#Solar flare only has five rays

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

If this is really my boy, I’m gonna be insufferable and I already know it.

[jackobbit]

REAL!! NOT FAKE!! A JACKO DOODLE HAS ENTERED THE SCENE!!

Sorry it’s been so long since I uploaded art! I had to move again lately so it took me ages to get my stuff set back up, I feel way out of practice so I apologize if this isn’t the best.

Regardless, woe, E.V.I.L. be upon ye

[ID: A digitally drawn, colorless image of Solar Flare and Bloodmoon from the Working for E.V.I.L. Au. They both sit on the ground and look off to the left where offscreen Eclipse says “You two only get a five minute break.” Solar Flare responds with “Setting timer” in block letters to represent a robotic voice as Bloodmoon flips off the off-screen Eclipse in frustration. Solar Flare is a blocky robot with a circular head, a vent for a mouth and several angled sun-like rays that surround their head. They sit with one leg on the floor and the other bent upwards, both arms are placed on either side of Solar Flare as their hands rest on the ground. Bloodmoon sits to the right. He is a robot who wears several belts and chains, a twin tailed jester hat, devil horns and baggy pants. They look displeased as one arm holds his body upwards, his legs crossed over one another with one flat on the floor and other going above it. He has two tails, both of which sprawl out to the left and right. The entire picture is colored white. /End ID]

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Astronauts to patch up NASA’s NICER telescope

NASA is planning to repair NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), an X-ray telescope on the International Space Station, during a spacewalk later this year. It will be the fourth science observatory in orbit serviced by astronauts.

In May 2023, scientists discovered that NICER had developed a “light leak.” Unwanted sunlight was entering the instrument and reaching the telescope’s sensitive detectors. While the team took immediate steps to mitigate the impact on observations, they also began thinking about a potential repair.

“The sunlight interferes with NICER’s ability to collect viable X-ray measurements during the station’s daytime,” said Zaven Arzoumanian, NICER’s science lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Nighttime observations are unaffected, and the telescope continues to produce incredible science. Hundreds of published papers have used NICER since the mission began. Blocking some of the light leaking in would allow us to return to more normal operations around the clock.”

Arzoumanian presented efforts to address the issue during a talk on Friday, April 12, at the 21st meeting of the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

NICER is located near the station’s inner starboard solar panels. From that perch, it looks out at the X-ray sky, collecting data on many cosmic phenomena, like regular pulses from superdense stellar remnants called neutron stars and “light echoes” from flaring black holes. Observing these objects helps answer questions about their nature and behavior and increases our understanding of matter and gravity. In 2017, NICER also demonstrated the use of pulsing neutron stars in our galaxy to serve as navigational beacons for future deep space exploration through a program called SEXTANT (Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology).

The telescope has 56 aluminum X-ray concentrators. Each concentrator has a set of nested mirrors, designed to skip X-rays into a detector. In front of the concentrator lies a thin filter, called a thermal shield, that blocks out sunlight. The concentrator is topped by a hollow circular piece of carbon composite, called a sunshade, with six segments that resemble a sliced pie. The sunshade is designed to keep the concentrators cool in sunlight and protect the delicate thermal shields. After the light leak developed, photos revealed several small areas of damage in some of the shields, though what caused them is still unclear.

“We didn’t design NICER for mission servicing. It was installed robotically, and we operate it from the ground,” said Keith Gendreau, NICER’s principal investigator at Goddard. “The possibility of a repair has been an exciting challenge. We considered both spacewalk and robotic solutions, puzzling out how to install patches using what’s already present on the telescope and in space station toolkits.”

After many months of consideration, the spacewalk was selected as the path forward. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and Solar Maximum Mission, as well as AMS (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, also on the station) are the only other science observatories repaired by astronauts in orbit.

NICER’s solution is straightforward. Five pie piece-shaped wedges will slot into the sunshades above the areas with the greatest damage and lock into place. The patches are designed to take advantage of an existing piece of astronaut equipment, called a T-handle tool.

“While we worked hard to ensure the patches are mechanically simple, most repair activities in space are very complicated,” said Steve Kenyon, NICER’s mechanical lead at Goddard. “We've been conducting tests to confirm the repair work will be both an effective fix for NICER's light leak and completely safe for the astronauts on the spacewalk and the space station.”

The patches are currently scheduled to launch to the space station aboard Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply services mission later this year. Astronauts will complete their installation during a spacewalk, along with other tasks.

NICER is an Astrophysics Mission of Opportunity within NASA’s Explorers Program, which provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined, and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate supports the SEXTANT component of the mission, demonstrating pulsar-based spacecraft navigation.

NICER also collaborates in automated tandem with JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s) experiment MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image) to rapidly observe stars and other objects that flare unpredictably, advancing scientific understanding of our dynamic universe.

TOP IMAGE....This image, obtained June 8, 2018, shows NASA’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) on the International Space Station, where it studies neutron stars and other X-ray sources. NICER is about the size of a washing machine. The sunshades of its X-ray concentrators are visible as an array of circular features. Credit NASA

LOWER IMAGE....The International Space Station appears in this photograph taken by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking on Oct. 4, 2018. NICER is the small white box standing above the station’s main truss at far right, adjacent to the inner solar panel. NASA/Roscosmos

[sigridhr]

Darcyverse Drabbles

Written for the Darcyverse Drabble Race game on discord. If you'd like to join the Darcyverse on discord, drop me a line! We'd love to have you, and we're always looking for new Darcy fans to hang out with.

Prompt 1: Ultraviolet

There’s something about the way Carol looks in the dark, a glow off of her skin, that makes Darcy feel like she’s peering into an alien world. Like colour is suddenly brighter and more wild than she’s ever thought it was possible to be before. She can almost see the far bits of the spectrum, just beyond what her eye can reach, dancing on Carol’s skin.

She wonders what it’s like to hold so much magic within you. But beneath her touch, Carol���s skin comes alive, sparking under her hands, and Darcy thinks she’s come close to knowing after all.

…

Wanda’s magic leaves a faint smell of ozone in the atmosphere, so when Darcy walks through the door she knows something is up. Cautiously, she pads into the kitchen, making no noise, and puts the shopping on the counter.

Wanda’s by the window, her hair flowing in a breeze of her own creation, dark purple swirling around her.

“Bad day?” Darcy asks softly.

The magic falls, the smell in the air clears, and the room lights up once more. “In a manner of speaking,” says Wanda. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Darcy rests her chin on Wanda’s shoulder and says, “always.”

…

The problem with an alien species that is ultraviolet in colour is that they’re fucking invisible. At least, they are to people who aren’t mantis shrimps, which is the first time Darcy has wondered if life would be simpler if she were a shrimp.

She’s holding one of Jane’s scanners up like a weapon, wandering around the lab with her arm carefully outstretched and wondering if this is truly going to be her inglorious and undignified end.

It’s then that Jane flips a switch flooding the lab with a strange purple light and making the creature visible. Darcy strikes.

…

Space is weird. Space is super weird, and Darcy has decided that space is arguably too weird to live in and that she’s had quite enough of everything being super, stupidly weird.

“So, let me get this straight,” she says, furious at the weird stupid space predicament. “They shot us with a light ray that somehow took out our sensors.”

“That is about the shape of it,” says Rocket. “I can honestly say I didn’t see it coming.”

“So, you’re saying we’ve been… blinded by the light.”

Peter gives her a high five, but all Darcy feels is annoyed. Honestly, fuck space.

…

Prompt 2: Black Hole

“Ah,” said Carol mildly. “Shit.”

“Shit?” Darcy asked, a little less mildly. “No, not shit. Don’t say shit when you’re flying a space ship. Do pilots say shit? No. Because shit is bad! No shit!”

“Yeah, shit is bad,” said Carol. “We, uh, may or may not be going into a black hole.”

“A black hole?” Darcy said.

Carol sighed. “You know what I’m gonna just go out and push.”

There was nothing Carol had ever done, or possibly ever could do after this, that would be more astounding to Darcy than watching her literally push the ship out of the gravitational pull of the black hole.

…

Black Hole coffee was the only place in town that served java bitter enough to suit Valkyrie, whose taste in coffee was that it should be nearly undrinkable. Darcy’d got used to it though, braving blacker and blacker coffee until the caffeinated sludge the Black Hole served started to actually become appealing.

Valkyrie smiled at her over her cup, a half-torn glow-in-the dark print of one of the Hubble photographs peeling off the wall behind her. Everything about the black hole screamed bitter grunge, but Darcy was surprised to find it had suddenly become the happiest place she’d ever been.

…

Valkyrie joining a Ska band was somehow both something Darcy hadn’t expected and something that made total sense as soon as she said it. Anyway, it was for this reason that Darcy wound up spending most of her nights tucked away in the corner of the Black Hole, curled up at the back table, watching her girlfriend’s mediocre-at-best band play.

It was worth it, for the smiles Valkyrie flashed at her – just for her – or the way she came over and kissed her at the end of the set, her breath tasting like coffee.

Darcy bought the band’s shirt for everyone she knew.

…

“I just don’t think it could. There are rules about matter – it might be magic, but it’s still matter,” said Jane emphatically, gesturing with her mug.

“Yeah, but it’s a magic hammer. It’s virtually indestructible. I think it would make it through.”

Jane sighed. “Virtually doesn’t mean actually. The laws of physics still apply, Darcy.”

“Says you. We could always try it…” Darcy suggested, grinning maniacally.

Jane gave her a flat look. “No,” she said bluntly. “We are not asking Thor if we can throw his hammer through a black hole.”

“But it’s for science!” shouted Darcy. ...

Prompt 3: Solar

Darcy first gets the sinking feeling when the little kid says, “mister Obi-Wan, sir?” in a voice that suggests something is about to go completely, thoroughly and utterly tits up.

“It’s just, we’re going to have to pass through a solar flare,” the kid says, very earnestly.

Darcy can’t really see why it’s a problem, but all of her senses say this kid knows something she doesn’t. The Mister Obi-Wan Sir in question, however, carries on.

It’s only later when they’d crash landed in a strange and foreign galaxy, camping under the worlds most undulating and pungent trees, that Darcy gives the kid a nod. “No solar flares; got it.”

…

Carol can feel the power humming just beneath her skin, wanting to be let out. It’s like holding on to a sun in her bare hands. Every touch she gives to Darcy has to be careful, so careful – careful she doesn’t burn, or hurt. She feels sometimes like the energy within her is burning her up like a real sun, and that one day she’ll be consumed by it.

Alone at night, so glows faintly in the dark. Her skin is luminous and the light flows out through her. And she lets it out, lets it burn through her, bright and hot, until she can lie back down on the grass and stare up at the stars.

…

There’s a side to Valkyrie Darcy really hadn’t seen coming. They’re waiting for the sun to rise again on the longest day of the year – it’s barely set, and she can still see the faint flicker of light on the horizon, a pale gold that catches Valkyrie’s face and seems to bring out the colour of her skin. Valkyrie is staring intently at the horizon, waiting.

“We used to hear them call,” she says softly. “This was a holy day.”

Looking at Valkyrie’s face, so enraptured by the sun, surrounded by the survivors of Asgard, Darcy says softly, “it still is.”

…

New Asgard does everything by the sun, and it’s a kind of living Darcy thrives in. Before you never would have caught her dead out of bed at 6am, but now, now she rises and moves with the sun, changing with the seasons. It’s on New Asgard that Darcy finds herself again, post-snap, post-everything. She presses her hands into the earth, weeding around seedlings and watching over them as they grow. And as the press up through the dirt, rising to meet the sun, so does she.

For the first time since the snap, Darcy remembers what it is to be alive.

…

“Are you growing weed?” is the first thing Jane asks when she visits Darcy’s apartment.

“No, I’m growing houseplants. Why, do you need weed?”

“It’s just, it looks like a grow-op in here.” And it sort-of does, with all of her grow-lights everywhere, blasting artificial sunlight down on her sun-starved houseplants. Darcy grimaces from within a small jungle of calatheas around her desk.

“I ran out of windows.”

Jane snorts, managing to find a seat nestled between two huge parlour palms.

“Well, I suppose as hobbies go, this one is fairly inoffensive,” Jane says. “Although I don’t know how you get any work done.”

...

Prompt 4: Cluster

There’s a gaggle of space penguins in the lab that definitely weren’t there when Darcy left to get a sandwich. They’re clustered around what Darcy has nicknamed ‘the teleporter’, an attempt by her and Jane to replicate Strange’s magic. Which, by the look of the space penguins, worked.

“Uh…?” was the best version of the question Darcy managed to ask.

Jane sighed, looking distinctly wet. “They came in on a wave through the teleporter. I can’t figure out why it’s not connecting to the right point.”

One of them nestled up to Jane’s leg, and there rest of the cluster seemed to take the hint and surrounded her.

Darcy did the only logical thing: snapped a photo.

…

Star clusters looked amazing from the telescopes Darcy had access to. Both in terms of the data she had, but also just to look at – bright collections of light in the night sky.

Turns out, flying a ship through them was horrible.

“Do you guys do this often, because I’m not gonna lie, it feels like we’re gonna die,” she said.

“As long as we don’t run into a solar flare, we’re fine,” said Rocket. “I’ve heard weird things about solar flares.”

As always, in space, Darcy came to better understand the difference between observing and being – and she wished she were back home.

…

Total number: 15

[reyesstrand]

I’m in an angsty mood so why not some angsty Tarlos with 21 and 22

thank you for the prompt! 💗 

all prompts are taken from this list.

They take pride in their relationship.

It’s obvious to most who know them, and even those who just view them from a distance; TK and Carlos are effortlessly comfortable around one another, able to give each other exactly what they need. They’ve been going strong for the past five months, ever since TK refused to let his fear of vulnerability and heartbreak tamper down the fact that all he wanted was to let Carlos in. They rarely fight, they tease one another, they’re compatible in every possible way — and so it comes as a shock to almost everyone when TK storms into the firehouse one morning in a less than pleasant mood.

Owen’s leaning against the kitchen counter when he spots him coming in. “Hey, kid—”

“Not now, dad, please,” TK snaps, voice wavering as he heads for the locker room. Paul’s eyebrows immediately shoot upward as he glances at TK’s retreating back before moving his gaze to focus on Owen. Over the rim of his coffee mug, Owen shares his confused look.

“Didn’t he stay with Carlos last night?” Paul asks, and Owen nods. Not only is this mood strange enough for TK, but for him to be coming from his boyfriend’s house and being anything less than almost annoyingly moon-eyed and completely smitten was something out of a parallel universe. “I gotta say, those two experiencing some rocky waters was not something I was ever expecting to see.”

Owen nods in agreement. “I’m sure we’ll see some sort of reconciliation by noon.”

Only, much to the surprise of the whole team, it never comes. Even though they see Carlos and his partner during multiple calls throughout the shift, TK mostly avoids any and all officers, opting to hang out by the rig when they were all waiting around for scenes to be cleared. Carlos appears to be looking just as exhausted as TK does, both of them with bruising bags under their eyes and a sort of stiffness that they all notice, but refuse to comment on. Eventually, Owen has to speak with the man he was starting to see as another son, as APD arrives first on the scene of a pile-up near the off-ramp of the highway.

They finish up the rescue easily enough, and TK keeps himself busy with Judd, but Owen catches him glancing over at his boyfriend more than once. When Owen speaks with Carlos before rallying his team and heading out, Carlos surprises him by frowning a bit, and shaking the man’s hand.

“I’m afraid this will be our last time working together for a little while, sir,” Carlos says, and Owen cocks his head in confusion. Carlos quickly clarifies, lowering his voice even though there’s only other team members around them. “I’m being sent on an undercover operation. Six months minimum.”

“Oh,” Owen finds himself speechless, because his son’s sour mood suddenly makes a lot of sense, as does Carlos’ kicked-puppy look.

Carlos starts staring at the ground, clearing his throat. “I should, uh, I should really get going.”

“Stay safe, son,” Owen makes sure Carlos is looking right at him as he says it, and when the other man nods, and slowly retreats to his cruiser, Owen meets his son’s eyes and a current of understanding passes between them. TK’s jaw clenches as he turns away and pulls himself into the rig.

Back at the station, after several more calls that take up most of the afternoon, TK tries to avoid him; Owen doesn’t let it happen.

“TK, my office,” Owen says, as the others are beelining for the kitchen. When TK opens his mouth to probably talk his way out of it, Owen starts heading up the stairs, calling out, “Now.”

“So I’m guessing he told you?” TK asks, once he’s closed the door to his father’s office. He crosses his arms over his chest as he sits in the chair across from Owen’s desk, sinking in on himself and otherwise completely defensive. Owen sighs.

“He did. Is this why you’ve been acting out all day?” Owen asks, cocking a brow at his son.

TK sinks lower into the seat. “Sorry about that. I’m just…”

Owen leans against the desk, waiting his kid out. He’s familiar with it, knowing TK’s coping mechanisms and his resistance when it comes to opening up about what’s really bugging him, especially something like this.

“He only told me about it last night,” TK says, rubbing at the back of his neck. “He didn’t want to stress me out, I guess? But now I don’t know what’s going to happen with us, and I got pissed at him for avoiding this since he found out last week.”

“I think you oughta go and talk to him, kid,” Owen’s voice is soft and steady, and when TK shifts uncomfortably in the chair but also meets his gaze, he continues on. “And you don’t have to tell them everything, but maybe talk to the team, too. They’ve been worried about you all day.”

“Yeah,” TK says quietly, voice breaking. He clears his throat and says it again, before adding: “He’s leaving tomorrow morning.”

"You better get going, then,” Owen says, glancing at the clock high on the wall, as the time shifts to 6:17.

TK heaves out a sigh before nodding, coming around to hug his dad quickly before starting toward the door. He pops his head back in, fingers curled around the doorframe, as he smiles a little at Owen. “Thanks, dad. I’ll text you later.”

Before turning back to paperwork, Owen smiles at his son, and says, "You better."

* * *

TK ends up sitting on Carlos’ front step, and waiting.

Carlos had told him he’d be home soon, and that TK could let himself into the house, but TK is too antsy for that; at least by sitting and stewing in his own thoughts outside, staring up at the purple sky as orange bleeds into it along the horizon, it offers him something to focus on. His hands tremble a bit, and he nervously squeezes them into fists, blunt nails digging crescents into his palms as he taps his foot against the cement. He pulls up soon enough, and TK takes a deep breath. Even with this tension radiating between them, he’s still comforted by his boyfriend being back in his presence. The thought of losing this sends a flare of panic through his chest as Carlos slowly walks up to him, his bag slung over his shoulder and civilian clothes on.

“Hey,” TK says, standing to meet his boyfriend. Carlos offers him a small smile, but his eyes still look so sad, and knowing that he’s part of the reason for that makes his heart ache.

“Hey, Ty,” Carlos responds, a little hollow, and TK closes his eyes when he passes by him, their shoulders brushing for half a second. He opens up his door and tosses his bag into the foyer, but before TK can follow him inside he’s closing and locking the door up again. “Want to go for a drive?”

It’s code for: let’s go somewhere and talk and get through this. TK swallows and nods, and after a mostly silent trip out of Carlos’ neighbourhood and out of the most bustling part of the city, TK figures out where they’re headed once they slip onto one of the quieter country roads. He stares out of the window as the scenery turns more rustic, trees lining them on either side of the road until they’re close to the field next to the escarpment, where they spent several hours after the solar storm when they finally admitted that they’d wanted to try out a relationship, for real. They’ve come here a couple times since then, and it’s only fitting that this is where Carlos would want to bring him to talk about the shitty situation they’re in. He's thrown back to his plentiful past breakups, where less stressful events have lead to heartbreak, and another layer of panic settles in.

They don’t sit on the hood, this time; a cold front has moved in over the past couple days, and because of it they stay put in their seats, just watching the last rays of sunset as they wait for the other to start talking. TK figures it’s on him, and so he starts with, “I’m sorry for being a dick last night.”

“You don’t have to apologize, I get it,” Carlos whispers, drumming his thumb against the steering wheel. TK tracks the motion so he doesn’t have to look his boyfriend in the eyes. “I shouldn’t have waited to tell you.”

TK bites the inside of his cheek. “I’m just — fuck, Carlos, I don’t know what to do.”

“Me neither, Ty,” Carlos says, and TK finally meets his eyes when he feels a hand against his forearm. “But I know that we’ll figure this out. We always do, don’t we?”

“What if we can’t, this time?” TK asks, shaking his head at the burning behind his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t.”

“You can’t know that for sure,” TK looks at him desperately. “I mean, an undercover operation? There's so many uncertainties, and you aren't even a detective yet, and what if—"

Carlos makes a small sound in the back of his throat. “I volunteered, Ty, because I can’t sit back when I know I can help. And I hate that doing this hurts you, I really fucking do. I just want you to know that I’m coming back. To you, I hope, because you mean too much to me to just let this go.”

“And here I was thinking you’d want to break up with me,” TK says with a humourless laugh, shrugging a shoulder. “It’d be the easiest thing.”

“It would be the hardest thing, TK,” Carlos looks pained as he speaks, and TK finally, finally, takes his hand. “And I hate that people have done that to you in the past. But I don’t plan on being like that. You have to know that.”

“I do,” TK says, finding that deep inside himself he knows it’s the truth. “And I don’t want to do that to you, either.”

Without saying the words, it’s obvious in a second that the fight — if it could be called that — has been resolved. TK shifts as close as he can, pressing a kiss to the underside of Carlos’ jaw.

“We’re going to get through this,” TK says, surely, sniffing a little when Carlos roughly wipes at his own eyes. “This isn’t goodbye.”

And when Carlos squeezes his hand, he’s quick to reciprocate. It quickly evolves into a hug, and TK buries his face in Carlos’ neck, and despite the dread still swirling in his stomach, he’s determined to hold him tight for as long as he can.

[sciencespies]

NASA confirms we've officially entered a brand new solar cycle

https://sciencespies.com/space/nasa-confirms-weve-officially-entered-a-brand-new-solar-cycle/

NASA confirms we've officially entered a brand new solar cycle

Far from the woes of planet Earth, our Sun has been having a rather quiet year. A close look at its activity confirms what solar enthusiasts have been suspecting for a while – our closest star has entered a new cycle.

Ever since we started to track the Sun’s dark blemishes in earnest, humans have noticed a pattern of quiescence and temper that repeats roughly every 11 years.

There have been 24 of these cycles since observations were first recorded in the mid-18th century. And, according to a panel made up of experts from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), December 2019 marked the start of number 25.

You can’t be blamed for not noticing the shift. There were no flashes of light, no cosmic trumpets. Just an appearance of low-temperature shadows called sunspots at high latitudes.

“We keep a detailed record of the few tiny sunspots that mark the onset and rise of the new cycle,” says Frédéric Clette, director of the World Data Center Sunspot Index and Long-term Solar Observations.

“These are the diminutive heralds of future giant solar fireworks. It is only by tracking the general trend over many months that we can determine the tipping point between two cycles.”

In practice, variations in the Sun’s behaviour make it impossible to identify a fresh start until it’s passed. It took sifting through data on solar activity from the past eight months to confirm last year was as boring as the Sun is going to get for the next decade.

In spite of centuries of careful recording of these 11 year cycles, we still don’t have the mechanisms behind these cycles fully worked out. Periodicity in stars is pretty common; looking out into the Universe, there are a variety of pulsating objects that seem to flare and darken at intervals you could almost set your watch by.

The best we can determine for our own Sun’s patterns has to do with changes in its magnetic fields, which are in turn driven by complex currents of flowing plasma deep within.

Exactly what pushes and pulls these currents in such a rhythmic way is the part we need to figure out, but there’s a temptation to link it with a similar periodicity in planetary orbits.

“As we emerge from solar minimum and approach Cycle 25’s maximum, it is important to remember solar activity never stops; it changes form as the pendulum swings,” says NASA solar scientist Lika Guhathakurta.

While the cycle of highs and lows takes place over 11 years, it is more accurately a reflection of a larger 22-year cycle defined by a complete overturn in the Sun’s polarity. Every 11 years the poles swap, returning to place at the end of the next loop.

Monitoring these transitions can help us better predict space weather, which is dictated largely by outbursts of charged plasma and radiation that can ferociously blow out into space, especially during solar maximums.

It’ll be roughly another five years before we can say we’re in the thick of the Sun’s more aggressive phase. That doesn’t mean we needn’t be paying attention now.

Whether Solar Cycle 25 will put on a show or not is left to be seen, though is unlikely to be explosive. Number 24 was relatively quiet, after all, but mostly by comparison with preceding cycles which were somewhat stronger than usual.

“Just because it’s a below-average solar cycle, doesn’t mean there is no risk of extreme space weather,” says Doug Biesecker, co-chair of the panel and solar physicist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Colorado.

“The Sun’s impact on our daily lives is real and is there.”

It also pays to be realistic about what that impact is, especially if you’re not an astronaut concerned about basking in high-speed protons and X-rays or a space engineer managing a bunch of delicate satellites.

Down here on the surface, shielded by kilometres of atmosphere, solar cycles are barely noticeable. If you’re lucky, you might see a slight pick-up in aurora activity during solar maximums; most of the time we don’t have to be too concerned about a solar flare destroying life as we know it.

One thing is for sure: any relationship between 2020’s rather depressing events and the Sun’s pensive mood are at best metaphorical. Still, one can’t help but wonder sometimes what the stars are thinking.

#Space

[dustedmagazine]

Dust Volume 6, Number 5

Courtney Marie Andrews

The lockdown continues, and live music has disappeared, replaced by a somewhat antiseptic and unsatisfying spate of live streamed shows mostly one person with a guitar on the couch in their living room.  We salute the courage and the effort but miss bands and audiences and even the chatter drifting in from the bar area.  In the meantime, at least for now, there are still lots of new records vying for our attention.  We present this Dust to catch up with some of them.  It’s an ecletic survey of contemporary classical, vengeful hip hop, psyche, jazz, folk and metal artists, all continuing to try to navigate a very difficult period.  Our writers this time include many of the usual suspects, Bill Meyer, Ray Garraty, Jonathan Shaw, Andrew Forell, Tim Clarke, Jennifer Kelly, Tobias Carroll and Patrick Masterson.  

a•pe•ri•od•ic—For (New Focus Recordings)

for a•pe•ri•od•ic by a•pe•ri•od•ic

Silence is a rhythm, too, and a•pe•ri•od•ic dances to it repeatedly throughout their second recording. The Chicago-based ensemble has traversed the new music continuum, performing music by composers from Peter Ablinger to Christian Wolff. Sometimes that silence isn’t quite what you want to hear — the COVID-19 pandemic cut short its tenth anniversary spring season one concert too soon — but it proves to be rich loam from which to grow music on this CD. All four of its pieces were composed specifically for the group by individuals who recognize the merit of non-imposing sounds. That knowledge derives in part from the fact that three of the composers also perform with the group, but also from their long-standing engagement with post-Cage-ian and Wandelweiser material. Director and pianist Nomi Epstein’s descriptively entitled “Combine, Juxtapose, Delayed Overlap” feels like a ceremony intermittently perceived through an opening and closing door. Billie Howard’s “Roll” tucks the composer’s whispering violin behind muted French horn and voice, wringing intensity from the effort one must apply to following its retreating sonorities. Vocalist Kenn Klumpf’s “Triadic Expansions (2)” moves in the other direction, sprouting ivy-like from the slenderest branches of sound. By comparison, Michael Pisaro’s stately “festhalten/loslassen” is a veritable riot of unwinding tonal colors. As the decade ticks towards year eleven, rest assured that a•pe•ri•od•ic is searching for the next promising idea.

Bill Meyer

 Agallah — Fuck You The Album (Propain Campain)

Fuck You The Album by Agallah

This is a personal vendetta album. After more than 25 years in the game, Agallah has got to settle the score against the whole world. To say he just has a chip on his shoulder would an understatement. Thirteen songs of pure hate with the title quite properly reflecting its content. In his fight, the rapper strips down all the artistry, including the production. Known for making beats for other hip hop acts, Agallah here not only uses barely serviceable beats, he doesn’t even makes pretense he needs beats. Almost all the tracks work as a capellas. His gruffy voice and arrogant flow don’t need sonic support. And what support can you expect from the world full of phonies, liars, actors, pretenders, cowards and fair weather friends? “Stop pretending, my career is not ending,” he almost screams on “Telling Lies To Me.” If this CD feels like a dinosaur in 2020, then it says that it is not something wrong with this album but with the world.

Ray Garraty

 Courtney Marie Andrews — “Burlap String” single (Fat Possum)

Old Flowers by Courtney Marie Andrews

As the eponymous song of 2018’s May Your Kindness Remain amply demonstrated, Courtney Marie Andrews’ pipes are not to be fucked with. But while that was perhaps the most vivid depiction yet of her abilities, the Phoenix native’s delivery can be just as powerful on a muzzle. Such has been her approach thus far with what we’ve heard from Old Flowers, originally slated for an early June release but since pushed back to July (or beyond, who knows). The post-breakup lyrical territory was initially revealed with first single “If I Told,” but it’s the gently loping “Burlap String” I’ve had on repeat for much of the past month. Ever ended a relationship with someone and regretted it? Lush piano and a sighing slide guitar tell you Courtney has without her ever having to utter a word, and much of the song is an illustration of the internal conflict that lingers long after you’ve made the call. I’m inclined to write out the whole second verse here, but it’s the end of the third that lingers as Andrews evokes barely holding back tears: There’s no replacing someone like you. That ensuing pause runs bone-deep, its implication clear — no amount of Mary Oliver can save you from yourself.

Patrick Masterson

 Dennis Callaci — The Dead of the Day (Shrimper Records)

Some albums could be said to hum. In the case of the latest from Dennis Callaci, that’s meant literally: many of the songs on his new album The Dead of the Day feature warm clouds of feedback or droning organ notes. It’s a companion piece to his recent book 100 Cassettes, which features thoughts on musical icons throughout the year. This album’s focus is more insular: some of the songs have a drifting, improvised feel to them. But Callaci also taps into some terrifically subdued songwriting veins here — “Broadway Blues Pt. II” recalls the haunted dub-folk of Souled American, and Franklin Bruno’s piano lends a propulsive dimension to the ruminative title track. And on “Scoreless,” Callaci teams with his Refrigerator bandmate (and brother) Allen Callaci for a song that slowly builds from acoustic foundations to something modestly grandiose. Contrary to what its title might suggest, this album feels very much like a document of one man’s life.  

Tobias Carroll

 Cameron / Carter / Håker Flaten — Tau Ceti (Astral Spirits)

Tau Ceti by Cameron / Carter / Håker Flaten

Tau Ceti is a planet that is hypothesized to be similar enough to Earth that it could potentially support similar life forms. The three musicians that recorded this tape may come not come from the same system, but they fall into a harmonious orbit around a common circumstance — they were all in the same swanky studio, Halversonics, on a particular winter day in early 2019. One supposes that whatever they were rotating, they move towards the source of heat, since Tau Ceti builds slowly from chill acoustic exploration to a fuzzed-out solar flare. As they progress, abstraction burns away and velocity increases. It’s a gas to hear Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Lisa Cameron lock in behind Tom Carter’s increasingly gritty sound-bursts.

Bill Meyer  

 Tim Daisy — Sereno (Relay)

Tim Daisy - Sereno :: music for marimba, turntables and percussion (relay 028) by Tim Daisy

Sometimes the timing of even the most tuned-in drummer is foiled by external circumstances. Sereno was supposed to signal the end of an intense phase of solo practice by Tim Daisy. His intentions for 2020 included making an album of duets and writing music for two ensembles. But at press time he, like everyone else, is hunkered down with his family, and everything he had planned is on hold.  

Daisy’s stint as a primarily solo artist coincided with a reconsideration of identity; he wasn’t just a drummer, but a multi-instrumentalist and an orchestrator of electro-acoustic sound. Sereno is split between three elegiac marimba solos that showcase Daisy’s instinct for deliberate melodic development and five much denser constructions for imprecisely tuned radios, playing and skipping records, and Daisy’s strategically reflective drumming. If this record is the only new music that Daisy puts out this year, it leaves us with plenty to think about.

Bill Meyer

  Kaja Draksler & Terrie Ex — The Swim (Terp)

On the surface, this looks like quite the odd couple. Terrie Ex Is a Dutch electric guitarist in his mid-60s who still goes by his punk rock name. He’s a ferocious improviser whose scrabbling instrumental attack incurs intensity from any ensemble that doesn’t want to get bowled over, and he knows more Ethiopian tunes by heart than anyone on your block. Kaja Draksler is a Slovenian pianist exactly half his age whose recent projects include a fast-paced, idiosyncratically balanced trio with Petter Eldh and Christian Lillinger, and an octet for which she sets Robert Frost poems to a combination of chanson, Baroque chamber music, and thorny free improvisation. But neither got where they are by letting fear deter them from a musical challenge, and both of them have a fine awareness that one way of understanding their respective instruments is that they are pieces of wood with wires attached. Given that common understanding of music as a combination of coexisting textures and assertive actions, they work together quite well on this CD, which documents a performance that took place at London’s Café Oto in 2018. Scrape meets sigh, jagged fish-hook pluck meets sparse wire-damped drizzle, instinct meets intuition, and when the disc is done, it’ll seem quite sensible to dive back in and swim the whole length in reverse.

Bill Meyer  

 Errant — S/T EP (Manatee Rampage Recordings)

errant by errant

Errant is the one-woman project of Rae Amitay. Some listeners of metal music may be familiar with Amitay’s work, as vocalist for death-grind-hybridists Immortal Bird and as drummer for the folk-metal act Thrawsunblat. For Errant, Amitay has created songs and sounds that have little in common with those other bands’ aesthetic extremities. “The Amorphic Burden” may prompt you to recall the melodic black metal that Ludicra was making toward the end of that band’s storied run, or the sludgy drama of Agrimonia’s most recent record. In any case, Errant’s sound skews toward more luminescent atmospheres. Production values are largely pristine; Amitay wants you to hear clearly every string and cymbal strike. It makes sense. She plays a bunch of instruments well, and that’s part of the point: that one woman is producing all the sounds, and all the affect. She ends the EP with a cover of Failure’s “Saturday Savior,” and it’s the least interesting thing on the record. But even there, she presents the listener with something worth hearing. Her clean vocals are lovely, disarmingly so. What may be most impressive about this early iteration of Errant is the extent of Amitay’s talents, and how those talents allow her to encroach on the hyper-masculine territory of the “one-man” act.

Jonathan Shaw  

 Field Works — Ultrasonic (Temporary Residence)

Ultrasonic by Field Works

Stuart Hyatt’s latest compilation in the Field Works series is an absolute beauty — and timely given it’s being released during a pandemic whose origins may be linked to bats. The field recordings that the contributors used to create the music on Ultrasonic come from the echolocation of bats, and the approaches tend towards rhythmic or atmospheric. At the rhythmic end of the spectrum we have Eluvium’s majestic opener “Dusk Tempi,” akin to his work on Talk Amongst the Trees. Mary Lattimore’s glimmering harp patterns are fitting accompaniment to the chittering bat sounds on “Silver Secrets.” And Kelly Moran’s prepared piano on “Sodalis” sends the listener down a hall of mirrors, chased by gorgeous bass tones. At the more abstract, atmospheric end of the spectrum we have Jefre Cantu-Ledesma’s radiant “Night Swimming.” Christina Vantzou blurs the line between the sounds of modular synthesis and bat sonar on “Music for a Room with Vaulted Ceiling.” And on Sarah Davachi’s “Marion,” the listener is immersed in a luminous halo of nocturnal overtones. Wherever the artists venture, this is a varied yet consistently evocative collection.

Tim Clarke  

 FMB DZ — The Gift 3 (Fast Money Boyz / EMPIRE)

The Gift 3 was initially set to be released in December 2019 but was postponed until now. DZ’s “Merry Christmas, pussies!” on one of the tracks doesn’t sound so odd, though, because the whole world has plunged into a constant holiday. The new album continues two trends. It carries on the “ape” theme from the previous album Ape Season. “Ape Activities,” “Keep It on Me” and “No Features” are the grittiest tracks from a disc where the prevalent mood is a sick worry. DZ made it out of the hood but had to be on the lookout as the enemies are out to get him. The other trend is that The Gift 3 continues the ideas of The Gift series. The songs have a usual verse-hook structure, are poppier and more relaxed than on Ape Season. DZ, thankfully, doesn’t try to sing anymore but hires some singers on choruses. The hardest track here is “High Speed” with Rio Da Yung Og where Detroit/Flint duo spit vicious lines.

Ray Garraty

  Hala — Red Herring (Cinematic)

Detroit multi-instrumentalist Ian Ruhala wears his heart dripping from his sleeve on “Red Herring” his latest record as Hala. Skipping from the yacht rock of “Making Me Nervous” to the country blues of “True Colors” via power pop, The Kinks and Tom Petty, Ruhala manages to create a thread with deceptively simple melodies and the sincerity of his delivery.  There’s more than a touch of Kevin Barnes in the voice and the delight in throwing genres at the wall to see what sticks and, like Barnes, some of it fails to adhere. The pleasure here is in the sense of eavesdropping on the process and reveling in unexpected flourishes that refuse to be ignored.  

Ruhala writes a smooth love song and isn’t afraid to turn up the guitar or address politics on standout “Lies” - “I’m eating breakfast with the fascists/Oh man they stand about ten feet tall/My mouth is bleeding at their proceedings/They get their courage through a plastic straw” It may not be Guthrie but he makes it work through a leavening wit and a mid-tempo vamp straight from the solar plexus. “Red Herring” suffers somewhat from its stylistic roaming but a fundamental big heartedness and willingness to reach makes it an enjoyable trip.  

Andrew Forell  

 Las Kellies — Suck This Tangerine (Fire)

Suck This Tangerine opens with a loose groove and a grime smeared highlife guitar line, the voice enters with ironic invitations over choppy Gang of Four chords. In the new one from Las Kellies, Argentinian duo Cecilia Kelly and Silvina Costa sling taut bass lines and slash guitars over mutant disco rhythms for 12 tracks of slinky indie dance. Drawing on elements from Leeds, London and the Bronx, Kelly and Costa add dubby space and South American humidity to their sound, to elevate the album beyond the sum of its influences.  

Kelly handles guitar and bass, wielding the former like a cross between Andy Gill and Viv Albertine and unfurling loose funky serpents with the latter. Costa swings between ESG and The Bush Tetras and incorporates an array of hand drums that deepen and enliven the rhythmic pulse. There is a palpable and joyful chemistry between the two evidenced by their easy interplay and enhanced by the production that gives clarity and elbowroom to each instrument. If the lyrics can tend toward the perfunctory, they are delivered with a winking insouciance on put downs like “Close Talker” and “Rid Of You”.  Suck This Tangerine is a worthy addition to the growing collection of feminist post-punk inspired albums we’ve been dancing to of late.  

Andrew Forell  

 Mint Mile — Ambertron (Comedy Minus One)

Ambertron by Mint Mile

Silkworm, the band, may have ended in 2005 with the death of drummer Michael Dahlquist, but its legacy of slow, gut-socking heaviness, mordant wit and muscular guitar lives on, first in Bottomless Pit and now in Tim Midyett’s new band Ambertron. Midyett’s voice and clangorous baritone guitar is instantly recognizable, of course, to anyone who loved Silkworm, but the band diverges somewhat with the pedal steel played by Justin Brown of Palliard, weaving eerily though the slow buzz and moan of “Likelihood.” Jeff Panall, from Songs:Ohio, plays the hard, heavy drums that undergird these songs, giving them structure and forward motion. Other players include Matthew Barnhart from Tre Orsi and Horward Draper from Shearwater. Greg Normal of Bitter Tears contributes a mournful bit of trumpet to “Fallen Rock,” and Chicago alt-country mainstay Kelly Hogan takes the lead in “Sang.” The music is raw and morose; even dense strings can’t quite lift the gloom in “Christmas Comes and Goes,” a song as raw as late November in Chicago. And yet there’s a sort of resilience in it, a strength that comes through persistence. “If we could only find a way to bank the time we had together,” sings Midyett in “Giving Love,” his hoarse voice full of ragged loss, his guitar raging against it all and not quite beaten down even now.

Jennifer Kelly

 Gard Nilssen’s Supersonic Orchestra — If You Listen Carefully the Music Is Yours (Odin)

If You Listen Carefully The Music Is Yours by Gard Nilssen´s Supersonic Orchestra

Perched atop his drum stool, Gard Nilssen sits where styles converge. He’s supplied the controlled boil that drives the free-bop combo Cortex, laid down some heavier beats with Bushman’s Revenge and exemplified long-form lucidity with his own trio, Acoustic Unity. In 2019, the Molde Jazz Festival recognized his versatility and forward perspective by anointing him the artist in residence. Besides showcasing his ongoing projects and accompanying heavy guests from abroad, most notably Bill Frisell, he got to put together a dream project. This 16-piece big band, which includes members of Cortex, Acoustic Unity, and the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, is it. With the assistance of co-arranger André Roligheten, Nilssen has taken some of his trio’s sturdy melodies and turned them into frameworks for boisterous but subtly colored performances. With three basses and three drummers, this could have been either a mess or an uptight game of “you first,” “no sir after you.” But the rhythm crew shifts easily between swinging unisons and refractory elaborations. Roligheten often plays two saxophones at once in smaller settings, and one suspects that he has a lot to do with the rich colors that the horns paint around the featured soloists.

Bill Meyer  

 Matthew J. Rolin — Ohio (Garden Portal)

Ohio by Matthew J. Rolin

The ghoulish image on the j-card belies the sounds encoded upon this tape. Matthew J. Rolin is a relative newcomer to the practice of acoustic guitar performance; the earliest release on his Bandcamp page was recorded in late 2017. But he’s catching on fast. Switching between six and twelve-string guitars, he serves up equal measures of ingratiating lyricism and immersive surrender to pure sound. Opener “Red Brick” slots into the former category, with a heart-tugging melody that keeps doling out turns that’ll keep you wondering where it’s going and backtracks that’ll ensure that you never feel lost. “Brooklyn Centre,” on the other hand, grows filaments of string sound out of a pool of prayer bowl resonance centering enough to make you cancel your mindfulness app subscription due to perceived lack of need. Rolin develops ideas situated between these poles over the rest of this brief set, which runs just shy of 28 minutes and definitely leaves one wanting a bit more.

Bill Meyer

 Nick Storring — My Magic Dreams Have Lost Their Spell (Orange Milk)

My Magic Dreams Have Lost Their Spell by Nick Storring

What Jim O’Rourke did for the music of Van Dyke Parks and John Fahey on Bad Timing, Nick Storring does for Roberta Flack’s on My Magic Dreams Have Lost Their Spell. The Canadian composer may not have O’Rourke’s name recognition or past membership in a very famous rock band going for him, but consider these parallels. He’s a handy with quite a few instruments, he’s an inveterate assistant to other artists across disciplinary lines, and he functions with equal commitment and fluency in a variety of genres. For this record, his first to be pressed on vinyl (albeit in miniscule numbers), Storring uses the lush string sound of Flack’s 1970s hits as a launching point for deep sonic immersions that are considerably more emotionally oblique than their inspirations’ articulations of loneliness and surrender. When he goes melodic, the cello-led tunes seem to reach for something that they never touch, and when he goes for slow-motion density, the music imparts an experience akin to watching the sort of cinematic experience where you can’t tell if you’re seeing a really slow take or the film has frozen at a single frame.

Bill Meyer

 Sunn Trio — Electric Esoterica (Twenty One Eight Two Recording Company)

Electric Esoterica by Sunn Trio

Sunn Trio, from Arizona, makes sprawling, multi-ethnic psychedelia that juxtaposes the scree and groan of heavy improvisational rock with the otherly chords and rhythms of the Middle East.  Opener “Alhiruiyn” slicks a trebly sheen over its surging, rampaging improvisations, more in the vein of Black Sun Ensemble than Cem Karaca.  But “Majoun” layers antic percussion and tone-shifting bent notes in a limber evocation of the souk.  “Roktabija The Promulgator” blasts a strident, swaggering surf riff, about as Arabic as “Miserlou” (which is, in fact, Arabic).  “Khons at Karnak” buzzes with hard rock aggression, but shimmies with belly dancing syncopation.  Because of the name, the preoccupation with non-Western cultures and the Phoenix mailing address, you might think that Sunn Trio is aligned somehow with Sun City Girls, but no.  All kinds of weirdness lurks in the desert out there, lucky for us.  

Jennifer Kelly  

 Turbo, Gunna & Young Thug — “Quarantine Clean” single (Playmakers)

Despite the subject matter’s potential (ahem) virality, “Quarantine Clean” slipped out almost unnoticed in early April and is the kind of muted performance Young Thug doesn’t get enough credit for (while, curiously, his followers often get too much derision for). For all of Thugger’s hyperfluorescent hijinx over the years that have produced earworms like, say, “That’s All” and “Wyclef Jean,” there’s another side that shows up in stuff like “The Blanguage” and “Freaky” where he lets the words do the work; that’s the subterranean sonic world we’re living in here as he opines on God’s role in the pandemic and why he’s lost so much money but still has to pay for his parents’ penthouse (which: welcome to the revolution, pal). Thug’s acolyte in slime Gunna, meanwhile, does most of the song’s heavy lifting with duties on the first verse and chorus, but it’s pretty hard to tell the two apart, such is the slippery restraint both opt to exercise here. The real star, then, is beatmaker Turbo, whose buoyant anchor melody is complemented by what sounds like a lilting flute. It’s a light touch from all parties, a mellow mood well suited to our time of collective party-eschewing shelter. Run that back in prudence.

Patrick Masterson

 Various Artists—Ten Years Gone (A Tribute to Jack Rose) (Tompkins Square)

Ten Years Gone : A Tribute to Jack Rose by Various Artists

A decade on from the too early passing of the great American Primitive/blues/raga player Jack Rose, Arborea’s Buck Curran gathers friends, collaborators and younger artists inspired by Rose for a gorgeous tribute to the master. Mike Gangloff, who played with Rose in Pelt and Black Twig Pickers, leads off with a plaintive, sepia-toned fiddle lament (“The Other Side of Catawbwa”), while next generation experimental droner Prana Crafter closes with an expansive, space folk reverie (“High Country Dynamo”). In between, old friends like Sir Richard Bishop evoke Rose’s full-blown orchestral guitar playing (“By Any Other Name”) while young pickers like Matt Sowell take up the trail forged by Dr. Ragtime. Isasa from Spain and Paulo Laboule Novellino from Italy attest to Rose’s global appeal. It’s mostly guitar, but not entirely; Helena Espvall from Espers contributes a brooding, reverberant “Alcantara” on cello. Curran’s own “Greenfields of America (Spiritual for Jack Rose)” is slow and thoughtful, letting long bent notes ring out with liquid clarity; it’s a hymn and a prayer and a testimony to the wide influence of an artist gone too soon.  

Jennifer Kelly

 Emily Jane White — Immanent Fire (Talitres)

Immanent Fire by Emily Jane White

Emily Jane White gets tagged as a folk singer, but on this, her sixth full-length, the Oakland songwriter brings a fair amount of goth-tinged drama. Taut string arrangements and big booming drums lift “Infernal” well out of the woman-with-guitar category, and White sounds more like PJ Harvey or even Chelsea Wolfe than a sweet voiced strummer. Immanent Fire sticks, topically, to environmental concerns with track titles like “Washed Away,” “Drowned” and “Metamorphosis.” A foreboding creeps through the songs, pretty as they are, even piano lit “Dew” asks “Does poison drop like the dew?” Arrangements, by Anton Patzner, the composer, arranger and violinist of Foxtails Brigade and Judgment Day, give these cuts weight and heft, punctuating eerie melodies with thick swathes of strings, rumbling percussion and keyboards. The disc culminates in “Light” which begins in a whisper and climaxes in drum-shocked, orchestral swoon. Soothing background music it is not.

Jennifer Kelly

 Z-Ro — Quarantine: Social Distancing (1 Deep Entertainment / EMPIRE)

An unexpected seven-track EP bears an expected title from a Dirty South legend. Z-Ro’s usual topics — trust and loneliness — gain a new meaning in the time of social distancing. To keep away women who only want his money is a necessary precaution now. To be at the corner at the party is a rule for survival. Z-Ro is on his ground counting his dough alone in the house. Earlier he did it so no ‘shife’ (the title of one of the tracks) friends could rob him, now it’s just to obey quarantine rules. The first half of this EP is a bit muddled by unnecessary intros and reggae tunes but the second one hits hard. As always with Z-Ro, the hardest content takes the gentlest form (“Niggas is Hoes” especially is almost a pop song). On the final track “Life of the Party” Boosie Badazz drops by, giving his verdict on the pandemic: “Fuck Corona!”

Ray Garraty

[terrablaze514]

Space Colonization beyond the Earth Sphere

Meta by AngelT (published in Rhythm Generation Zine, 2019)

Disclaimer: No money is made in the research and production of this presentation. This was part of a team-based project. The contents presented in this essay are inspired by Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, which is the sole property of Sotsu, Sunrise and their affiliates. Also, an appreciation for the Universe beyond Earth’s atmosphere; the science of astronomy is beautiful.

Most of us who grew up back in the day recall witnessing space stations, satellites and colonies on our television screens. We’ve seen human life preserved beyond the Earth’s sphere in space colonies. Our beloved characters, including The Mad Five and members of The Alliance, have acquainted themselves with continuing the trend of political stability, health and wellness, education, housing, and industry—miles away from our planet amidst warfare. Today, scientists are researching the possibility of colonizing the Solar System, beyond Earth and the Moon.[1]

Predicting Colonization in CE 2030

During the events of the television series, we see that a lunar station exists. This is a distinct possibility for Earth in the coming years, and it’s not hard to imagine small businesses and corporations operating from there in the future. Prior to launching the official project, however, extensive training and preparatory exercises would be a requirement. Relocating to the Moon comes with risks, considering the physical attributes of the location. Even so, there’s a good chance humans will one day be able to survive for extended durations in space. Scientists and researchers today are working towards opening the doors of opportunity. But successful expansion into the solar system has everything to do with timing, how well we can put knowledge into practice, and overcoming challenges such as limited funding, support from governments and health risks associated with living off of Earth.

Weighing the Odds: Inner Space

Mercury would be fun (imagine seeing your next birthday every 88 Earth days). Unfortunately, that will require a lifetime supply of sunblock and water—both of which will be hard to maintain on-planet. Mercury’s orbit is closest to the Sun, where it experiences a stronger gravitational pull from the sun than other planets in the solar system. In addition, although a year is significantly shorter than on Earth, Mercury’s days last significantly longer (roughly 176 Earth days) due to its slow rotation. Combined with the naturally shorter year, colonists on Mercury would experience a quicker aging process compared to life as we know it on Earth. The proximity to the sun would require measures to be taken to limit sun exposure, and extreme fluctuations in temperatures—made worse by the lack of an atmosphere which would have otherwise helped regulate them—make Mercury less than ideal for human colonization. 

Venus is the same size as Earth and its orbit is within the “habitable zone,” a safe enough distance from the sun; however, like Mercury, Venus has a significantly longer day (roughly 116.75 Earth days) and has a shorter year (almost 225 Earth days) which will cause similar stresses on any colonists looking to find a home on-planet. Venus’s atmosphere is not only incredibly toxic but also extremely dense with a surface pressure of nearly 92 times that of Earth’s. This dense atmosphere also means that the planet is hotter than Mercury (surprise!) limiting its chances of being particularly hospitable to humans. For these reasons, it’s best to keep would-be colonizers off-planet. Unfortunately, Venus also has no known moons, so using satellites as was done with Earth’s moon isn’t an available alternative. Therefore, pursuing a space colony project for Venus isn’t recommended.

Mars has been a hot topic for NASA and its affiliates since the late 1970s. Based on results from space probes that captured the red planet’s features, there’s a thin line of similarities to Earth: what many assume to be waterways, ground that is similar to Earth’s soil, and glaciers at the poles. Mars’s two moons, Phobos and Deimos, present an opportunity for additional lunar bases, which will benefit a population who relocates to Mars by providing additional space for industry, employment, and lodging. However, anyone who wishes to relocate to the planet should also expect two seasons—Summer and Winter—until the planet can be properly terraformed with an atmosphere able to support human life.

Weighing the Odds: Outer Space

Jupiter is a gaseous planet, the biggest in the solar system, and its volatile beauty is due to the multitude of storms travelling across its surface (similar to what we know as tornadoes and hurricanes). Such a volatile surface would deter on-planet colonization. But if researchers were to approach colonization from a practical standpoint, there’s a good chance lunar bases could be built on one of Jupiter’s moons. The moon Europa, for instance, has garnered attention from astronomers due to the possibility that it could support life if conditions were right. There is a serious threat of radiation from Jupiter’s magnetosphere, which is 20,000 times stronger than that of Earth’s, that poses serious challenges for colonizing both the planet and the moons.

Saturn, another gas giant, presents similar challenges, and humans are better served by colonizing one of its sixty-two moons instead. Protection from radiation will be needed. One of the best routes to carry out this mission is on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, which is a ball of ice, with water. Titan’s icy layer can protect from the Sun’s rays and drilling the surface will intrigue anyone familiar with mermaids and Atlantis. Although Titan’s air pressure would allow someone to walk the surface without a spacesuit, the atmosphere is low in oxygen compared to Earth’s own and it is bitterly cold. To colonize it, ongoing research and developing technologies will help. Wearing specialized clothes that have the same attributes as space blankets, earbuds that protect the eardrum (in the middle ear) from shifting due to air pressure changes, and architecture designed for underwater environments is a starting point.

Uranus, another gas giant, does not have a breathable atmosphere, consisting primarily of hydrogen (outer layer) and helium. This planet is also the coldest in the entire Solar System, which is roughly -216°C. Unfortunately, the moons of Uranus are pure ice, with intolerable temperatures below -200°C. Although Miranda has various landscapes similar to Earth’s, colonization cannot currently happen. It will take several decades for engineers and scientists to come up with some alternatives: Heated clothing, mirrors that support solar energy, and SMART technology that supports temperature control. A terraforming project also needs to be in effect. Otherwise, living near Uranus is not recommended.

During the early 1990s, Neptune had a Great Dark Spot where powerful wind storms were consistent. Neptune rotates on its axis at a rapid pace, which makes it uninhabitable. Astronomers know Triton is Neptune’s biggest moon, but there’s a major safety hazard. On multiple occasions, Neptune has collided with other orbital bodies (hence its rings). Because of this, building satellite colonies is not the best route. Triton could crash and end up as remnants to Neptune’s ring supply; colonies near this planet present a grave risk to human life.

Pluto[2] has five moons that can serve as optimistic colonizers. But methane and nitrogen don’t offer a livable space for humanity. It’s the farthest from the Sun; a twinkling star in the sky even through a telescope. Colonization in orbit needs technological advancements first, such as lights that emit heat energy, specialized mirrors, and lifelong oxygen supply. Industrial workers can use Charon (Pluto’s largest moon) for lodging, business and trade markets. To colonize Pluto means living off-planet, but its temperatures and distance from the Sun (5.9 billion kilometres) present complications.

Closing Thoughts

Although each planet offers unique challenges to overcome for colonization, there are some things that are consistent across the whole solar system:

1. Colonization needs to figure out how to protect from solar and space radiation. Radiation has proven to have debilitating effects on our bodies (dehydration, weakened immunity, etc.). During the summertime, we’re often reminded by health officials to find a shady spot at noon. Heat and ultraviolet rays are stronger because Earth is closer to the Sun. Beyond the Earth Sphere, the presence of radiation is due to “particles trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field; particles shot into space during solar flares (solar particle events); and galactic cosmic rays.” Astronauts have been exposed to space radiation on six-month missions in the past.

2. Colonization needs to figure out how to deal with toxic/inhospitable atmospheres, so you’re going to need to have controlled environments regardless of whether you go on-planet or on moons. It’s a matter of trial and error. Therefore, astronomers can send space probes to explore surfaces and observe their behaviours (environment) to determine the pros and cons. Sustaining life beyond Earth poses a challenge; in the case of some aforementioned planets and moons, the best bet is to set up colonies within the orbit of the places that are deemed safe. Additional training/workshops for persons interested in relocating to space, and inventions designed to promote safety and longevity must be considered.

3. Colonization needs to figure out how to deal with fluctuating temperatures. The close proximity of the inner planets’ orbits to the sun and the immense distance from the outer planets’ orbits mean regulating temperatures to support human life is going to be a challenge regardless of where you end up. HOW you deal with those depends on the location (e.g. greater shielding for inner planets, use of mirrors and the like for the outer planets).

4. Colonization needs to figure out if it warrants the cost and time of terraforming the two other planets within the Goldilocks Zone (i.e., Venus and Mars) or if it’s better to keep space colonies outside the planets. The good news is Mars’s surface has similarities to Earth’s own. Mars also has a fluctuating atmosphere which depends on its distance from the Sun. Terraforming Mars will be costly, however, because its atmosphere has only small traces of oxygen (good for humans) and nitrogen (great for vegetation and agriculture). The presence of carbon dioxide (which makes up 96% of Mars atmosphere), and carbon monoxide isn’t healthy. Scientists are making plans to ensure that tanks can convert a higher percentage of carbon dioxide into oxygen by 2020. For Venus, terraforming is a possibility, but the presence of sulphuric acid and volcanoes presents a greater challenge for health and safety reasons.

Additional References

Out-Of-This-World Space Colonies as Imagined by NASA in the 1970s and Today. All That’s Interesting. July 17, 2018.

Victor Tangermann, A Timeline for Humanity’s Colonization of Space. Off World via Futurism. 

How long would it take to colonise the galaxy? The Open University. November 4, 2011.

Space Settlement. National Space Society. 2018.

Planet Facts. Space Facts. 2019.

Elizabeth Howell. Interesting Facts about the Planets. Universe Today. 2015.

Footnotes

[1]NASA is working on a Mars Mission, with plans to pursue Europa (Jupiter’s moon) within the next decade.

[2]Although currently classified as a “dwarf planet,” this status remains under discussion among experts.

***If anyone wants a free copy of the fanzine Rhythm Generation, you may connect with @acworldbuildingzine. Thanks for reading!***

[shadeofazmeinya]

Solar (1/?)

Summary: Gavin and Ryan meet in an alleyway, both hiding from a world that doesn't trust those like them. People with Abilities. With powers, strange and dangerous. Ryan leads Gavin to a group of others like them, all holding their own powers and stories.

But you can only run so far from a world that already knows you exist. And your past can only be held away for so long.

A/N: Finally posting this long fic I’ve been talking about for ages. Hope you all enjoy!

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17319107/chapters/40741727

Dried leaves crunched and twigs snapped as legs and lungs burn, breaths in puffs into the chilled night air. He dashed through the trees and bush, low branches cutting him, dirt and mud splattered, feet just barely kept from tripping. The moon was guiding as best it could through the brush, highlighting the stones and roots to jump over.

Keep moving, his voice rung in his head. He pumped his arms, heaving. Bounding.

He spared a glance back, distant shouts and the shriek of a siren. Headlights shone, blurry as they sweep above and across the ground, but they couldn’t pierce through the firm, standing forest. A world in turmoil rested on the edge, but the silence of the dark, the watching trees, deafened the noise. Not enough though. Not enough.

He turned back forward, heart heaving, pounding in his chest. He pushed himself to move faster, he ducked under another branch, jumped over a few logs. He wasn’t sure where these woods let out, had no idea how long they stretched. But they had to end eventually. And he had to reach that.

Shouting echoed again, sending a jolt into his steps. A curse is lost to the wind as he breathed. Just keep moving. Keep running. Never stop.

--

Ryan walks through the streets, hands stuffed in his pockets, head bowed but eyes glancing constantly around. Most don’t pay him much mind, in his dirt stained jeans, a jacket that is ripped and torn, ragged hat that covered sandy-blonde hair that stuck out untamed, he isn’t exactly someone who looked approachable. Which is fine with Ryan. He doesn’t want attention. Just to get by.

Ryan idly traces along the jerky stuffed in his pockets that he had managed to swipe from the gas station a few streets down. He doesn’t take it out now, that’s a gift for later. When he’s a bit further from the scene of his crime. Having it at least means no empty stomach tonight.

He wanders through the city, crossing a street. A car honks, Ryan catches enough of the persistent yellow of a cab trying to turn into him. The person behind the wheel’s arms is waving him off with mimed curses as Ryan pushes forward a little faster. The other pedestrians pay as much mind as he did, continuing their mindless treks as countless other cars honk around them. It’s so much easier to ignore people when there’s just so many here.

Achievement City is starting to chill this time of year, not yet freezing but starting to show that it will be. If there were any trees within the concrete and metal world, the leaves would be falling. Or already gone, Ryan’s not really sure. The constant gray dull made time blur.

He ducks into an alleyway as he gets to the busier part of town, avoiding further curious eyes. He holds his items a little tighter, glancing around more. The world darkens in the alleyways, as the tall buildings bury the sky. Blocks out the people, the stares. Ryan continues his trek, winding through the smaller space.

He doesn’t see the boy until he’s nearly tripping on him, as the other’s curled behind a dumpster, tucked in the corner with just his feet sticking out. He’s young, shaggy once-golden hair that’s now dark brown with mud and dirt, a bushy start of a beard, very thin in just a black t-shirt, ripped pants, and sneakers that probably used to be bright. The other flinches back as Ryan appears, big, green, startled eyes looking up to him. Ryan snarls for a second, tearing his eyes away from looking directly into his, wanting to yell, but the tension and fear in the other’s tight shoulders and shaking arms holds him back.

“What’re you doing here? Are you lost or something?” Ryan questions as he pauses his walk.

“Not lost,” a small voice says back, a curious British tilt to it that raises Ryan’s eyebrow.

“Do you… Have somewhere you’re supposed to be?”

The other shakes his head, cautiously looking up to him, hands clenching into fists. Ryan isn’t worried though, Ryan’s sure he could take him if he tried anything. He doesn’t seem armed and is fairly thin.

“Are you from the streets?” Ryan says, examining the muck spotted on his clothes, the worn down soles of his shoes. It which matches his own.

The other doesn’t say anything for a few moments, staring.

Ryan rolls his eyes, trying again. “Do you have a home to return to?”

The boy doesn’t respond then either, but he ducks his head, hunching his shoulders as he holds his arms tighter around himself. It tells Ryan enough.

Ryan sighs. “Well, you’re not getting much hiding back here. If you go look miserable on the next street over you might be likely to get some cash.”

The other blinks at that, eyebrows knitting together. Ryan’s starting to think maybe this one isn’t so bright. “If you need money, go beg on Tenth Street with a cup or something. It lends itself to be a more generous area.”

“Oh,” he mutters. “Yeah, uh… Thanks.” The boy doesn’t make any move to get up still. Just staring up to him. Ryan huffs.

“Do you at least know where the shelter is from here? To get food when they bother to hand it out?”

“Um… No,” the other says, frowning a bit as he seems to just realize this.

“It’s down five blocks that way,” Ryan says, pointing the direction. “You can try talking to them, but don’t become a friendly face there. They report directly to the cops if they even suspect of you doing anything illegal, even if you haven’t. But they can help at least get a meal in you every once and a while.”

The other stiffens the second Ryan mentions cops, but Ryan isn’t going to press into it. He doesn’t care for this boy’s story. “Thank you,” he mutters, starting to push himself up off the ground. “No one else has told me this… Or even bloody spoken to me here.”

“Welcome to a big city,” he just shrugs. “You should get a knife or something. You look like you’ll need to defend yourself.”

The other nods, biting his lip and rubbing his hands together. “Yeah… I’m fine. Uh, thank you again. My name is Gavin,” he says, offering a smile.

Ryan looks him up and down as he’s fully standing. He is taller than he expected, but thinner looking too. But that’s still not Ryan’s business. Whatever is up with this thick idiot doesn’t matter to him. Just another face to see on the street. “Well then, Gavin,” he hums. “Stay vigilant.”

Then he’s moving, brushing past him to continue his journey of the city. He needs to keep moving, can’t let himself get hung up on this boy. He can’t afford to grow attached to some new face. He’s not likely to last long anyway. The other frowns as he walks away and Ryan cringes as he thinks the other is going to call out to him, try to bother him more. But then he doesn’t, giving a small sigh instead that Ryan hears just as he rounds the corner.

Ryan keeps moving, putting the whole scene behind him. The rest of the day moves in its usual blur, scoping out new places to swipe meals, grabbing some coins he finds along the way. Avoiding crowds, avoiding gazes. Avoiding suspicion.

The day almost goes smoothly, some food, some change. A good place in mind to end as he makes his way towards the edge of the city. He knows a few areas to duck down for the night, hoping to find a place he can be alone. Find a place he can somewhat be safe.

He slips through another alley as the sun is just sinking into the ground, long rays of the sun starting to be overrun with streetlights. Ryan strolls as he always does but after a few feet he spots a figure step in after him. Ryan glances behind, hearing the footsteps approach. He curls his hands into fists, shoulders tightening.

Ryan walks faster and then growls as he can hear their footsteps speed up as well. He curses and then tries to break out into a run. But another figure cuts in front of him, blocking the way out of the alley with a curled grin. A trap. He skirts to a stop, whipping around but then hands are reaching out and yanking him back.

His head slams against the wall as he’s pinned and he can feel the sharp cold of a knife pressed under his chin. Ryan snarls, looking to the eyes of his attacker. He didn’t recognize them, assumes they don’t exactly know him either as the one starts barking to hand him everything he owns. Muggers, just looking for a score. That brings a brief moment of relief.

Ryan reaches for his belt, wanting to flash his own knives in response, get them to back off, but he’s slammed back against the wall, the hand that was reaching down snatched and pinned to the wall. He tries pushing back but it just gets the others to shove harder, clasping him painfully. He glares at them, ignoring them asking again for his money.

He doesn’t want to have to do this. He continues his struggle but it only earns harsher hands, trying to grab into his pockets, take every little thing he owns. His only meal for the day. He can’t go another day without something in his stomach. He doesn’t want to do it, but with hunger-fueled panic flaring, he doesn’t stop.

Ryan growls at them, reaching to grab onto the one in front of him with his one free hand. He grabs at their head, staring straight into their eyes. They widen a bit and Ryan lets himself move past them, looking in. Deep, diving to their core. Ryan sorts with sickenly familiar ease, dragging what he needs to the surface.

Spiders and insects. Ordinary.

The person’s eyes widen more, face falling into complete shock as Ryan sets in the seed that he needs. Then the screaming starts, letting Ryan go as they shout and shake, whacking at their arms, kicking their legs. “Get it off! Get it OFF!” they howl, confusing their partner who shoves them aside.

“Get ahold of yourself!” the partner says, though confusion flashes across his features. “You!” they say as they turn back to Ryan, shoving him to the wall again. “Fucking give us what you got! Now!”

“You sure?” Ryan says darkly as the first one continues to scream.

The second one growls, pressing it more against his neck, starting to nick at his skin, earning a hiss of pain from Ryan’s gritted teeth. Ryan just reaches out, trying to grab onto the other, force them to look. They start pulling away, but the knife doesn’t move, digging in. The fumble together, hands clawing into skin, nails scratching at flesh.

A light. Blazing, building, bursts towards them.

They all freeze. Ryan screws his eyes tight, turning his head away as it rushes towards them all, too bright to look directly at. He didn’t notice the screaming had stopped until it picked back up again, both voices this time.

The body pressing him to the wall is removed, the knife no longer biting. Then there’s heat that flowed from the light. Burning, radiating, like standing besides a giant fire. Or an oven waiting to bake them. Ryan presses flat against the wall, avoiding the glow as it raged through them.

Then the light is gone, flashed for what was probably seconds but felt so much longer. Ryan is able to blink open his eyes, able to breathe as the cool night air floods in where the warmth is gone. His chest heaves as he sees the two assailants running away, leaving the stench of burned cloth and flesh. Then his head whips around, eyes adjusting back to the dim alleyway.

Standing there, with a hand outstretched, palm still holding a faint glow, is the same large green eyes and shaking figure of the boy from behind the dumpster. The startled face turns to him, lowering his hand. His mouth opens and closes, trying to find words as the two stare at each other. Ryan is the one who manages to speak first.

“Was that…? Did you do that?”

Gavin swallows, wringing his hands together. “I… I didn’t mean… I just…”

Ryan shifts off the wall, taking a step closer. Gavin flinches back from it. “You’re one with an Ability, aren’t you?” Ryan says, looking closer. In that thin frame, he hadn’t even thought-

“I don’t…” he says, confusion crossing his face before shaking his head. “No. I don’t have anything.”

Ryan continues his stride forward. “There’s no point in lying, I saw whatever that was.”

Gavin’s eyes go wider, backing up from him with a gasp escaping him, arms starting to shake. “That isn’t…. It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Relax,” Ryan assures, raising his hands, speaking before he can think enough to stop himself. “I… There are others like you that I know.”

Gavin blinks, stopping in place. “There are more here…?”

Ryan nods. Since he’s already said it, he may as well follow through. Looking at those wide eyes, something familiar in them gripping at his heart, he couldn’t leave him here. “Yes. And I know where there’s a safe place for people like you to stay. At least for a few nights.”

Gavin bites his lower lip for a moment. “Are you lying?”

“There really are others out there. But I suppose its up to you if you believe me or not.”

Gavin glances down, shifting from foot to foot as he considers all his options. “If you are lying, and I go with you, I’ll use my power again. I’ll… I’ll really hurt you. Maybe even kill you.” He narrows his eyes, pointing at him in a way that he probably considers intimidating. It mostly makes Ryan think of a bird puffing up and trying to look much bigger than it is.

Ryan hums, shrugging. The Ability had been impressive, burning those people, but the other didn’t look like he wants to try it again. And Ryan isn’t lying. “Then we’re at an understanding. Follow if you want. But it is best we leave here soon. Before any reinforcements from those thugs come back. Or the police.”

That makes the other stiffen again. There’s a quick calculation, gears turning behind his eyes before he nods. “Ok. Ok, fine.”

Ryan nods back, moving to the edge of the alleyway, glancing out for any signs of the men who scampered off or approaching red and blue lights. When the cost is clear he motions for Gavin, who pauses for one more second before going to him. The two slip out into the night, back to the sluggish streets of the city and merging into the landscape.

[phantomwarrior12]

Reunions

@gabriel-monthly-challenge @archangelgabriellives @ttttrickster @archangel-with-a-shotgun @warlockwriter @archangelsanonymous @revwinchester

Prompt: The harvest moon hung low in the sky, bloated with menace and promising despair.

Quote: "Come back as a shadow, even as a dream. Just come back." (A quote I stumbled across and it seemed fitting)

Warnings: Angst, a shit ton of fluff, maybe some swearing?, oh and implied things... 

Word Count: 2,136

Summary: Sacrifices have to be made to achieve our goals.

A/N: Hey folks!

This fic was the result of @gabriel-monthly-challenge November prompt! I have never written a fic with so much fluff and it felt really weird to write...

Anyway, here’s the link to last chapter for those of you just tuning in: Almost There.

Enjoy!

~ Phantom

---------------

He's up before Castiel makes it to the door, throwing open the metal barrier, "The spell's ready?"

Castiel's hand drops to his side, "Yes, it's ready. But--"

A flap of the wings and Gabriel is already in the dungeon. Castiel heaves a sigh, shoulders sagging before he appears behind them all, "--it needs something that belongs to Y/N."

The archangel nods, casting a glance towards the makeshift bed the Winchesters had moved your body to for the spell. He's cautious as he kneels beside you, gingerly unclasping the silver pendant around your neck.

His fingers linger, ghosting across porcelain skin, cool and clammy to the touch. There's a quiet smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "We're almost there, sugar. I'll see you soon."

He presses a chaste kiss to your forehead and retreats back to the others, opening his clenched fist to display the piece of jewelry, "All set."

Rowena nods, "Good. We should begin now that the harvest moon is highest."

"Wait--what?" Dean questions, traces of concern seeping into his gaze as his arms fold across across his chest.

"The spell only works with harvest moons and they say tonight is supposed to be the brightest in a thousand years." Sam supplies with mock enthusiasm.

"Right, because a spell relying on a solar alignment isn't creepy at all." Dean returns, perching himself against the far cabinet patiently.

"Wouldn't be the worst thing we've ever had to do."

"Now that your skepticism is out of the way, why don't the two of you pipe down so we can get under way?" Rowena interjects pointedly, preparing to recite the incantation.

Sam barely manages to hide the snort of amusement, but not before Dean shoots him a meaningful look laced with annoyance.

As the witch begins her spell, Gabriel steps up beside her, clenching the silver chain in his hand a little tighter, summoning every ounce of grace he has left. He doesn't hear the ancient chant, doesn't register the silence beside him until she touches his shoulder. The chill seeps into his frame, a tainted magic thought lost to the centuries suddenly surges through his veins.

It's exhilarating, a rush of power that not even Michael had experienced in all his time in Heaven.

Gabriel nearly loses his footing, struggling to find an anchor in the ocean of energy swirling  behind his eyes. It's all he can see, all he can feel--he's drowning in it.

"Gabriel, focus."

Castiel's voice grounds him and Gabriel turns his eyes skyward, brilliant blue piercing once honey-hued orbs. Every muscle screams, every bones rumbles beneath the onslaught of power. His fingers reach up and then he sees your face. He reaches up and then he's standing behind you.

"Y/N?"

Y/e/c lifts from the ocean, slowly turning away from the cool waves kissing your feet to face him. He looms over you, angelic by every definition of the word and suddenly you're staring upwards at the glowing gaze of your archangel.

"Gabriel?" Disbelieving. Cautious. Tentative.

The smile that spreads across his lips is alluring, but it isn't what draws your attention--it's the golden wings that flare behind him in a manner you've never seen.

They're almost like a dream, elegant and glistening beneath the soft rays of sunshine streaming between palm leaves and as your eyes trace every delicate feather, you hardly notice Gabriel helping you to your feet.

It isn't until he gathers you into his arms that you're able to tear your eyes away from the feathered marvel before you and settle on gaze bleeding adoration.

"You came back."

He allows what looks like a smug smile to crawl across his lips, tugging at the corner of his mouth while whiskey drinks in every inch of your features.

"I told you I would."

He's being cocky, or, at the very least, trying to be cocky. The confident facade crumbles the moment you tug him downwards into a kiss.

It's passionate and tender, needy yet cautious. His fingers find their way to your jawline and he loses all restraint. A once affectionate kiss turns bruising, stealing the air from your lungs and grief from your heart.

His hands are firm against your skin, tracing rosy flesh once thought lost to him, securing your smaller frame against his. A hand travels to your hair and with his lips dancing urgently with yours, you begin to detect the faint echoes of the world below.

"How much longer can he keep this up?" There's panic in Sam's voice.

"Not long. Gabriel! Get Y/N and get out of there!"

Castiel's voice rings in your ears and you pull away from the warm embrace. Gabriel's features contort in confusion, whiskey bleeding dejection and concern, "Sugar?" He reaches for you, but you hold up a hand to halt his advance.

"Gabe, what did you do?" Your voice is falters and Gabriel's heart breaks all over again.

He hesitates and you peer up at him through long lashes, "Please...please say it wasn't something stupid."

"It's a spell," he admits, "Rowena found it in the Book to the Damned." His head snaps abruptly to the side, features contorting in pain.

You close the distance between you, touching his cheek gingerly, "Gabe?"

"I'm okay, but we need to leave. Now." His hand falls to your wrist, "you trust me?"

"Always."

Your words coax a reassured smile from the archangel as he tugs you into his arms, binding your soul with his grace. The beach fades, and suddenly you're standing in the bunker, enveloped in the embrace of your angel.

For a split-second, he's allowed a fleeting glimpse of your eyes, vibrant and--oh Father--alive. He clutches you close, chin resting on the crown of your head, savoring the warmth returning to your body.

For a split-second, all is right in the world. For a split-second, you're home.

And when the second passes, he's convulsing on the floor, your terrified screams echoing in his ears before the world fades to black. --------------- "Gabriel. Gabe, you need to wake up."

"Five more minutes," incoherent garble.

"Gabe, please...wake up."

His eyes snap open, subconsciously registering the fear in your voice. He nearly makes it to a seated position when your arms wrap around his neck and he's falling back onto the pillows behind him. You cling to him and you don't let go.

He's not on the floor, let alone in the dungeon. A quick glance around the room reveals it to be the bedroom the two of you share. Memories flash, muscles groan as it all comes back.

It takes him a moment to register your body clinging to his and he manages to wrap an arm gently around your waist.

"What happened?"

"Spell sapped more of your grace than we thought it would. You went into shock." Dean supplies from his perch by the door.

The archangel nods slowly, holding you a little closer--if not for you, then for him. The sacrifice was worth it, you're alive, curled up beside him with a vice grip around his frame, traces of tears drying atop soft skin.

"Cas says you'll be okay, but your grace is gonna take some time to regenerate." The archangel nods, daze and disorientation forgotten as he cracks a grin and looks to Dean, "Tell my little bro I said thanks."

Dean smirks, stepping in close enough to give his shoulder a friendly pat, "Welcome back, man. You too, Y/N."

"Thanks, De." You offer a quiet grin and snuggle closer to Gabriel.

Gabriel waits until the door clicks shut before he rolls onto his side and captures your lips with his. He smiles into the kiss, muffling the laugh that slips past your lips as he pushes you onto your back. Fingers slide to cup your cheek, the other arm wraps securely around your waist, guiding you closer.

He's gentle, always so gentle, as every ounce of anguish and loneliness bears its soul to you in the form of a kiss. Your head spins and your heart races, fueling the desire to tangle your fingers in golden locks and savor every sense--the warmth covering your smaller frame, the subtle scent of sugar and cinnamon just beneath his shirt, the calloused fingers ghosting across every inch of your skin.

"Dear Father, I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

You're seconds away from undoing the third button on his shirt when the door swings open and Gabriel's head drops to your shoulder in frustration.

Sam stops dead in his tracks, recognizing the telltale signs of disheveled hair and crinkled clothing, "Sorry to interrupt, but, uh--"

"You're killing me, Samsquatch. You know that, right?" The archangel rolls onto his back, giving Sam a pointed look, something vaguely resembling the desire to smite him.

You swat Gabriel's arm, and sit up, much to the angel's disappointment, "What's up, Sam?"

"Uh, right. So, we still have that demon downstairs--"

"--demon?" Your features contort in confusion, halting the process of smoothing your hair down, "What demon?"

"The one that...killed you. We needed his blood to, you know, bring you back." Sam offers tentatively, slowly backing towards the door.

"Why the hell is he still breathing?" Your gaze turns pointedly to the man scratching the back of his head beside you.

"I thought you'd want to finish the job once you were back." Gabriel offers a sheepish grin.

You snort, admiring the adorable expression for a second before turning back to Sam, "Well, let's not keep our guest waiting any longer than we have to."

Sam smiles, giving a short nod and starting towards the dungeon with you dragging Gabriel off the bed and scampering after the large hunter.

Rowena's already gone when the three of you arrive in the dungeon, the demon scowling at Dean who perched himself in the corner with a beer and a smirk.

"We ready to send this bastard to the Empty?" Dean perks up a little, noting the momentary look of panic in the demon's eyes.

"You got an angel blade?" You release Gabriel's hand and level your gaze with the demon.

"Always," Dean picks up the blade, tossing it to Sam who holds it out to you.

"Oh, now I remember you. The bitch who didn't put up much of a fight." It's a last ditch attempt at dignity, going out with a sneer and a smirk.

You don't flinch, merely tilt your head to the side, "I killed all your buddies. You, on the other hand, you're a little stronger than the others. Haven't seen another like Crowley in a long time," your finger trails along the edge of the blade as you pace closer, "doesn't matter though."

"You keep that blade away from me! Crowley will--"

"--do what? He told me himself, he wants you dead." Gabriel scoffs.

"Face it, pal, you're on your own." Dean adds, handing Sam a beer, "and you're not going to hell. You're going somewhere much worse."

The panic builds behind the vessel's eyes, "Please! If you kill me, this vessel dies too!"

Now it's your turn to scoff, "You're not fooling anyone. That vessel's been dead for three years." You stop beside him, tightening your grip on the blade in your hand.

"Enjoy the Empty, asshole."

Silver meets flesh and brilliant yellow flares behind brown eyes. It lasts for a few fleeting moments before the empty body sags into the chair, leaving the group in silence.

"Well, points for the one liner, but that ending was pretty anti-climactic." Gabriel remarks after a moment, folding his arms across his chest.

You turn, shifting your weight to one leg and resting a hand on your hip, "Seriously?"

"You know, it would have been better with some dramatic lighting, a monologue about him taking everything away from you, ruining your life, yada yada yada." Sam and Dean exchange a look of amusement, barely masking their laughs with coughs when your disapproving eyes land on them.

"Come on, Sam, I think Cas needs us in the library," Dean starts past his brother, "something about needing some dramatic lighting."

Dean's halfway to the door when your shoe comes hurtling at him, a throw he narrowly escapes and half-runs, half-shuffles out of the dungeon with Sam at his heels.

Gabriel turns back to you, "Well, now that twiddledee and twiddledumb are gone, how about we go back to the room? I really liked where that particular activity was going, and--"

A roll of the eyes and you're already guiding him back to the bedroom, "No interruptions this time."

"No arguments here, sugar." He tugs you back to his chest for a split second, gazing into your eyes, committing every shade to memory.

“I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you, too, my archangel.”

----------------------------

Want to be added to a taglist? Send me an ask!

Tagging:

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[fantasticmisterrichards]

general info:

Name/Alias: Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic

Age: 41 going on 42

Gender: Male

Preferred Pronouns: He / Him / HIs

Team/Group: Fantastic Four

Faceclaim: Matt Bomer

Penned by: Mon

quick facts:

Any special abilities/skills?: refer here

Human? Something else?: Human Mutate

Three positive traits (+): Incisive, Resourceful, Urbane

Three negative traits (-): Arrogant, Impatient, Opinionated

Dusted or not?: Not, to his great dismay

brief background:

Please refer here.

Reed Richards was born in Central City, California the only son of wealthy physicist Nathaniel Richards and his wife Evelyn, was a child prodigy with special aptitude in mathematics, physics, and mechanics. Evelyn died when Reed was seven.

Nathaniel encouraged and guided young Reed in his scientific studies, and Reed was taking college-level courses. Reed entered college at fourteen at CalTech (California Institute of Technology). He also attended Harvard University and M.I.T.. He studied abroad at the University of Vienna in Austria. It is their he met fellow "super-genius"; Alyssa Moy. By the time he was eighteen, he had obtained four degrees in fields such as engineering, math, and physics.

It was when he was working on his fifth at at State University in Hegeman, New York, that Reed Richards gained as his roommate former high school football star Benjamin J. Grimm, who became Richards’ closest friend. Richards was already intending to build a starship for interstellar travel. When he told his ambitions to Grimm, Grimm jokingly said that he would pilot the starship for Richards someday.

While attending State University, Richards rented living quarters at the Manhattan boarding house owned by the aunt of a young woman named Susan Storm. Reed instantly fell in love with Sue, although he soon deemed it prudent to move out, because he was too distracted from his work due to his romance with Sue.

However, unknown to Richards, a solar flare caused Earth's Van Allen radiation belts to be filled temporarily with unprecedented, ultra-high levels of cosmic radiation. Since the ship was designed to shield against ordinary levels of radiation, the cabin volume was subjected to to intense cosmic ray bombardment which irradiated the four passengers and wrought havoc on the ship's controls. Pilot Grimm was forced to abort the flight and return to Earth.

Once back on Earth, the four passengers discovered that the cosmic radiation had triggered mutagenic changes in their bodies. Reed Richards discovered that his body had become malleable and that he now had the ability to elongate his body at will. Richards convinced the others that the four of them should use their new-found powers for the good of humanity as members of a team he named the Fantastic Four. Richards, who became the team’s leader, named himself Mister Fantastic, while Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, and Johnny Storm named themselves the Thing, the Invisible Girl (later the Invisible Woman), and the Human Torch, respectively. The profits from Richard's patents and royalties funded the team's activities.

questionnaire:  

How is your character doing since the downfall of Thanos? (it has been 6 months)

He’s doing pretty well since getting the love of his life back, definitely happier than he has been in five years.

How is your character handling the newly merged universe? Are they scared? Concerned? Excited?

He’s actually pretty excited, the scientific theories being proven and disproven every day that they all coexist together have him on a research high.

Is your character willing to work with other heroes from other universes? If not, why?

Absolutely, he knows he can be difficult to work with, but he understands the importance of getting everyone home safe.

With new threats looming from other universes, are they prepared to fight? What do/will they fight for?

He’s never considered himself much of a fighter by choice, but by necessity, he’s always there when needed. As for the what, the family he’s made with Ben, Johnny and Sue, and the happily ever after they were meant to embark on before Thanos got his snap on.

Is your character willing to die to save the new world? To save others from other worlds?

That’s a harder one to answer, because he’d rather not die ever if he doesn’t have to. However if it was between members of his family or him, he’d take the hit, no question.

[chroniccombustion]

Makes Me Worth the Fight

Genre: Trans!AU, hurt/comfort, angst and fluff Rated: K+ Characters: Yosuke Hanamura, Souji Seta (Yu Narukami) Warnings: themes of depression; implied suicidal thoughts Status: oneshot, complete

“Partner!”

He breathes. He exhales the tightness in his joints and feels his body take in air like it’s the first time today. The crispness of the breeze, the tiny flecks of water from the river, he takes it all in and holds it close to his chest. It feels like waking.

(Companion fic to 'Second Guess Myself to Death.')

The river is grey today.

Grey like the clouds that cover the sky, threatening to spill over and pour themselves out on the sleepy town below them. Grey like the fog that ghosted around his ankles on the way to school that morning but thankfully never manifested beyond that. Grey like the heaviness that sits on his shoulders, settles in his lungs, renders his vision in monochromatic.

Grey like his eyes. Grey like him.

Grey, grey, grey.

The late afternoon sun is hidden behind the clouds right now, its rays dampened to a dull glow that hardly does anything to brighten the grey, grey world. Even the Samegawa is a particular shade of thin, shining silver that looks like pewter when viewed from a shadowy place on the shore. And right now, to him, almost everything is a shadowy place.

He keeps his gaze trained on the water as he walks, only half paying attention to where his feet fall and moving like the river has breached its banks to pull him under. He isn’t particularly worried about tripping – there’s no one around to see if he does and he doubts he’d really even notice the sting of the ground if he were to hit it. His pace is slow, lethargic; what hurry is there to get home and sit in a quiet, empty house? Instead, he wonders what the river water tastes like. Cold, maybe? Peace?

Probably best not to think about it too much.

He keeps walking. Maybe if he keeps moving he’ll be able to outrun the way today – this week – has left a foul burn in the back of his throat like bile. Maybe if he gets home quick enough he can shut and lock the front door and keep the twisting feeling in his gut from following him up the stairs. Maybe…

“Hey!”

He blinks. Pieces of the sky glow bright between cracks in the clouds.

“Partner!”

He breathes. He exhales the tightness in his joints and feels his body take in air like it’s the first time today. The crispness of the breeze, the tiny flecks of water from the river, he takes it all in and holds it close to his chest. It feels like waking.

There is more color in the sky now, in the water, the grass.

“Partner! Yo, wait up man!”

The sound of sunshine incarnate calls, cutting through the rush of white noise in his ears and at last Souji can feel himself slide back into place a little bit. He closes his eyes, realigns. Turning on the ball of his foot he comes to a stop and angles himself to face the blurry figure that he can now see is sprinting up the path behind him.

He waits, and the sky grows ever so slightly bluer.

Yosuke slows to a stop in front of him. He is windswept, flushed and radiant, with his copper hair tossled and his skin pinkened from the nippy river air. Copper, pink, bright hazel like a sunset that crinkles at the edges as Yosuke looks at him. He’s breathtaking.

Yosuke grins through his panting. “Damn, you must really be out of it; I’ve been trying to get you to stop for like, five minutes!” There is a laugh in his voice, sparkling on the line of his upturned lips, and it fizzes like soda in Souji veins.

He could drown in it.

But it’s also blinding. Too bright but still not enough despite being everything and Souji finds he can’t look directly at him. So instead, Souji looks carefully at the space just below those sunset-colored eyes. “Sorry,” he murmurs. He feels an answering tug on the corners of his own mouth and lets a small smile out where only Yosuke can see. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind right now.”

Yosuke seems to soften a little as he catches sight of Souji’s smile. He always does, Souji’s noticed; something serene rises to the surface and dances across Yosuke’s features like the gentlest of light reflections underwater. Souji might not understand it, but he appreciates it nonetheless.

Yosuke nods up the path ahead of them, head tilted in a silent “shall we?” and in unison they start to walk. It’s quiet at first, with the only sounds being those of nature. With anyone else Souji is certain Yosuke would have begun to pry by now, but with him it’s different. He’s grateful for it, for his partner’s understated ability to observe and respond accordingly. Yosuke doesn’t get nearly enough credit for it from the rest of the team. Then again, Yosuke doesn’t often exercise this particular skill in social settings, so…

Souji’s line of thought trails off as something brushes against his hand. He glances down.

Beside him, Yosuke is strangely pink again – the tips of his ears and the swath of freckles across his nose bright with a shy blush that looks absolutely wonderful. It takes Souji a second to realize that Yoskue’s fingers have tentatively hooked into his own.

Souji feels his face split wide. The smile from before returns and stretches towards his eyes, not showing teeth but near enough to a grin as he’s sure he’s ever gotten before. The grey of the sky fizzles. He turns his hand and captures Yosuke’s fingers, slots them together with his so that their palms are pressed against each other, and the grey dissolves like paper in a flame.

Yosuke practically beams. His expression flares like the sun, grin so bright it nearly eclipses his eyes entirely, and he swings their hands forward once. Momentum carries them back and they swing a few more times on their own between them like a pendulum. Souji tightens his fingers briefly in response.

Joy is such a refreshing feeling after today.

“Are you doing anything tonight?” Yosuke asks, voice quiet and warm. He looks over with hooded eyes and the flush across his skin deepens by half a shade.

Souji feels the warmth from Yosuke’s voice settling into his ribcage like cinnamon tea in winter. He meets his boyfriend’s gaze – cautiously, so as not to blind himself again – and shakes his head with another quiet smile.

Yosuke’s grin grows impossibly wider. “You wanna hang out? Teddie’s been asking for my shifts so he can flirt with a couple of the new girls so I’m free until Monday.” Even knowing Souji will say yes – because Souji will always say yes to Yosuke unless he can’t – the shy hope and poorly hidden excitement in Yosuke’s words is palpable. There is also a subtle question laced within that Souji would have to be comatose not to notice.

“Are you asking if you can spend the night with me?” he asks with a tiny smirk, breaking his own silence with his own real voice for the first time all day. He’d forgotten how much the automatic responses could drain him.

Yosuke winks. “I mean, hey, if you’re offering!”

Souji huffs in return. It’s a quiet, half formed sound, more like a sharp exhale through his nose, but he knows that Yosuke has known him long enough now to interpret it for the snort of laughter it is. “Smooth.”

“Thanks, I try.”

Souji just shakes his head and smiles.

They walk along the riverbank for a few minutes more before turning off in the direction of the Dojima household. Souji knows the house still sits empty, its rooms dark and oppressively lifeless, but with his personal solar flare beside him it’s easier to make himself go back. He’d been content to wander until the sun had sunk below the horizon to try and squeeze as much daylight out of the world as he could – even if it had been muted and washed out by the cloudy sky. Now, however, he fears the dark a little less, dreads the silence a little less, and no longer thinks of crossing the threshold as plunging into an abyss. At least for a while.

“Don’t you need to go grab an overnight bag?” he asks as Yosuke follows him past the breakaway point where they would normally meet up in the mornings to walk to school.

Yosuke shakes his head. “Nope,” he chuckles. “I uh, kinda already have everything in my school bag.” He holds it up for emphasis, expression turning slightly sheepish.

Souji raises an eyebrow. It gets lost behind the fall of his hair. “What if I’d said no to you coming over?” It’s a rhetorical question and they both know it; Souji would probably have asked Yosuke over anyway, even if it was just for dinner. Anything to fill the void.

Yosuke plays along and places a hand over his heart in mock offense. “Geez, Partner! And here I though we were friends.” He can’t quite keep up the charade, though, and the laughter hiding behind his teeth threatens to slip out by the end.

Souji chuckles – a rumble in the back of his throat that he can feel but isn’t really sure is audible – and rolls his eyes fondly. They step up to the front door and he slips his key into the lock. He swings the door open. “Get inside, you goof,” he murmurs. Yosuke makes a halfhearted noise of protest behind him but he pointedly ignores it and steps across the threshold.

The house is dark. The sun has already begun to slip low and the cloud cover makes the sky darker than it should be, so what little daylight is left has no chance of breaching the house’s windows. Fighting to keep his breath from catching, Souji gropes along the wall for the light switch and focuses hard on Yosuke’s voice muttering, “you’re lucky you’re hot” where he thinks Souji can’t hear him. There is a moment just before his hand finally lands on the switch that Souji thinks he sees the color in the edges of his vision greying out and he feels his lungs nearly seize.

But then his fingers find their target and the bulb above them bursts into light, casting a faint yellow hue all throughout the entryway.

Souji takes a shaky breath and leans part of his weight against the doorframe, masking it by pretending to step to the side to let Yosuke in. He lets Yosuke shut the door behind them and watches the other boy slip off his coat and shoes. If he keeps looking at his friend, if he keeps his focus trained on the copper-pink-hazel of his anchor, if he refuses to look further into the house that is blatantly devoid of the sounds of home, then he’ll be okay. Breath in, hold it, let it out. There you go.

It is only once Yosuke is finished and staring at him with a look of curious concern that Souji manages to pull himself back into his own body.

Yosuke watches him, teeth worrying at his lower lip unconsciously. “Hey,” he says, and the sudden sound of it in the void of quiet nearly makes Souji jump. Yosuke takes a small step towards him and searches Souji with his eyes. “Are you alright?”

Souji opens his mouth to answer, draws a breath, but Yosuke cuts him off with a minute shake of his head. “It’s okay if you’re not, you know. You don’t have to pretend you are.” He takes another step forward, until he and Souji are eye to eye.

Souji lets out the breath he had taken before. He flicks his gaze towards the silent living room and then down, letting it land on Yosuke’s collarbone. It’s a very pretty collarbone, he thinks absently. He wants to rest his cheek there.

“Souji?”

He blinks. Shakes his head. “It’s too quiet,” he whispers. He hears Yosuke exhale, sees the way his chest falls with the action. He doesn’t look up to meet his eyes. “I’m…” He pauses to think, running his tongue across his lips to help unstick them. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

Yosuke’s chest rises but doesn’t fall again right away. Souji hears the inhale, watches until it seems Yosuke is holding his breath, but doesn’t look up. He keeps starting at the shadows beneath Yosuke’s clavicle until the exhale finally comes in a long, heavy sigh and suddenly his vision is obscured by Yosuke’s shirt as the other boy steps closer. He feels arms wrapping around him, warm and solid, and his forehead comes to rest on the slope of Yosuke’s shoulder. He buries his face in Yosuke’s uniform and with his next shaky breath he can smell soap and spice and home. Without even thinking – finally not thinking – his arms come to curl around Yosuke’s waist and he holds on for dear life.

An age passes.

Eyes closed against the world, Souji keeps himself leant against his anchor, his friend, his grounding force, until Yosuke pulls just far enough away to look at him. Souji sluggishly rights himself, keeping his head bowed but slitting his eyes open and taking in the blurry red trim of Yosuke’s undershirt. He doesn’t look any higher.

Yosuke’s hands move to his shoulders; Souji keeps his own on Yosuke’s waist.

“Partner.”

The word is whispered, breathed, and Souji feels the brush of air against his ear.

“Can you look at me?”

Slowly, he does. His eyes lift from Yosuke’s collar and it feels like the core of the world is chained to his neck as he tilts his head upward to match the hazel with river-water-grey.

Yosuke looks worried. It’s not a look that should ever cross his features, Souji thinks; the lack of brightness, of light, is wrong somehow. Souji’s mouth tips downward. He hates that it’s him putting the crease between the other boy’s brows.

Yosuke leans in once more and touches his forehead to Souji’s. His eyes fall to half-lidded – a mournful sunset where a summer afternoon should be. “I’m not going anywhere,” he whispers. The tip of his nose brushes against Souji’s, nuzzling carefully, shyly, and Souji nearly lets his eyes slip closed again.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Yosuke says again, “I promise.”

Souji’s eyes burn with heat and salt as Yosuke tentatively touches their lips together; he feels it sliding down his face like rain on a foggy window as he presses deeper into the kiss.

 ---

 The school rooftop is mercifully quiet today. The sky has cleared but the chill from the weekend drizzle still remains, so most sane individuals had elected to stay inside for lunch. Souji doesn’t feel the cold.

He leans back against the wall and peers up at the soft wisps of white against their blue background. It’s nice, he thinks. He’d enjoyed the rain for the excuse it had given him to curl against his boyfriend and soak up Yosuke’s warmth and nearness like a cat. It had soothed an ache – not healed it, but driven out the arthritic throb somewhere in his heart and made Sunday bearable without school to act as a distraction.

Now, though, with the color of the world back to something resembling normal and still half a day of classes left to keep his thought occupied, Souji takes as much comfort as he can from the sight of the sun before it wanes.

“You’re smiling.”

He looks towards the sound of brightness, of warmth and golden sunlight. Yosuke gives him a soft, contented look through his eyelashes, a smile spreading across his features as Souji meets his eyes.

“You okay?” Yosuke asks, tilting his head slightly as he watches Souji from his place at his side. He shifts, brushes their shoulders together; a gentle, questioning nudge.

Souji feels his smile stretch wider. “Yeah,” he says, and finds he means it. “I’m okay.”

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Hydrogen recombination found to be most plausible explanation for high levels of energy in stellar superflares

Although their primary purpose is to look for exoplanets, observatories like the Kepler Space Telescope and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) have supplied a vast amount of data on stellar flares, detected with high-precision photometry by broadband filters in the visible light spectrum.

The stars are so far away that they appear only as points of light to these telescopes, and the phenomena interpreted as stellar flares are abrupt increases in the brightness of these points.

There is also a lack of data in other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, and most studies of these events focus on irradiated energy. Observations have detected "superflares," huge magnetic eruptions in the atmosphere of stars with energies 100 to 10,000 times greater than the most energetic solar flares. The question is whether any of the available models can explain such high levels of energy.

Two models are available. The more popular one treats the radiation of a superflare as blackbody emission at a temperature of 10,000 Kelvin. The other associates the phenomenon with a process of ionization and recombination of hydrogen atoms.

A study conducted by researchers affiliated with the Mackenzie Center for Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics (CRAAM) at Mackenzie Presbyterian University (UPM) in Brazil and the University of Glasgow's School of Physics and Astronomy in the United Kingdom analyzed the two models.

The study is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

"Given the known processes of energy transfer in flares, we argue that the hydrogen recombination model is physically more plausible than the blackbody model to explain the origin of the broadband optical emission from flares," said Paulo Simões, first author of the article and a professor at UPM.

The researchers analyzed 37 superflares on the binary star system Kepler-411 and five superflares on the star Kepler-396, using the two models. "We concluded that estimates for total flare energy based on the hydrogen recombination model are about an order of magnitude lower than the values obtained using the blackbody radiation model, and are a better fit to the known flare processes," Simões said.

These processes are described in terms of solar flares. Despite many differences, solar flares continue to inform the models on which stellar flares are interpreted. A huge amount of information has been accumulated on solar flares, first documented in the astronomical literature by two English astronomers, Richard Carington and Richard Hodgson, who independently observed the same solar flare on September 1, 1859.

"Since then, solar flares have been observed with intense brightness lasting seconds to hours and at different wavelengths, from radio waves and visible light to ultraviolet and X-rays. Solar flares are among the most energetic phenomena in our solar system and can affect satellite operations, radio communications, power grids, and navigation and GPS systems, to take just a few examples," said Alexandre Araújo, Ph.D. candidate at CRAAM, schoolteacher and co-author of the article.

Solar flares occur in active regions associated with intense magnetic fields, where abundant amounts of energy are abruptly released in the corona (the sun's outermost layer) by reconnection of the magnetic field, heating the plasma and accelerating electrons and ions, among other particles.

"Because they have less mass, electrons can be accelerated to a large fraction of the speed of light, typically about 30% but sometimes more. The accelerated particles travel along the magnetic field lines, and some are ejected into interplanetary space while others go in the opposite direction into the chromosphere, the layer below the corona, where they collide with the high-density plasma and their energy is transferred to the medium.

"The surplus energy heats the local plasma, causing ionization and excitation of the atoms, and consequently producing radiation, which we can detect with telescopes on Earth's surface and in space," Simões explained.

Since the 1960s, many observational and theoretical studies have attempted to explain the exceptionally large amount of visible light emitted by solar flares, but a definitive solution has not been found to date. The most popular explanations produced by these studies are blackbody radiation from heating of the photosphere, the layer below the chromosphere, and hydrogen recombination radiation in the chromosphere. This recombination occurs when protons and electrons separated by ionization reunite to form hydrogen atoms.

"The limitation of the first case can be summed up as a matter of energy transport: none of the energy transport mechanisms normally accepted for solar flares has the capacity to deliver the energy required in the photosphere to cause sufficient plasma heating to explain the observations," Simões said.

Araújo agreed and said, "Calculations first performed in the 1970s and later confirmed by computer simulations show that most of the electrons accelerated in solar flares fail to cross the chromosphere and enter the photosphere. The blackbody model as an explanation of white light in solar flares is therefore incompatible with the main energy transport process accepted for solar flares."

As for the hydrogen recombination radiation model, it is more consistent from the physical standpoint but unfortunately cannot yet be confirmed by observations, the researchers conclude, although the article provides additional arguments in favor of this model, which has been neglected in most studies.

iMAGE....NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on theupper left – on Feb. 21, 2024. The image shows a blend of 171 Angstrom and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light that highlight the plasma loops in the corona and the extremely hot material in flares, respectively. Cropped to highlight the flaring region. Credit: NASA/SDO

[nasa]

Meet Fermi: Our Eyes on the Gamma-Ray Sky

Black holes, cosmic rays, neutron stars and even new kinds of physics — for 10 years, data from our Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have helped unravel some of the biggest mysteries of the cosmos. And Fermi is far from finished!

On June 11, 2008, at Cape Canaveral in Florida, the countdown started for Fermi, which was called the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) at the time. 

The telescope was renamed after launch to honor Enrico Fermi, an Italian-American pioneer in high-energy physics who also helped develop the first nuclear reactor. 

Fermi has had many other things named after him, like Fermi’s Paradox, the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station, the Enrico Fermi Institute, and the synthetic element fermium.

Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory

The Fermi telescope measures some of the highest energy bursts of light in the universe; watching the sky to help scientists answer all sorts of questions about some of the most powerful objects in the universe. 

Its main instrument is the Large Area Telescope (LAT), which can view 20% of the sky at a time and makes a new image of the whole gamma-ray sky every three hours. Fermi’s other instrument is the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor. It sees even more of the sky at lower energies and is designed to detect brief flashes of gamma-rays from the cosmos and Earth.

This sky map below is from 2013 and shows all of the high energy gamma rays observed by the LAT during Fermi’s first five years in space.  The bright glowing band along the map’s center is our own Milky Way galaxy!

So what are gamma rays? 

Well, they’re a form of light. But light with so much energy and with such short wavelengths that we can’t see them with the naked eye. Gamma rays require a ton of energy to produce — from things like subatomic particles (such as protons) smashing into each other. 

Here on Earth, you can get them in nuclear reactors and lightning strikes. Here’s a glimpse of the Seattle skyline if you could pop on a pair of gamma-ray goggles. That purple streak? That’s still the Milky Way, which is consistently the brightest source of gamma rays in our sky.

In space, you find that kind of energy in places like black holes and neutron stars. The raindrop-looking animation below shows a big flare of gamma rays that Fermi spotted coming from something called a blazar, which is a kind of quasar, which is different from a pulsar... actually, let’s back this up a little bit.

One of the sources of gamma rays that Fermi spots are pulsars. Pulsars are a kind of neutron star, which is a kind of star that used to be a lot bigger, but collapsed into something that’s smaller and a lot denser. Pulsars send out beams of gamma rays. But the thing about pulsars is that they rotate. 

So Fermi only sees a beam of gamma rays from a pulsar when it’s pointed towards Earth. Kind of like how you only periodically see the beam from a lighthouse. These flashes of light are very regular. You could almost set your watch by them!

Quasars are supermassive black holes surrounded by disks of gas. As the gas falls into the black hole, it releases massive amount of energy, including — you guessed it — gamma rays. Blazars are quasars that send out beams of gamma rays and other forms of light — right in our direction. 

When Fermi sees them, it’s basically looking straight down this tunnel of light, almost all the way back to the black hole. This means we can learn about the kinds of conditions in that environment when the rays were emitted. Fermi has found about 5,500 individual sources of gamma rays, and the bulk of them have been blazars, which is pretty nifty.

But gamma rays also have many other sources. We’ve seen them coming from supernovas where stars die and from star factories where stars are born. They’re created in lightning storms here on Earth, and our own Sun can toss them out in solar flares. 

Gamma rays were in the news last year because of something Fermi spotted at almost the same time as the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and European Gravitational Observatory’s Virgo on August 17, 2017. Fermi, LIGO, Virgo, and numerous other observatories spotted the merger of two neutron stars. It was the first time that gravitational waves and light were confirmed to come from the same source.

Fermi has been looking at the sky for almost 10 years now, and it’s helped scientists advance our understanding of the universe in many ways. And the longer it looks, the more we’ll learn. Discover more about how we’ll be celebrating Fermi’s achievements all year.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

[thezodiaczone]

August Forecast for Scorpio

You’re not here to make friends this month, Scorpio—not when you’re on a mission like this. The Sun is making its annual climb through Leo and your ambitious tenth house until August 23, putting you in full #boss mode. While others scamper off on carefree holidays, your steely gaze is trained on a rather specific set of goals, if not one singular target.

Your tunnel vision may be interrupted though because Mercury—the planet of communication, technology and travel—will be retrograde in Leo and this career-driven zone of your chart. Professional plans could get waylaid or delayed since Mercury retrograde can bring red tape and unanticipated curveballs that distract you from your well-crafted agenda. A client could go MIA, or a decision maker might not get you the needed materials in time for you to meet a deadline.

Relax, Scorpio, and go with the flow as best you can, even if you want to scream. Believe it or not, there’s a method to this madness. The crucial plot twist could be revealed around August 11, when a potent Leo solar (new moon) eclipse sweeps through your tenth house and brings an unexpected job offer, a leadership opportunity or a changing of the guard. The tenth house rules men and fathers, so an important guy in your life, possibly your dad, may play a role in this eclipse’s surprising events.

Solar and lunar eclipses occur four to six times a year and shake up business as usual. This is the second-to-last in a series that’s been striking the Leo/Aquarius axis since February 2017, bringing waves of change to your home and career. By now, your living situation, family structure or work life might look wildly different than they did a couple years ago. The grand finale, a total lunar (full moon) eclipse, will land in Leo and your career zone on January 21, 2019. Seeds planted today will reach their peak early next year, then you won’t experience eclipses here again until 2026. That means you might FINALLY settle into a steady career path or put down stable roots soon. Whew!

This year has certainly been one of transformation in all the major areas of your life. Expansive Jupiter has been in Scorpio all year (and will be until November 8), altering everything from your appearance to your self-esteem to your personal passions. And on May 15, changemaker Uranus began a wild eight-year ride through your opposite sign of Taurus, throwing curveballs at your closest relationships. Dynamics have changed with colleagues, romantic partners and your tightest friendships—sometimes without much notice!

On August 7, Uranus will begin its annual five-month retrograde, which could slow down some of the modifications in your partnerships. This may come as a relief, but it’s also possible that an old issue could flare up, creating unsettling energy. Counting on others for consistency will be challenging, and there may be some on-again-off-again activity with certain people.

Domestic drama may also have colored your summer, but that will start to ease off in the second half of the month. Stressful Mars has been retrograde in Aquarius since June 26, ratcheting up the tension in your domestic sector and intensifying your living situation. While Mars will remain retrograde until August 27, it will back out of Aquarius on August 12, lessening the pressure in your personal life. If you’ve been on pins and needles waiting to hear about a move, a home sale or a sticky family situation, you could finally get the answers you need. On August 12, Mars will reverse into Capricorn and your communication sector for the remainder of its pivot, so watch those caustic comments, especially since Mercury is also retrograde. You don’t need to spend the rest of your summer repairing a rift because of one snarky remark that was taken the wrong way!

Lightness prevails once again during the last week of the month, when the Sun starts a monthlong visit to Virgo on August 23 and heats up your eleventh house of group activity, teamwork and technology. Step away from all that work stress and let your hair down. A brilliant moment to do that arrives on August 25, when a rare and harmonizing grand trine forms between the Virgo Sun, structured Saturn in your communication house and unconventional Uranus in your relationship sector. This is a golden moment for collaborations and meeting kindred spirits.

Now that Mercury retrograde is in the rearview, you could move powerfully ahead with a partnership, whether business or romantic. And you’ll do it on YOUR terms, as trailblazer Uranus and the bold Sun prompt you to follow your own authentic script rather than copy someone else’s. Solidifying Saturn helps you make things official and ensures that anything you embark on has integrity and the potential for longevity. Since Saturn and Uranus are both retrograde and oriented toward the past, this grand trine goodness could involve someone you’ve known for a long time or a surprisingly rich reunion with an old friend, colleague or even an ex. Maybe the second (or third) time around will be the charm!

The month ends with some well-deserved pleasure as the year’s only Pisces full moon heats up your fifth house of romance, passion and play on August 26. A budding romance could consummate, or you might find the spotlight shining directly on you. A pregnancy, or news of one, is possible with la luna in your fertility sector. You might just be ripe with inspiration: If you’ve been hiding your talents or working behind the scenes on a creative project, this full moon could mark your big debut. Lights, camera, Scorpio!

Love & Romance

Dream lover or just an illusion? On August 6, idealistic Venus enters Libra and your fantasy-laced twelfth house for the first of two trips this year. You may not be dealing with hard-boiled reality with the amorous planet here—not that this is a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s nice to put someone on a pedestal, as long as you can promise not to demonize them if they veer to the other extreme or fail to live up to any idealized standards you’ve set.

For some Scorpios, if you do take an unblinking look at life, you might be forced to acknowledge that a certain relationship is not the fairy tale you’d like it to be, and that to move forward, you will need to deal with a few key issues. If things slow down—or stop altogether—take time to assess the situation clearly, bearing in mind that it might take a while for the truth to come out. While you might not enjoy cleaning the smudges off those rose-colored Ray-Bans, the longevity of a relationship depends on striking the right balance between magic and matter-of-factness.

A good day to hash things out is August 7, the date of a rare, harmonizing Venus-Mars trine in some of the most sensitive parts of your chart. Forget about trying to control things; just keep an open mind and receptive heart. Let your love interest do most of the talking while you practice the art of active listening. Or, just reconnect through touch and allow the loving feelings to flow before you dive into a diatribe. Compassion is the magic ingredient now.

Mars has been retrograde since June 26 in Aquarius and your sentimental fourth house, churning up some strong emotions. You may have experienced intense mood swings or family drama, whether from meddling relatives or a needy and demanding child. Settling into your skin or feeling at home under your own roof has been hard during this stressful phase. On August 1, the red planet will back into Capricorn and your communication corner for the duration of the retrograde (through August 27). While things may simmer down at home, you could still have a short fuse and be argument-prone.

If you’ve been biting your tongue, you won’t be able to hold back from speaking your truth—but stay mindful because you could be extra combative and not the most benevolent person now. Single Scorpios might reconnect with an old friend and feel sexy sparks, but don’t rush into anything. A night or two of passion isn’t worth destroying a longtime bond over.

Key Dates

August 2: Mars-Uranus Square The second of three squares between these volatile planets (the first was May 16; the next is September 18) could send your temper through the roof. Watch for knee-jerk emotional reactions because they can destabilize a relationship and send people running for the hills. If you’re angry or hurt, find a healthy way to express it. Is it time to get serious about commitment…or starting a family? Maybe—but you certainly won’t take well to being backed into any corners today.

Money & Career

It’s a big month for your career, Scorpio, so don’t drift into that summer haze just yet. Opportunity could come knocking, and you don’t want to be asleep in a hammock when it does! The Sun is in Leo and your ambitious tenth house until August 23, and August 11 brings a catalyzing Leo solar eclipse. You might receive an offer out of the blue or have an epiphany about a key area of your career that you want to change. Whether you embark on a new project, scout other options or completely change your line of work, August could recalibrate your professional path.

One thing’s for sure: “Business as usual” won’t cut it anymore. With expansive Jupiter in Scorpio from October 10, 2017, until November 8, 2018, the stars have sent you on a radical reinvention tour this year, and you’ve been discovering new passions and interests. You may find that you simply can’t force yourself to soldier through some part of your job anymore—you’re just D-O-N-E, and there’s no more faking it! But summoning the courage to let go and try something new isn’t easy for most Scorpios, who like a baseline amount of control. You’ve been learning to leap without a parachute or safety net.

All that practice could pay off now as the Leo eclipse delivers an exciting chance to flaunt your expertise or leave a lasting mark on your industry. Rumors are swirling that iconic Scorpio fashion editor Anna Wintour will leave her hallowed post at Vogue after the September issue. The mere suggestion of that possibility has Jupiter and the eclipses’ fingerprints all over it!

But take any big career moves slowly, Scorpio, since mindful Mercury is retrograde in Leo from July 26 to August 19, which could delay decisions and scramble signals, especially at work. Since Mercury retrograde is notorious for foiling technology, back up your data and hold off on any major electronics upgrades until after this cycle. Most astrologers caution against signing contracts during Mercury retrograde because key details can slip past your attention. Even your eagle eye can miss ’em now, Scorpio, so have any binding documents reviewed by an attorney instead of rushing to sign on the dotted line.

Key Dates

August 10: Mercury-Jupiter Square Flattery will get ’em…everywhere? Someone could butter you up today, but watch out! They may have an ulterior motive. With retrograde Mercury butting heads with overconfident Jupiter in your sign, you might be a little too quick on the draw. Ask people to present you with a plan to back up their lofty visions. Check references—and if you’re the one pitching or applying for a job, make sure your social profiles and testimonials reflect your best work!

Love Days: 26, 4 Money Days: 11, 19 Luck Days: 9, 17 Off Days: 1, 6, 15

[andromeda1023]

Star Shredded by Rare Breed of Black Hole

A team of researchers using data from ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray space observatory, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA's Swift X-Ray Telescope has found evidence for the existence of an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH).

Scientists have strong evidence for the existence of stellar black holes, which are typically five to 30 times as massive as the Sun. They have also discovered that supermassive black holes with masses as large as billions of Suns exist in the centers of most galaxies. They have long been searching for IMBHs that would exist in between these two extremes, which would contain thousands of solar masses. Thought to be seeds that will eventually grow to become supermassive, IMBHs are especially elusive, and thus very few robust candidates have ever been found.

One of the few methods scientists can use to try to find an IMBH is to wait for a star to pass close to it and become disrupted. This event causes the black hole to emit a flare that can be observed by telescopes like Chandra. Previously, this kind of event has only been clearly seen at the center of a galaxy before, not at the outer edges.

In this new study led by Dacheng Lin of the University of New Hampshire, scientists identified a possible IMBH in observations of a large galaxy some 740 million light years away.

The image above shows the galaxy named 6dFGS gJ215022.2-055059 in data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (yellow), with the X-ray source inferred to contain the IMBH detected by Chandra (purple) on the outskirts. In the panel below, X-ray data from XMM-Newton over two epochs shows how the candidate IMBH brightens over time.

Given this and other observed properties, the researchers concluded that this X-ray source represents a star that was disrupted and torn apart by a black hole with a mass of around fifty thousand times that of the Sun. Such star-triggered outbursts are expected to only happen rarely from this type of black hole, so this discovery suggests that there could be many more such black holes lurking in a dormant state in galaxy peripheries across the local Universe.

In addition to telescopes mentioned above, this study, which appears online in Nature Astronomy on June 18, 2018 (and available here), used data from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, NAOJ's Subaru Telescope, the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope, and the Gemini Observatory.

http://chandra.si.edu/photo/2018/j2150/