Weston-super-Mare – Journeys of Heart and Mind

Image of the day – 12

This has been nicknamed ‘The Penguin and Egg’ by some astronomers, I think it looks rather more like a hummingbird.

What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every day (or as often as I can). A photo, an image from the internet, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

We have something a little different today. This has been nicknamed ‘The Penguin and Egg’ by some astronomers, I think it looks rather more like a hummingbird. But its real name is not so memorable, the penguin is NGC2936 and the egg is NGC2937. They are a pair of colliding galaxies and will eventually merge. This view comes courtesy of the James Webb Space Telescope; the website is worth a visit, there are many more images like this one.

The universe we inhabit is huge. Those two galaxies are interacting, but it takes light 100 000 years to travel between them. Click the image and look closely and you’ll see dozens more galaxies in the far distance beyond this pair. We are surrounded by awesomeness!

Themed image collections

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Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Image of the day – 10

The UK has helped with military and civil aid, and has often led the way in extending the range of weapons supplied.

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every day (or as often as I can). A photo, an image from the internet, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

England and Ukraine flags flying at Uphill

Uphill is a village just south of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset. At the top of a prominent hill is a partially ruined church and on the tower is a flagpole. Currently there are two flags flying, the red cross on a white ground of England, and the Blue and yellow of Ukraine.

There are many Ukraine flags flying in England, on flagpoles in small cottage gardens, to those on official buildings. England (and indeed the rest of the United Kingdom) supports Ukraine’s valiant battle against conquest by her belligerant and bullying neighbour, Russia. The UK has helped with military and civil aid, and has often led the way in extending the range of weapons supplied, as well as the uses to which it may be put.

We have given Ukraine arms and ammunition, and also permission to use it as they wish.

Slava Ukraini!

Themed image collections

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Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Image of the day – 9

He put his telescope to his blind eye, and remarked, ‘I really do not see the signal’.

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every day (or as often as I can). A photo, an image from the internet, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

Still in Weston-super-Mare, this whimsical statue stands overlooking the sea. I suspect it represents Lord Nelson during the Battle of Copenhagen. He received a flag signal ordering him to perform some action that he knew would result in failure. He put his telescope to his blind eye, and remarked, ‘I really do not see the signal’. And he won the battle! Hence the expression, ‘Turning a blind eye’.

This story has been written up more fully by Jonathan Gifford.

Favourites

For convenience, here’s a list of my favourite images:

Anemone, Cloud, Honeybee, Hydrangea, Kiftsgate1, Kiftsgate2, Large White, Mugshot, Nelson, Robin, Rose, Spilhaus, Sunset1, Weston beach

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Image of the day – 8

Initially the Victorian ironwork supports will be checked, repaired and the wooden decking replaced.

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every day (or as often as I can). It might be a photo I took, an image from Wikipedia, NASA, or some other open source, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

This photo takes us back to Weston-super-Mare and Birnbeck Pier. Now derelict and falling apart, the pier is closed off as it’s too dangerous to visit. 50 years ago I boarded a paddle steamer here (the Waverly) to cross the Severn Estuary to Barry in Wales and then along the Somerset Coast to Ilfracombe. Finally, money has been raised and there is a plan to begin restoring the old pier.

Initially the Victorian ironwork supports will be checked, repaired and the wooden decking replaced. Once this is done, visitors will be able to walk out to Birnbeck Island again and the lifeboat station (slipway on the left) can be refurbished and brought back into use.

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Image of the day – 6

The unexpected appearance of this nosy character intruding while we were talking was enough to cause a lot of mirth.

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every day (or as often as I can). It might be a photo I took, an image from Wikipedia, NASA, or some other open source, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

I’d like to introduce you to Mugman! Some time ago I amused a friend during an online chat by moving this character slowly into view from the side of the camera frame while we were talking. I didn’t need to say anything, just the unexpected appearance of this nosy character intruding while we were talking was enough to cause a lot of mirth.

Sometimes it doesn’t take much. I’d really like to bring Mugman sneakily into shot during some of the political debate going on in the world. That’s not going to happen, of course, but it might be fun if it did!

Favourites

For convenience, here’s a list of my favourite images:

Anemone, Cloud, Honeybee, Hydrangea, Kiftsgate1, Kiftsgate2, Large White, Mugshot, Nelson, Robin, Rose, Spilhaus, Sunset1, Weston beach

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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