mission without finding some odd searchable detail and going "wait, what is that" and immediately falling down an hourslong rabbit hole to find an answer. and you'll never reach the bottom! i love reading articles about cutting edge astrophysics written for people in, like, early grad school, because i fully comprehend maybe 10% of it, vaguely understand 20% (on a good day), can kind of wrap my head around 30%, and find the rest totally inscrutable... but that's still a solid 60% scrutability rating even at the lowest-quality end of the spectrum! i'm no expert and i never will be, but in scouring the written expertise of others i almost always find one or two ideas that end up sticking with me forever. and it starts, every time, from questions about a photograph.

the sin of the above image is that it's solipsistic. it doesn't give you anywhere to put your curiosity or interest, doesn't invite you to leave their website and learn more than they have space to share, it doesn't even tell you anything useful about its subject! it reduces the entire history of Pale Blue Dot down to a vague and nondescript wonder that's just a pale imitation of the highly specific and ideologically driven wonder that Carl Sagan wanted us to feel.

here, feel it for yourself:

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LANSING, MI (6-29-26) — With temperatures expected to climb into the 90s across much of Michigan and heat index values forecast to exceed 100 degrees in some communities, public health officials are urging residents to take precautions against heat-related illnesses and make use of cooling centers available throughout the state.

From Detroit and Lansing to Grand Rapids, Flint, Bay City, Kalamazoo and Saginaw, local governments and community organizations have opened air-conditioned facilities where residents can cool off, stay hydrated and find relief during periods of extreme heat.

Older adults, infants and young children, people with chronic medical conditions, outdoor workers, and individuals without air conditioning are especially vulnerable during prolonged periods of hot and humid weather.

Cooling Centers Across Michigan

Lansing

The City of Lansing has designated several cooling centers for the week of June 29 through July 3, including:

Foster Community Center

Gier Community Center

Schmidt Community Center

Letts Community Center

Lansing City Hall Lobby

Several locations offer extended evening hours to better accommodate residents. For more infomation about Lansing Cooling Centers visit Cooling Centers - Lansing, MI.

Detroit

Detroit operates numerous cooling centers throughout the city at recreation centers and community facilities, including:

Butzel Family Center

A.B. Ford Community Center

Coleman A. Young Recreation Center

Farwell Recreation Center

Clemente Recreation Center

Kemeny Recreation Center

Lasky Recreation Center

Williams Recreation Center

Adams Butzel Complex

Crowell Recreation Center

Helen Moore Community Center

Northwest Activities Center

Many locations are open weekdays, with several also offering Saturday hours. For more information about Detroit Cooling Centers visit Cooling Centers - Detroit, MI.

Grand Rapids Area

Cooling centers throughout the Grand Rapids region include:

Exodus Place

Grand Rapids Public Library locations

Kent District Library branches

Matthew’s House Ministry

Mel Trotter Ministries

The Salvation Army

West Grand Neighborhood Organization

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Officials recommend calling ahead to confirm hours before visiting. For more information about Grand Rapids Cooling Centers visit Cooling Centers - Grand Rapids, MI.

Genesee County

Residents in the Flint area can cool off at several locations, including:

Carriage Town Ministries Community Center

Center for Hope (Catholic Charities)

North End Soup Kitchen

Brennan Senior Center (ages 50 and older)

Burton Senior Center

Officials recommend calling ahead to confirm hours before visiting. For more information about Genesee County Cooling Centers visit Cooling Centers - Genesee County, MI.

Bay County

Cooling centers are available throughout Bay County, including:

Williams Township Hall (Auburn)

Bay County Community Center

Bay County Canteen Activity Center

Additional locations may be available through the Bay County Health Department. For more information about Bay County Cooling Centers visit Cooling Centers - Bay County, MI.

Saginaw County

The Saginaw County Commission on Aging has identified several senior cooling centers, including:

Buena Vista Senior Center

Eleanor Frank Senior Center

South Colony Senior Center

Freeland Senior Center

These locations are designed primarily to serve older adults during periods of extreme heat. For more information about Saginaw County Cooling Centers visit Cooling Centers - Saginaw County, MI.

Kalamazoo Area

The Kalamazoo region has assembled one of the state’s most comprehensive heat response plans.

Cooling shelters and centers include:

Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries

Ministry with Community

Kalamazoo Public Library (Central and branch locations)

Portage District Library

Portage Zhang Senior Center

Comstock Community Center

The Salvation Army

Residents can also access free public hydration stations at:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park

Bronson Park

Southside Park

When heat index values exceed 100 degrees, the City of Kalamazoo also opens twelve designated fire hydrants throughout the city to provide additional cooling opportunities. Officials remind residents never to operate hydrants themselves, as unauthorized use can reduce water pressure needed for emergency response.

For those looking to cool off outdoors, public recreation facilities including Kik Pool, La Crone Park Splash Pad, and the Florence Street Splash Pad are also available.

For more information about Kalamazoo Cooling Centers visit Cooling Centers - Kalamazoo, MI.

Recognize the Warning Signs

Heat-related illness can become serious within minutes. Watch for symptoms including:

Heavy sweating

Dizziness

Headache

Muscle cramps

Nausea or vomiting

Rapid heartbeat

Confusion

Fainting

Anyone experiencing severe symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.

Tips for Staying Safe

Health officials recommend several simple steps to reduce the risk of heat-related illness:

Stay in air-conditioned buildings whenever possible.

Drink water regularly, even if you don’t feel thirsty.

Avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine, which contribute to dehydration.

Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing.

Limit strenuous outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day.

Take frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned spaces.

Wear sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat when outdoors.

Never leave children, older adults, or pets inside a parked vehicle. Interior temperatures can rise 30 to 40 degrees higher than outside temperatures in just minutes.

Talk with your physician if you take medications that may affect your body’s ability to regulate heat.

Do not use salt tablets unless directed by a medical professional.

Check on Those Most at Risk

Officials are also asking residents to look after neighbors, friends and relatives, particularly:

Older adults

People with disabilities

Young children

Individuals with chronic medical conditions

People experiencing homelessness

Anyone without reliable air conditioning

A quick phone call or visit could prevent a heat-related emergency.

As Michigan enters the hottest part of the summer, emergency management officials say preparation, hydration and knowing the location of the nearest cooling center are among the best ways to stay safe until temperatures moderate.

Wake up babe, new octopus just dropped

Qui-Gon lives AU but set during Clone Wars era.