Mice Galaxies

NGC 4676, or the Mice Galaxies, are two spiral galaxies in the constellation Coma Berenices. About 290 million light-years away, they began the process of colliding and merging about 290 million years ago. Their name refers to the long tails produced by tidal action—the relative difference between gravitational pulls on the near and far parts of each galaxy—known here as a galactic tide. Members of the Coma cluster, it is a possibility that both galaxies have experienced collision, and will continue colliding until they coalesce.

The colors of the galaxy are peculiar. In the upper galaxy (NGC 4676A, to the right in the photo), a core with some dark markings is surrounded by a bluish white remnant of spiral arms. The tail is unusual, starting out blue and terminating in a more yellowish color, despite the fact that the beginning of each arm in virtually every spiral galaxy starts yellow and terminates in a bluish color. The lower galaxy (NGC 4676B, to the left) is closer to normal, with a yellowish core and two arcs; arm remnants underneath are bluish as well.

Star

A star is a luminous sphere of plasma held together by its own gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Other stars are visible to the naked eye from Earth during the night, appearing as a multitude of fixed luminous points in the sky due to their immense distance from Earth. Historically, the most prominent stars were grouped into constellations and asterisms, and the brightest stars gained proper names. Extensive catalogues of stars have been assembled by astronomers, which provide standardized star designations.

For at least a portion of its life, a star shines due to thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in its core, releasing energy that traverses the star's interior and then radiates into outer space. Once the hydrogen in the core of a star is nearly exhausted, almost all naturally occurring elements heavier than helium are created by stellar nucleosynthesis during the star's lifetime and, for some stars, by supernova nucleosynthesis when it explodes. Near the end of its life, a star can also contain degenerate matter. Astronomers can determine the mass, age, metallicity (chemical composition), and many other properties of a star by observing its motion through space, luminosity, and spectrum respectively. The total mass of a star is the principal determinant of its evolution and eventual fate. Other characteristics of a star, including diameter and temperature, change over its life, while the star's environment affects its rotation and movement. A plot of the temperature of many stars against their luminosities, known as a Hertzsprung–Russell diagram (H–R diagram), allows the age and evolutionary state of a star to be determined.

Staré

Staré is a village and municipality in Michalovce District in the Kosice Region of eastern Slovakia.

History

In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1221.

Geography

The village lies at an altitude of 107 metres and covers an area of 6.234 km². The municipality has a population of about 700 people. The name was taken from grof Staray.

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Coordinates: 48°52′N 21°52′E / 48.867°N 21.867°E / 48.867; 21.867

Star (Erasure song)

"Star" is a song by Erasure, released in 1990 as the fourth European (and third American) single from the group's fourth studio album Wild!.

A straightforward dance music track with disco elements, "Star" was written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, its lyrical content clearly referencing nuclear war; Erasure's own form of protest song. When released as a single, the track was remixed slightly for radio, bringing acoustic guitar elements and various background vocal parts forward in the mix.

The last single released from Wild!, "Star" became Erasure's twelfth consecutive Top 20 hit on the UK singles chart, peaking at number eleven, and in Germany it peaked at number twenty-three. In the United States, "Star" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, although it became a popular club hit, climbing to number four on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

Track listings

7" single (MUTE111) / Cassette Single (CMUTE111)

12" single (12MUTE111)