Magnetic Streamlines of the Milky Way

What role do magnetic fields play in interstellar physics? Analyses of observations by ESA’s Planck satellite of emission by small magnetically-aligned dust grains reveal previously unknown magnetic field structures in our Milky Way Galaxy — as shown by the curvy lines in the featured full-sky image. The dark red shows the plane of the Milky Way, where the concentration of dust is the highest. The huge arches above the plane are likely remnants of past explosive events from our Galaxy’s core, conceptually similar to magnetic loop-like structures seen in our Sun’s atmosphere. The curvy streamlines align with interstellar filaments of neutral hydrogen gas and provide tantalizing evidence that magnetic fields may supplement gravity in not only in shaping the interstellar medium, but in forming stars. How magnetism affected our Galaxy’s evolution will likely remain a topic of research for years to come. via wordpress https://wp.me/p4wJUi-6OU

Hubble Makes a Bright Find

Seen here in incredible detail is the starburst galaxy formally known as PLCK G045.1+61.1. The galaxy, which appears as multiple reddish dots near the center of the image, is being gravitationally lensed by a cluster of closer galaxies, also seen in the image. via wordpress https://wp.me/p4wJUi-6OM

Dow Jones is up 0.44% in premarket

June 17, 2020 Stock Futures Premarket Data 08:55AM ET S&P 500 0.42% Nasdaq 0.45% Dow Jones 0.44% Performance S&P 500 1d 1.9% 5d -2.05% 1m 5.78% 3m 23.55% 6m -2.12% 1y 8.13% 5y 48.77% 10y 179.98% Nasdaq 1d 1.75% 5d -1.24% 1m 7.16% 3m 34.92% 6m 12.16% 1y 26.14% 5y 95.38% 10y 328.92% Dow Jones 1d 2.04% 5d -2.59% 1m 6.88% 3m 23.79% 6m -6.99% 1y 0.68% 5y 46.58% 10y 151.96%

APOD is 25 Years Old Today

Welcome to the quadranscentennial year of the Astronomy Picture of the Day. Perhaps a source of consistency for some, APOD is still here. To help celebrate APOD’s Silver Anniversary, some of APOD’s TVAoTaSMD have recorded a birthday greeting and thanks to APOD’s readership in today’s featured video. Many have also highlighted a few of their favorite APOD images. In collaboration with NASA through APOD, these and other volunteers help to inform the world, in most major world languages and over most major media platforms, of NASA and humanity’s growing knowledge, active exploration, and inspiring visualizations of the amazing astronomical universe in which we live. APOD’s founders (still alive!) would also like to offer a sincere thank you — not only to our TVAoTaSMD — but to APOD’s readership for continued interest, support, and many gracious communications over the years. via wordpress https://wp.me/p4wJUi-6OS

Picture of the day for June 17, 2020

Wikipedia picture of the day on June 17, 2020: Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros), female, in the park of Seehof Castle near Bamberg, Germany. https://ift.tt/30PHzFe

Wikipedia article of the day for June 17, 2020

Wikipedia article of the day is Nestor Lakoba. Check it out: https://ift.tt/3deWiMM Summary: Nestor Lakoba (1893–1936) was an Abkhaz Communist leader. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, Lakoba helped establish Bolshevik power in Abkhazia in the Caucasus region of the Soviet Union. As the head of Abkhazia after its conquest by the Bolshevik Red Army in 1921, Lakoba saw that Abkhazia was initially given autonomy as the Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia. Though nominally a part of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic with a special status of “union republic”, Abkhazia was effectively a separate republic, made possible by Lakoba’s close relationship with Joseph Stalin. In 1931 Lakoba was forced to accept a downgrade of Abkhazia’s status to that of an autonomous republic within Georgia. Another confidant of Stalin, Lavrentiy Beria, summoned Lakoba to visit him in Tbilisi in December 1936. Lakoba was poisoned, allowing Beria to consolidate his control over Abkhazia and all of Georgia.