Age Of Destruction

smoky: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, photographed by A....

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:22:49 -0400

smoky: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, photographed by A. Keith, 1902.

From Mount Collins, on the border between Swain County, North Carolina and Sevier County, Tennessee. Detail of a larger image [Keith 292].

Image credit: USGS.

streak: Star trails and Saturn’s E Ring, overexposed by...

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:50:52 -0400

streak: Star trails and Saturn’s E Ring, overexposed by Cassini, 31st October 2009.

In search of Methone.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/SSI.

morning when dawn’s left hand was in the sky: Surface of...

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:04:10 -0400

morning when dawn’s left hand was in the sky: Surface of Mercury, photographed by MESSENGER, 10th February 2012.

If I’m interpreting landmarks correctly, we are looking up at the south pole here. At the top of the image is sunrise along 70°W longitude, and at the bottom is sunset at along 250°W.

Composite of two images. I collected quite a few of these shots in the hope of making a rotating-Mercury-timelapse gif, but as yet I haven’t had any luck with that.

Image credit: NASA/APL/CIW. Composite: AgeOfDestruction.

female creatures: Surface of Mars, photographed by Mars...

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:01:38 -0400

female creatures: Surface of Mars, photographed by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 9th Juny 2007.

“Gullies in Gorgonum Chaos mesas” around 37°S 190°E in the northwestern Terra Sirenum.

The chaos and terra are named for the Gorgon and Sirens of Greek mythology; both, interestingly, are female and extremely dangerous, perhaps mythic expressions of male insecurities.

Detail of a larger image.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/UoA.

homeworld: Titan, photographed by Cassini, 29th January...

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:05:14 -0400

homeworld: Titan, photographed by Cassini, 29th January 2007.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/SSI.

postcards: Surface of Mars, photographed by Curiosity, sols...

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:15:00 -0400

postcards: Surface of Mars, photographed by Curiosity, sols 182-232.

(10th February - 1st April 2013.)

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Animation: AgeOfDestruction.

trails: Ship tracks in the Pacific, photographed by Aqua, 15th...

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:59:06 -0400

trails: Ship tracks in the Pacific, photographed by Aqua, 15th January 2013.

About 1,100km due west of the coast of Oregon. Perhaps the prettiest type of pollution, ship tracks are clouds seeded by ship exhausts.

Detail of a larger image.

Image credit: NASA/MODIS.

hunter: Surface of the Moon, photographed from Apollo 15, 2nd...

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:31:31 -0400

hunter: Surface of the Moon, photographed from Apollo 15, 2nd August 1971.

Around 25°S 120°E. Zhiritskiy Crater is at center left, overlapping the more central crater. Part of Neujmin is visible at right, and a tiny bit of Schaeberle peeps in at bottom left. Named, respectively, for rocket scientist Georgiy Sergeevich Zhiritskiy, 1893-1966; astronomer Grigory Nikolayevich Neujmin, 1886-1946; astronomer John Martin Schaeberle, 1853-1924.

Image credit: NASA/JSC, c/o LPI.

upland: Pacific Ocean and Palos Verdes Hills, photographed by W....

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:53:45 -0400

upland: Pacific Ocean and Palos Verdes Hills, photographed by W. S. W. Kew, 1922.

Los Angeles County, California. Detail of a larger image [Kew 75].

Image credit: USGS.

chaos: Surface of Mars, photographed by Mars Express, 30th...

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:47:04 -0400

chaos: Surface of Mars, photographed by Mars Express, 30th August 2005.

Around 10°S 319°E, where the Valles Marineris flow out into Aurorae Chaos. Detail of a larger image [h2090_0000].

Image credit: ESA.

migraine: Surface of Mercury, photographed by MESSENGER, 29th...

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:11:13 -0400

migraine: Surface of Mercury, photographed by MESSENGER, 29th October 2011.

Around 69°N 310°W, north-east of Egonu Crater.

Image credit: NASA/APL/CIW. Composite: AgeOfDestruction.

signature: Saturn’s F Ring, perturbed by the moon...

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:56:00 -0400

signature: Saturn’s F Ring, perturbed by the moon Prometheus, photographed by Cassini, 30th August 2008.

More of the F Ring. More of Prometheus.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/SSI.

bering sea: Off Hall Island, Alaska, photographed by G. K....

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:43:01 -0400

bering sea: Off Hall Island, Alaska, photographed by G. K. Gilbert, 1899.

Detail of a larger image [Gilbert 435].

Image credit: USGS.

dangerous mood: Jupiter, photographed by Voyager 1, 27th...

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:29:27 -0400

dangerous mood: Jupiter, photographed by Voyager 1, 27th February 1979.

Nominally a photograph of the moon Thebe; good luck finding it.

Image credit: NASA/JPL.

victorious: Surface of Mars, photographed by Mars Reconnaissance...

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:44:00 -0400

victorious: Surface of Mars, photographed by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 13th September 2008.

Break in the eastern wall of Al-Qahira Vallis at 18S 163E. Al-Qahira is a 600km outflow channel connecting the southern highlands of Terra Cimmeria and the lowlands of Elysium Planitia.

Although the vallis is apparently named for the Arabic word for Mars, al-qahira also seems to be translated* as “the victorious” and is used in that sense as a name for the city of Cairo.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/UoA.

* It occurs to me that two different Arabic words may be being transliterated as the same one; I’d be very interested to hear from anyone who can clear that up.

diamonds coming down: Saturn and stars, photographed by Cassini,...

Sun, 12 May 2013 11:40:27 -0400

diamonds coming down: Saturn and stars, photographed by Cassini, 26th June 2010.

Pappubahry has interpreted this kind of image as the stars emerging from behind Saturn (top left section of the image). Here, successive images in a sequence are superimposed, showing each star as a trail. Where a star emerges from behind Saturn (particularly at far left and far right), note how the light is at first dimmed and refracted by Saturn’s atmosphere.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/SSI. Animation: AgeOfDestruction.

glare: Rings of Uranus, photographed by Voyager 2, 23rd January...

Sat, 11 May 2013 14:27:28 -0400

glare: Rings of Uranus, photographed by Voyager 2, 23rd January 1986.

Image credit: NASA/JPL.

cinnabar: Snow in cirque, photographed by W. M. Cady, 16th July...

Fri, 10 May 2013 20:34:59 -0400

cinnabar: Snow in cirque, photographed by W. M. Cady, 16th July 1943.

At the head of Cinnabar Gulch in the Cinnabar Creek area, Alaska. Detail of a larger image [Cady 96].

Image credit: USGS.

vhs: Surface of Mars, photographed by Mars Express, 9th...

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:09 -0400

vhs: Surface of Mars, photographed by Mars Express, 9th September 2005.

Northwest Daedalia Planum at 5°S 220°E. Presumably named after Daedalus, the great inventor of Greek myth; there is also a crater named for him the Moon.

Image credit: ESA.

rim: Crater Lake, photographed by J. S. Diller, circa...

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:56:02 -0400

rim: Crater Lake, photographed by J. S. Diller, circa 1901.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. Detail of a larger image [Diller 472].

Image credit: USGS.