Feeling A Lot Better Today

feeling a lot better today

2022 July 13

Webb’s First Deep Field Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NIRCam

Explanation: This is the deepest, sharpest infrared image of the cosmos so far. The view of the early Universe toward the southern constellation Volans was achieved in 12.5 hours of exposure with the NIRCam instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope. Of course the stars with six visible spikes are well within our own Milky Way. That diffraction pattern is characteristic of Webb’s 18 hexagonal mirror segments operating together as a single 6.5 meter diameter primary mirror. The thousands of galaxies flooding the field of view are members of the distant galaxy cluster SMACS0723-73, some 4.6 billion light-years away. Luminous arcs that seem to infest the deep field are even more distant galaxies though. Their images are distorted and magnified by the dark matter dominated mass of the galaxy cluster, an effect known as gravitational lensing. Analyzing light from two separate arcs below the bright spiky star, Webb’s NIRISS instrument indicates the arcs are both images of the same background galaxy. And that galaxy’s light took about 9.5 billion years to reach the James Webb Space Telescope.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220713.html

2022 July 14

Webb’s Southern Ring Nebula Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NIRCam

Explanation: Cataloged as NGC 3132 the Southern Ring Nebula is a planetary nebula, the death shroud of a dying sun-like star some 2,500 light-years from Earth. Composed of gas and dust the stunning cosmic landscape is nearly half a light-year in diameter, explored in unprecedented detail by the James Webb Space Telescope. In this NIRCam image the bright star near center is a companion of the dying star. In mutual orbit, the star whose transformation has ejected the nebula’s gas and dust shells over thousands of years is the fainter stellar partner. Evolving to become a white dwarf, the faint star appears along the diffraction spike extending toward the 8 o'clock position. This stellar pair’s orbital motion has resulted the complex structures within the Southern Ring Nebula.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220714.html

i read a few interesting articles about fevers, most notably this one, that argue fevers are generally good. so today i’m “letting it ride.” maybe if i get back up to a high fever i’ll reconsider, but so far i haven’t crossed above 38.9C (102F).

after all, who am i to defy hundreds of millions of years of evolution? 🤔

the highlight of my day was dr. dentist saying, "I don't see any cavities," which did feel like winning the appointment, tbh

spiked a 39.6C (103.2F) fever yesterday, even with antipyretics. the sweating has been intense. i’m back down to a normal temperature so far without meds; still woke up sweaty, though