The Stars Like Dust

Vero Beach
NoLL

Credit & Copyright: Louie Atalasidis

The Stars Like Dust is the title of a science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov. I thought of that title when I saw the stunning picture above on APOD. In the picture, you see somebright blue stars in the foreground. Behind them are countless stars packed so densely they do seem as bits of dust. The dark patches are true dust clouds. The view is toward the center of our own galaxy, The Milky Way.

Imagine how we would think differently about the universe if the stars in our neighborhood were packed as densely as this. Imagine how differently we might think about the practicality of interstellar travel. Imagine how much starlight we would have and what the night sky might look like in that stellar neighborhood.

Unfortunately, due to high levels of background radiation, it is believe that there could be no habitable planets near the galactic core. What a shame. What a fantastic place the universe is. Don't you agree?