To Boldly Go ...

Vergennes, Vermont

NoLL

Galaxy Cluster Abell 1689 Magnifies the Dark Universe

Credit: NASA, ESA, E. Jullo (JPL), P. Natarajan (Yale), & J.-P. Kneib (LAM, CNRS)
Acknowledgment: H. Ford and N. Benetiz (JHU), & T. Broadhurst (Tel Aviv)

Ah what a great picture. Each of the fuzzy yellow blobs above is a whole galaxy. The picture reminds me of the desire to explore. To explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before. (Wait. Back up. Not that far.)

Have Libby and I lost that desire? In the past two years, the only place we've gone that we haven't seen before is the trip across Florida across Lake Okeechobee. Even here on Champlain, there are places that we haven't been to and we have no plans to go there.

Have we lost the wanderlust? I sure hope not. I also hope we can make up for it in the coming winter season. We still haven't seen the Exumas, central and southern Bahamas where there are thousands of wonderful islands. I hope to get there next season. However, we won't cross over until April. That way, we get to see the best of it without the nasty winter storms.