#messier objects

[todays-xkcd]

The debate over the correct Messier number for the Ship of Theseus is ongoing.

Messier Objects [Explained]

Transcript Under the Cut

[Multiple objects are labelled with M followed by a number.]

[There is a tree, a butterfly, a squirrel, a man with a powdered wig labeled Charles Messier, a squirrel, and ground.] M137 (Earth) (pointing to the ground)

M205 (Charles Messier) (pointing to Charles Messier)

M21860 (pointing to a tree on the left of the panel)

M41592 (pointing to a butterfly above Charles)

M30712050 (pointing to a squirrel)

[Caption below the panel:] People usually focus on the first 110, but the Messier Catalog actually includes all objects.

[kuiperkat]

March’s Night Sky Notes: Messier Madness

by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific

What Are Messier Objects?

During the 18th century, astronomer and comet hunter Charles Messier wanted to distinguish the ‘faint fuzzies’ he observed from any potential new comets. As a result, Messier cataloged 110 objects in the night sky, ranging from star clusters to galaxies to nebulae. These items are designated by the letter ‘M’ and a number. For example, the Orion Nebula is Messier 42 or M42, and the Pleiades are Messier 45 or M45. These are among the brightest ‘faint fuzzies’ we can see with modest backyard telescopes and some even with our eyes.

Stargazers can catalog these items on evenings closest to the new moon. Some even go as far as having “Messier Marathons,” setting up their telescopes and binoculars in the darkest skies available to them, from sundown to sunrise, to catch as many as possible. Here are some items to look for this season:

M44 in Cancer and M65 and 66 in Leo can be seen high in the evening sky 60 minutes after sunset. Credit: Stellarium Web

Messier 44 in Cancer: The Beehive Cluster, also known as Praesepe, is an open star cluster in the heart of the Cancer constellation. Use Pollux in Gemini and Regulus in Leo as guide stars. A pair of binoculars is enough to view this and other open star clusters. If you have a telescope handy, pay a visit two of the three galaxies that form the Leo Triplet - M65 and M66. These items can be seen one hour after sunset in dark skies.

Locate M3 and M87 rising in the east after midnight. Credit: Stellarium Web

Messier 3 Canes Venatici: M3 is a globular cluster of 500,000 stars. Through a telescope, this object looks like a fuzzy sparkly ball. You can resolve this cluster in an 8-inch telescope in moderate dark skies. You can find this star cluster by using the star Arcturus in the Boötes constellation as a guide.

Messier 87 in Virgo: Located just outside of Markarian’s Chain, M87 is an elliptical galaxy that can be spotted during the late evening hours. While it is not possible to view the supermassive black hole at the core of this galaxy, you can see M87 and several other Messier-labeled galaxies in the Virgo Cluster using a medium-sized telescope.

Locate M76 and M31 setting in the west, 60 minutes after sunset. Credit: Stellarium Web

Messier 76 in Perseus: For a challenge, spot the Little Dumbbell Nebula, a planetary nebula between the Perseus and Cassiopeia constellations. With an apparent magnitude of 12.0, you will need a large telescope and dark skies. You can find both M76 and the famous Andromeda Galaxy (M31) one hour after sunset, but only for a limited time, as these objects disappear after April. They will reappear in the late-night sky by September.

Plan Ahead

When gearing up for a long stargazing session, there are several things to remember, such as equipment, location, and provisions:

Do you have enough layers to be outdoors for several hours? You would be surprised how cold it can get when sitting or standing still behind a telescope!

Are your batteries fully charged? If your telescope runs on power, be sure to charge everything before you leave home and pack any additional batteries for your cell phone. Most people use their mobile devices for astronomy apps, so their batteries may deplete faster. Cold weather can also impact battery life.

Determine the apparent magnitude of what you are trying to see and the limiting magnitude of your night sky. You can learn more about apparent and limiting magnitudes with our Check Your Sky Quality with Orion article.

When choosing a location to observe from, select an area you are familiar with and bring some friends! You can also connect with your local astronomy club to see if they are hosting any Messier Marathons. It’s always great to share the stars!

You can see all 110 items and their locations with NASA’s Explore the Night Sky interactive map and the Hubble Messier Catalog, objects that have been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope.

[esters-notepad]

Behold: the Messier Objects!

They're a collection of non-star, non-comet astronomical objects visible on the northern hemisphere. They're named for their cataloguer and (for the most part) discoverer, the French astronomer Charles Messier. Still, I like to imagine that there are two more astronomical categories: Messy Objects and The Messiest Objects...

[richdadpoor]

Webb Space Telescope Drops Two Amazing Pics of the Ring Nebula

The Webb Space Telescope recently imaged the Ring Nebula with its two primary imagers, revealing the gaseous formation in never-before-seen detail. Webb Telescope Images the Pillars of Creation The breathtaking images show the hydrogen-rich globules in the nebula and its inner region, rife with hot gas. The nebula—first discovered in 1779—was imaged by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and…

[ovrrdogg]

Four: You hang up

X: No, you hang up!

Four: Ok! *beep*

[klimkovsky]

Globular star cluster Messier 9

Globular star cluster Messier 9 by Hubble Space Telescope

Messier 9, or M9, is a fascinating globular star cluster located in the constellation Ophiuchus. Discovered by Charles Messier in 1764, it’s one of the older clusters in our galaxy, estimated to be around 12 billion years old. It sits about 25,800 light-years away from Earth and is relatively close to the galactic center—only about 5,500 light-years from it, which is pretty tight-knit compared to many other globulars.

M9 contains a couple hundred thousand stars packed into a roughly spherical region about 90 light-years across. It’s not the brightest or most prominent cluster—magnitude-wise, it’s around 7.7, so you’d need a small telescope or decent binoculars to spot it under good conditions. What’s cool about it is its mix of stars: mostly old, low-mass ones, with a good dose of metal-poor stars (meaning they’re low in elements heavier than helium), which ties into its ancient origins.

It’s also got some variable stars—like RR Lyrae types—that astronomers use to gauge distances and study stellar evolution. The cluster’s been shaped by its proximity to the galactic core, too; tidal forces have likely stripped away some of its outer stars over billions of years, giving it a slightly squashed look.

Let’s dive into the history and structure of Messier 9 (M9)

History

Messier 9 was first cataloged by Charles Messier on May 19, 1764. Messier, a French astronomer obsessed with hunting comets, spotted it while charting objects that could be mistaken for them. He described it as a "nebula without stars," which makes sense—through his modest 18th-century telescope, M9 would’ve looked like a faint, fuzzy blob. It wasn’t until later, with better instruments, that astronomers like William Herschel resolved it into a dense cluster of stars in the 1780s. Herschel’s observations helped shift the understanding of these "nebulae" into what we now know as globular clusters.

M9’s historical significance grew as astronomers pieced together its age and context. By the 20th century, studies of its stellar population—especially its metal-poor stars—pegged it as one of the Milky Way’s ancient relics, formed roughly 12 billion years ago. That’s not long after the Big Bang itself, making M9 a window into the early galaxy. Its proximity to the galactic center also hints at a turbulent past, shaped by gravitational tussles with the Milky Way’s core over eons.

Structure

M9 is a classic globular cluster: a tight, roughly spherical ball of stars held together by gravity. It spans about 90 light-years in diameter, though its core is much denser—most of its estimated 200,000+ stars are crammed into the inner regions. The cluster’s classified as a Shapley-Sawyer Concentration Class VIII, which means it’s not the most densely packed (Class I is the tightest), but it’s still got a noticeable core concentration that loosens up toward the edges.

Its structure’s been sculpted by its environment. Being just 5,500 light-years from the galactic center—closer than most globulars—M9 feels the Milky Way’s tidal forces strongly. These forces stretch and distort it slightly, stripping away some outer stars over time. This gives it a less perfectly spherical shape than more isolated clusters, with a bit of flattening or elongation detectable in detailed observations.

The stellar makeup is telling, too. M9 is dominated by old, low-mass stars—red giants and main-sequence stars nearing the end of their lives. Its metallicity (the fraction of elements heavier than helium) is low, around 1/50th that of the Sun’s, confirming its early formation before the galaxy had much heavy-element recycling. You’ll also find variable stars like RR Lyrae types pulsing in its core, which are handy for measuring its distance (around 25,800 light-years from us) and studying its dynamics. No fancy young star-forming regions here—just a quiet, ancient assembly.

The cluster’s compactness and its tidal wear-and-tear make it a great case study for how globulars evolve near the galactic core.

Let’s connect Messier 9’s history to the Milky Way’s formation and then zoom into its core dynamics

History and the Milky Way’s Formation

M9’s ancient age—around 12 billion years—places it among the first generation of globular clusters formed in the Milky Way. Back then, the galaxy was a chaotic mess of gas, dust, and smaller proto-galaxies merging into what we know today. Globular clusters like M9 are thought to have condensed out of massive gas clouds during this early epoch, before the galactic disk fully took shape. Its low metallicity—elements heavier than helium are scarce at about 1/50th the Sun’s level—backs this up. The universe hadn’t had time to churn out much “metal” through stellar fusion and supernovae yet, so M9’s stars are made of nearly pristine primordial stuff: mostly hydrogen and helium.

Being just 5,500 light-years from the galactic center suggests M9 formed in the galaxy’s inner halo or bulge region, where star formation kicked off early and fast. Some theories propose that clusters like M9 could even be remnants of dwarf galaxies or smaller stellar systems that got swallowed up by the growing Milky Way. Over billions of years, as the galaxy settled into its spiral structure, M9’s orbit kept it close to the core, exposing it to intense gravitational forces. These interactions likely stripped away some of its mass—stars on the outskirts got peeled off into the galactic halo—linking its history directly to the Milky Way’s violent assembly. It’s like a fossil record of the galaxy’s youth, preserved despite the chaos around it.

Core Dynamics

Now, zooming into M9’s core—it’s where the action (or what passes for action in a 12-billion-year-old cluster) happens. The core is dense, with stars packed so tightly that their mutual gravity drives some wild dynamics. M9’s a Class VIII globular, so its core isn’t as insanely concentrated as a Class I cluster (like M15), but it’s still compact enough for stellar interactions to shape its evolution. The inner region’s probably only a few light-years across, stuffed with thousands of stars buzzing around at high speeds—tens to hundreds of kilometers per second.

This density leads to stellar collisions and close encounters, though actual smash-ups are rare because stars are small compared to the space between them. More common are gravitational “slingshots” that fling lower-mass stars outward, leaving heavier ones—like white dwarfs or neutron stars—to sink toward the center via a process called mass segregation. Over time, this concentrates the core even more. M9’s core might even harbor a few exotic remnants—maybe a low-mass black hole or binary systems of compact objects—though nothing’s confirmed yet.

The variable stars, like RR Lyrae types, are a big deal here. They pulse with regular brightness changes, driven by internal instabilities, and their presence in the core helps map its structure. These stars also hint at dynamical heating: as stars interact gravitationally, energy gets redistributed, puffing up the core slightly against total collapse. Meanwhile, the tidal pull from the galactic center keeps tugging at the cluster, counteracting some of that inward squeeze and giving M9’s core a delicate balance between contraction and disruption.

So, M9’s history ties it to the Milky Way’s formative brawls, while its core is a slow-motion dance of gravity and survival.

Grok AI

Constellation Ophiuchus

Globular star cluster Messier 9 (M9) on the star map in Constellation Ophiuchus

A small addition to what AI said

The globular star cluster M9 is observed through the most densely populated regions of the Milky Way, rich in both stars and hydrogen nebulae, as well as interstellar dust, which partially hides this cluster from us. The absorption of light by the cluster and the filaments of dust nebulae against its background were noticed by Lord Rosse in the 19th century. The not quite round observed shape of the cluster is also due to dust screening.

In addition, the cluster is moving away from the Solar System at a very high speed - more than 200 kilometers per second. From this we can conclude that the globular star cluster M9 is not constantly near the galactic center, but only for a short time - its orbit is most likely highly elongated, and for most of its galactic year the cluster is on the periphery of the Galaxy or at an average distance from the core, possibly (and most likely) in the galactic halo, and not in the plane of the spiral arms. But now it is passing through the galactic plane and actively losing stars (but who knows - maybe it is acquiring new ones to replace the lost ones, capturing them on its way... although the mechanism of such capture has not yet been studied by science and is only assumed). But the approach to the core of the Galaxy, of course, greatly weakens the gravitational bonds between the stars of the cluster, which leads to large losses in the number of stars every couple of hundred million years, when the cluster again returns to the central part of the Galaxy.

Astronomers observe the globular star cluster Messier 9. Vision by Grok AI

[the-maddest-robot]

Picture of the bubble nebula and surrounding objects : Top left (the vague group of stars): M52 an open cluster

Center right: NGC 7538 an emission nebula (also known as the northern lagoon nebula)

Bottom center: NGC 7635/the bubble nebula and the surrounding hydrogen cloud

The ''bubble'' part of this nebula is created by the stellar wind (flow of gas, plasma and particle) emitted by the central star at nearly 650 million km/h hitting and compressing the surrounding interstellar gas. The central star (BD +602522) is currently estimated to be about 45 times heavier than our sun and about 4 million years old. Being so massive and thus very hot (it's a type O star) its lifespan is very limited for a star and it should go supernova in about 10 to 20 million years.

BD +602522 is slightly off center from the bubble, this is due to the interstellar gas being a bit more dense on one side and thus slowing the stellar wind more efficiently.

Single exposure to make the central star more visible.

Image taken using a CarbonStar 150/600 newtonian telescope with a 0.95 coma corrector, ZWO ASI294 monochrome camera. 12x300s image for each colour filter (LRGB) and 12x300s for the Ha filter, total imaging time 5h, stacking and processing done in PixInsight.

Starless version of the same image:

Older image where the bubble is more distinct from the background hydrogen clouds :

[corporatecoinings]

Messierobjectan

A gender that relates to all 110 of the Messier Objects.

Coined by : Supernova from The Corporate Tower

Star banner originated from here, recolored by us.

Messier Object catalouge came from Wikipedia.

(Due to this flag being monochrome, it may look like a gendersystem flag template, but it is not. Please dont treat it as such)

[thepastisalreadywritten]

[noita-digging]

Tannerkivi

Max Durability: 14 (Can convert all materials to durability 10 soil or durability 6 collapsed concrete) Radius: 46 Danger: Can bury the player in soil causing suffocation damage or cause earthquakes that can crush the player if they are not careful. Uses: infinite.

Examples:

There are two main ways of using tannerkivi to dig with different strengths and weaknesses of each. 1. Ground to soil digging is done by holding the tannerkivi to convert durable materials into soil and then switching to a wand to dig away at the soil. This is much safer than the 2nd method and works as long as you have any spells that can safely destroy durability 10 materials. 2. Tannerkivi Earthquake digging is an extention to the first technique where instead of using a wand to dig away at the soil, earthquakes caused by the tannerkivi are used instead. When a tannerkivi is in Mina's inventory, any kick will produce an earthquake and nearby material will be converted into collapsed concrete which may fall and harm Mina. This can be done safely, but it requires proper technique, making sure any collapsed concrete is converted to soil before it can hit Mina.

If you should get buried in soil and don't have any spells that can safely dig through soil, but do have water, it can be possible to escape by pouring out the water onto surrounding soil, converting it to mud which has durability 6 and in a pinch can be ingested. Without the iron stomach perk, This will cause vomiting, and eating the vomit will cause food poisoning, so this is not a safe method for digging long distances. I'll cover eating as a method of digging in more depth later.

[grraveryl]

we talk about the beef between nenji and hijiyama, but possible beef between tomi and okino could be world ending

like if tomi learnt about the timeloop nonsense okino trapped nenji in, I don't think she'd be too chuffed

[hoonstqr]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ۫ 𓈒 DESIRE────UNLEASHED ♩

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝗁𝗈𝗍 𝗐𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝗍 𝗂𝗍 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗌𝖾

警告 : smut, virginity loss, whiny hoon, blowjob, p in v, unprotected sex, fwb(?), he's such a loser i love him 1904 for my sub enha truthers @byshens and @kikidoul. a hoonstqr fic without any degradation?! *gasps dramatically* lowk dont like this but fuck it we ball

ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ( ៸៸ ´ `) 𝑜 ──── REBLOG FOR A KiSS !

“you’re still a virgin?!” you exclaimed, your voice bouncing off the walls of sunghoon’s cluttered room.

his cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, eyes darting around like a trapped animal looking for an escape. “yes,” he murmured, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own racing heart.

you leaned back against the pillows, a smirk playing on your lips as you studied him. his hands were fidgeting in his lap, and you couldn't help but wonder what it was about you that made him so nervous. “why are you so jumpy?” you asked teasingly.

sunghoon took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. “i just... i don’t know how to do this,” he stuttered.

“do what?”

sunghoon’s eyes widened as he stared at you, his voice quivering. “this...this kind of thing,” he said, gesturing awkwardly between the two of you.

“you mean sex?” you said, as your smirk grew wider. you had a feeling that sunghoon was more than just a little inexperienced, but you didn’t realize he was a virgin. this was going to be interesting.

his eyes grew even wider, if that was possible. “y-yes,” he whispered, his voice so faint it was almost lost in the quiet hum of the air conditioner.

you leaned forward as you placed a gentle hand on his knee. he jolted at the contact, and you couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction. “don’t worry,” you assured him, your voice smooth and comforting. “i’ll take it slow. we’re just friends, right?”

sunghoon nodded, his knee felt like it was made of jello under your touch, and you could feel the tension radiating from his body.

you slid your hand up his thigh, watching his face closely for any signs of discomfort or objection. his breath hitched, but he remained still, his eyes locked onto yours. the fabric of his sweatpants grew tight as your hand reached the apex of his thighs, and you felt his erection growing beneath your fingertips. “see?” you whispered. “there’s nothing to be nervous about.”

sunghoon’s cheeks burned as he nodded, his eyes glazed over with a mix of excitement and fear. you gave his thigh a reassuring squeeze before sliding your hand away, giving him a moment to collect himself. “how about we start with something simple?” you suggested, standing up and moving closer to him. “like kissing?”

his pupils dilated, and he swallowed hard. “k-kissing?” he stuttered, his voice hoarse.

you nodded, a mischievous smile playing on your lips. “yeah,” you whispered, closing the distance between you. “just a kiss. to get us started.”

sunghoon’s breathing grew shallower as you leaned in, his eyes closing instinctively. when your lips met, it was like a spark had ignited between you. his body jerked, but you held firm, your arms sliding around his neck as your mouths melded together. your tongue slipped past his trembling lips, and you felt his whole body shiver in response.

his hands hovered in the air for a moment before finally settling on your hips, pulling you closer as he tentatively kissed you back. the kiss grew messier, more desperate, as your tongues danced together, exploring every inch of each other's mouths. your teeth clicked against his, and you felt his hard cock pressing against your stomach. he moaned softly, and the sound was like music to your ears.

you grabbed a fistful of his hair, tugging gently as you deepened the kiss, your other hand sliding up to cup his cheek. his whimpers grew louder, and you felt a smug satisfaction knowing you were the one making him feel this way. your mouth left a trail of wet kisses down his jaw and neck, and his breath hitched as your teeth grazed his skin. sunghoon’s hands tightened around your hips, his nails digging in slightly as he tried to control his urges.

eventually, you pulled away, both of you panting and flushed. you looked into his eyes, dark with lust, and smirked. “now, i want you to show me how you jerk off,” you murmured, your voice low and seductive. sunghoon’s eyes widened, and he blinked rapidly, as if trying to process your words. “w-what?” he stuttered, his voice a high-pitched squeak.

“i want to know what you do when you think about me.” 

his hands trembling slightly. slowly, he reached for the waistband of his sweatpants, his eyes never leaving yours as he revealed his hard, throbbing erection.

fuck. he was big, no, huge. his dick was standing at full attention, a bead of precum glistening at the tip. you couldn’t help but lick your lips at the sight of it. “go ahead,” you said, your voice thick with lust. “touch it.”

sunghoon’s hand shook as he wrapped his fingers around the base of his cock. his thumb brushed over the slit, spreading the precum around the head. you watched, mesmerized, as he began to stroke himself, his movements jerky and uncertain. his breathing grew ragged, and he bit his lip to stifle his moans.

the precum was slick on your fingers as you reached out and touched him, feeling the warm, velvety skin of his cock. sunghoon’s eyes shot open, and he gasped at the sensation of your hand on him. you took over, matching the rhythm of his own touch. you felt his dick throb in your hand, and knew he was close.

“fuck,” he whispered, his hips bucking slightly. you could feel the heat of his cum spurt into your hand as you stroked him. sunghoon’s body went limp. his cheeks were a deep scarlet, and his eyes were squeezed shut tight. “i-i’m sorry,” he stuttered, his voice shaking. “i didn’t mean to...i couldn’t…”

“shh, it's okay,” you cooed, leaning in to kiss his cupid's bow. “that was pretty hot.” 

his eyes flew open, meeting yours. “really?”

“really, you’re so sensitive, it’s adorable.”

“i-i guess,” he mumbled, his voice still shaky.

you smirked, taking his hand in yours and leading him to the bed. “let’s see how quickly you can cum again.”

sunghoon’s eyes widened in surprise as you straddled his thighs. you reached down and began to unbutton his shirt, revealing his toned abs and a well defined v-cut.

you leaned in and kissed his neck, feeling his pulse quicken beneath your lips. your chest brushed against his bare chest, and he gulped, his hands hovering around your waist. “touch me,” you whispered. 

his trembling hands slid up your shirt, his fingertips grazing the sensitive skin just above your waistband. you arched your back, pushing your tits into his chest, and felt his erection twitch in response. “like this?” he asked, his voice shaking with anticipation.

you nodded, biting your lip as you felt his hands move up to cup your breasts. “uh-huh,” your eyes clamped shut as he squeezed gently. his thumbs brushed over your nipples, and you couldn’t help but let out a soft moan. his touch was clumsy, but earnest, and it was turning you on more than you cared to admit.

you pulled your shirt off over your head, tossing it aside. your bra followed, and sunghoon’s eyes went wide at the sight and his breathing grew heavier. you could feel his cock throb against your thigh.

“you like that?”

you whispered against his ear, your breath hot and tickling the sensitive skin there. sunghoon’s nod was jerky, his eyes squeezed shut as if he was trying to hold onto the last threads of his sanity.

he was still hard and glistening from his previous orgasm. you couldn’t resist taking it in your hand again, feeling the rough skin and the way it filled your palm so perfectly.

you straddled his hips, his erection poking against your thigh. “do you want me to ride you?” sunghoon's eyes snapped open, his pupils dilating even further. “r-ride me?” he stammered.

you smirked, your hands sliding down to grip his cock once again. “yeah,” you murmured, your voice dripping with desire. “wanna feel you inside me.”

sunghoon’s eyes rolled back in his head as you lined him up with your entrance, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “p-please,” he whimpered, his hips bucking slightly.

you smirked as you slid down onto his length. he was so thick that it took some effort to take him all in, but the way he filled you up was exquisite. you threw your head back, a moan tearing from your throat as your body adjusted to the new sensation. “fuck,” you breathed out, the word echoing in the quiet room.

sunghoon’s eyes were squeezed shut, his teeth clenched as he tried to hold back his own moans. he knew it hurt women when they lost their virginity, but the way his cock felt being squeezed so tightly was a pain unlike any other. it was a mix of pleasure and pain, like a delicious agony that had him panting and writhing beneath you.

his eyes rolled back in his head and his teeth clenched as he felt you stretch around him. his hands dug into your hips, urging you to move faster, deeper. you began to rock back and forth, feeling his cock hit all the right spots inside of you. each movement sent waves of pleasure through your body.

the pain was intense for sunghoon, but the way you were gripping him so tightly, he’d never felt anything so incredible, so all-consuming. he could feel the head of his cock rubbing against your cervix, and it was driving him wild.

his hips bucked up to meet your movements, his body begging for more. you leaned down, capturing his mouth in a searing kiss, your tongue delving into his mouth as if you were claiming him. your teeth nipped at his bottom lip, and he couldn’t help but whimper into your mouth.

he’d heard about it from his friends, and saw it on twitter, but nothing had prepared him for the reality of it. the way your tight cunt gripped him like a vise was both agonizing and incredible. every inch of his cock was enveloped in your warm, wet heat, and it was a sensation that was driving him to the brink of madness.

his hips jerked upward, meeting your movements with a desperate need to be deeper. the pressure was building, and he could feel his balls tightening.

“y-you’re so...tight,” he stuttered, his eyes squeezed shut. you could see the veins in his neck bulging with the effort of holding back. his body tensed and his grip on your hips tightening as he felt his orgasm approaching. he threw his head back, as he came inside of you. the feeling was so intense, so overwhelming, that his vision swam with white heat.

you watched him, your own arousal spiking at the sight of his pleasure. his cock pulsed and throbbed, sending spurt after spurt of hot cum deep into your cunt. your walls clenched around him, eager to milk every drop from him.

your moans grew louder, your body trembling as the waves of pleasure crashed over you. sunghoon’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt your pussy clench around him, your orgasm ripping through you like a storm.

you collapsed onto his chest, both of you panting and trying to catch your breath. sunghoon’s heart hammered against your chest, and you could feel his cum trickling out of you. “you really are a quick shot.”

regulars── : @rikkesttz @nics-fxy @woniesbae @jk1601 @starrias @rikiiimeow @drmsrina @rosepetals09 | @k-films @sweetvenomnet

[vanteguccir]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤTIKTOK TREND: PRETENDING TO TAKE HIS PHONE * MATT STURNIOLO

SUMMARY　::　Where Y/N does the TikTok trend 'pretending to take my boyfriend's phone while he eats' with Matt just to see his reaction.

FEATURING　Matt Sturniolo x reader　REQUESTED?　yes.

WARNINGS　::　none.

AUTHOR'S NOTE　::　that is my work, I DON'T authorize any form of plagiarism; copy, "inspiration" or translation! | english isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

It was a dumb little TikTok trend. But Y/N wanted to try it so bad.

She had barely buckled herself in before her thumb was already tapping "record" and subtly slipping her phone into the holder stuck to the right side of the dashboard. It was angled just right to catch both her and Matt from the passenger seat.

Matt had no idea. And that was the whole point.

He had just pulled out of the McDonald’s drive-thru, balancing his food bag from the bottom with his right hand. The other hand was on the wheel, guiding them to the far corner of the lot, where the sun hit the dashboard just right to make the car a bit warmer and where they could eat without people walking past every two seconds.

She had her own bag in her lap, both hands clutching it, the scent of fries and fried everything filling up the car. She wiggled a little in her seat, letting her head fall back with the tiniest gasp.

"This is literally all I’ve been thinking about for the past hour."

Matt chuckled under his breath, parking with a soft click of the gear shift before moving to brush off a dark curl that fell on his eyes.

"I need a haircut."

Y/N’s head immediately snapped toward him.

"What?"

He was already unwrapping his burger, resting it casually on his left thigh by his phone side, which sat on his right one, glowing under the occasional sunbeam that made its way through the windshield.

"I’m getting one tomorrow." He added, like it wasn’t going to break her entire world.

She paused, still gripping her McNuggets box without opening it. Her lips pushed into the tiniest pout, bottom one sticking out just enough to be noticeable.

"But... I like it like this." She mumbled, her eyes tracing the ends of his hair, messier than usual with how much he'd been touching it.

Good day to forget his cap at home.

He didn’t even notice the heartbreak on her voice, reaching for his fries, his other hand pushing the burger wrapper slightly to the side on his thigh.

Y/N looked at her phone, just a flicker of her eyes to check the screen in front of her. Still recording.

Perfect.

She set her food down gently, wiping her fingers on the McDonald’s napkin and looking at Matt, who was mid-rant about how the last time he went to the barber was before tour.

As he ranted, she shifted her body slightly, leaning over the center console. Her hand slowly reached across, fingers floating a few inches above his thigh.

Matt saw the hand and the direction it was going to and panicked.

His entire body flinched.

The poor boy didn’t even think.

His hand darted, snatched the burger off his leg, and shoved a massive bite into his mouth like he had mere seconds to live. His whole body pivoted to protect his food, smushing himself against the door and holding the burger next to the closed window like he was shielding it.

His cheeks were full, eyes wide and darting at her with pure shock and instinct.

Y/N froze halfway across the console, blinking at him.

There was a full two seconds of silence.

Just the sound of Matt’s chewing struggling to begin because his mouth was too full from that huge bite.

Then she grinned before biting her bottom lip to keep herself from cracking up way too loud.

Wordlessly, still holding in the laughter threatening to escape, she lifted the object of her true desire - his phone - off his thigh.

The screen lit up for a second, flashing the time paired with a too colorful picture of her grinning wide, nose a little scrunched, eyes all crinkled in the way that made her look genuinely, stupidly happy.

She sighed through her small smile, unlocking it smoothly.

"I was just gonna take your phone, you psycho." She finally revealed, her voice lilting with so much amusement it practically sparkled in the air between them.

Matt paused, chewing finally kicking into gear, though still in slow-mo. He looked at her, cheeks still kind of puffed out, jaw moving sluggishly as he processed her words and his own reaction.

"Oh."

He swallowed, visibly and audibly, like his throat was dry from the embarrassment. He gently returned his burger to his thigh, clearing his throat, trying to play it cool.

"Well, I mean... my phone’s yours too anyway." He mumbled, fake-casual as he wiped a nonexistent crumb off his jeans. "Take it. Do whatever. I don’t care. Just don't touch my food."

It was then that Y/N lost it. Her laughter burst out, soft and uncontainable, making her shoulders shake. She leaned back in her seat, looking at him like he was the funniest person she’d ever met, which, let’s be honest, he kinda was.

"You really thought I was gonna steal your lunch?" She asked, still holding his phone in one hand and resting her other against the console.

He didn’t answer right away. Just raised an eyebrow and shot her a fake-serious glare.

"You’re not above it." He said, squinting at her. "You’ve done it before. Too many times to count. Like last week. My last nugget? Ring a bell?"

"That was a shared meal!"

"No, that was stealing."

She leaned over and brushed her fingers on his beard covered jaw, cleaning up bread crumbs that remained there even after all his movements.

"You’re dramatic."

"I’m traumatized."

She narrowed her eyes at him, eyes drifting ever-so-slightly down to the cheeseburger. He noticed and immediately picked it back up and pointed the bitten side toward her.

"Do you want a bite?" He asked, the most pained expression painted across his face. "Because I will let you. But I need you to understand how much it hurts me emotionally to share this."

Y/N burst into laughter again, leaning her head against the seat, shoulders shaking.

"You’re so dramatic." She repeated, turning her eyes to him. "I don't want it, baby. I have mine, it's okay."

A smile stretched across her face when she leaned over again to press a quick kiss to his cheek, adoring the delicious burn from his facial hair against her skin.

"You’re cute, you know that?"

Matt tried not to smile but absolutely failed.

"You are cute when you try to gaslight me into thinking you didn’t just almost ruin my lunch."

Y/N wiggled her brows.

"You’re gonna die when you see this video later."

"Video? What video-" He looked around, finally seeing the red recording light blinking from her phone in the holder. His mouth dropped open. "You were filming this whole time?!"

"It's a huge trend right now." She grinned, unapologetic. "And I wanted to see your reaction."

He leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes.

"I'm not even surprised anymore."

Y/N just laughed, readjusted her body above her seat, and finally took a bite of her own burger, satisfied.

Matt was still fake-moping, but the corner of his mouth twitched, betraying the smile he was trying to hide.

"You’re lucky I like you."

"You’re lucky I didn’t actually want your sandwich."

He turned to her, giving in to the laughter now, eyes full of the soft kind of love that made her chest feel warm.

"You know what? I’ll buy you ten cheeseburgers. Just- just don’t touch mine ever again."

Y/N reached over and took one fry from his bag, innocently looking at his through her lashes.

"No promises."

extra :: comments;

"NAH THE WAY HE CLUTCHED THAT CHEESEBURGER LIKE IT WAS THE MOST PRECIOUS THING 😭😭😭 i’m screaming"

"matt really said ✨ fight or flight ✨ and chose violence to protect a sandwich 💀"

"'my phone is yours' BUT NOT GIVE A BITE OF HIS SANDWICH 😭 love language? nonexistent"

"the way she looked at the burger and he INSTANTLY offered it in pain 😭😭 this is PEAK couple content"

"not matt protecting the burger like it’s a baby and then acting like nothing happened 😭 he’s so unserious i love them"

"THE LOCKSCREEN BEING HER PIC AND HER UNLOCKING IT LIKE IT’S HER OWN PHONE 🥹 they’re so married idc"

"the way his soul LEFT HIS BODY when she moved her hand 😭😭 bro thought he was about to be robbed or smt"

"yall are so funny and perfect together, please never die 😭🙏🏻"

© vanteguccir

[sttoru]

·.⌇ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒. zayne is quite the early bird and loves to appreciate the sight of your sleeping self next to him. he might even tease you a bit.

wc. 1.2k

note. first love and deepspace fic, kinda nervous. lmk what you think of my characterisation of zayne.

tags. zayne x female reader. fluff. just zayne being a secret softie for you. reader gets called ‘sweetheart, dear / pretty, beautiful’.

it’s early. way too early for your body to properly function. the birds haven’t chirped yet and neither has the sun shown itself—it’s early, but zayne is up. he couldn’t fall back asleep once he had awoken and thus decided to stay up.

“hah, sleepyhead,” zayne comments through a deep sigh. he’s laying on his side, facing you. his eyes are completely focused on your appearance; from your messy bed hair to the drop of drool forming at the corner of your mouth. it’s all rather endearing.

your boyfriend reaches a scarred hand towards you, though is quick to retract it after some hesitation. he does not want to interrupt your slumber. you need your rest; especially after your hard shift as a hunter the day before.

and because you finally decided to follow his advice as your primary care physician. sleep is important for your health.

zayne’s protective instincts are begging him to embrace you—to protect you against the cold. you just look so vulnerable next to him.

though, his heart doesn’t agree. there are risks to such an action; you waking up this early and not getting your recommended seven hours of sleep is one of them. he decides not to do anything. . . for now.

zayne checks his phone to kill some time. no missed calls nor texts. it’s unusual for the surgeon to not be bombarded with calls and such, though it’s a pleasant change of pace.

his eyes dart back to your face again. no matter how many times he tries to distract himself from you, his focus always finds its way back to you. it’s like he’s subconsciously checking to see if you’re up or not.

zayne wishes to witness your face as it lights up the moment you lock eyes. to see your adorable smile that makes his heart flutter. to hold you close, cuddle with you and kiss you.

“mph,” a sudden yawn from your mouth interrupts zayne’s train of thoughts. you stretch your arms and move to lay on your back, however your eyes stay closed. you look even more adorable like that—with your hair even messier.

your lover can’t help himself like this. a slender finger reaches out to your lips, gathering the small droplet of drool at the corner. zayne’s neutral expression remains, but his eyes subtly soften once he gets to touch your skin.

“what a messy girl,” zayne mumbles to himself. he nearly makes himself chuckle, however is quick enough to bite back that short laugh. he takes his chance and subtly traces the shape of your bottom lip.

there’s no going back now that he’s touched you. his attention is now fully on you and you only.

zayne is too busy tracing your facial features to notice that you’re starting to wake up. your eyes flutter open and - to your surprise - you find your lover’s face hovering above yours.

you feel the pad of his thumb on one of your cheeks, his index and middle finger holding the other. he gently squeezes your cheeks together so that your lips form a pout. it’s secretly his favorite thing to do—makes you look silly.

“zayne?” you whisper in a groggy voice.

zayne lightly jolts in place and takes his hand away. he clears his throat awkwardly; his gaze darting back and forth between the objects in your bedroom. he purposely avoids all eye contact while maintaining a stoic expression. as if he wasn’t just caught admiring you.

“oh, you’re awake,” your lover mutters. he attempts to change topics by looking at the digital clock on your nightstand, “it’s still too early. you should go back to sleep, dear.”

you still feel flustered whenever he refers to you as ‘dear’ or any other affectionate nickname. your relationship has come so far and it warms your heart. you grin and reach your hand out to place it on zayne’s jawline.

“mm, what were you doing when i was asleep?” you ask in a teasing tone. your fingers trace his jaw gently, trailing down his neck. it makes the dark-haired man gulp lightly. there’s not much left of his self control.

zayne allows you to lead his face back to yours. the tender touch he missed so much—your warm palm meeting his cold skin—it drives him insane. he sighs, though does not admit the truth, “nothing much. just checking my schedule for the day and such.”

that gains him a playful scoff from your side. you know that’s a lie just by the memory you have of his face hovering above yours from earlier. he was admiring you. you poke the tip of his nose, “riiiight, then why were you staring at me so lovingly? touching my lips so delicately?”

you giggle as you recall that faint softness in zayne’s eyes when you caught him admiring the view of you. his fingertips treated your skin with such care. maybe you should’ve pretended to be asleep and see how things would have played out.

“ah, you see,” zayne replies in a low tone, his hand moving once more to tap at the corners of your lips. you could’ve sworn that there’s a faint grin on his face as he continues, “it’s hard to ignore the sight of you when you’re drooling all over yourself in your sleep.”

that shuts you up. you immediately try to wipe away any leftover drool from your lips. your hands work quick, but you don’t find anything to wipe off, “l-liar. i’m not drooling, thank you very much.”

zayne shakes his head with a breathy chuckle and ruffles your hair. he leans in and his breath on the skin of your cheek sends shivers down your spine.

“because i got rid of it all before you woke up, sweetheart,” he mutters lowly and lets his lips graze against your cheek, “i was kind enough to help my messy little girlfriend out and save her from the embarrassment.”

you sputter an incomprehensible excuse, but fail at defending yourself from that. you know zayne is a pro at teasing when he’s in a good mood. you’re absolutely no match to him. you huff and eventually give in, “whatever.”

zayne knows he won that one. he only jokes around with you like that in hopes to seeing your adorable ‘angry’ face. that frown and pout on your face makes you look all the more pretty to him.

he sighs and spoons you—arms cradling you to his chest from behind once you turn your back to him. neither of you complain about your current position. there’s a yawn coming out of your mouth again;

“go back to sleep, i’ll be here.” zayne whispers to you and you nod.

before you close your eyes, you turn your head and stare at zayne. he gazes back down at you and that tender look in his eyes makes its appearance once more. that look which is reserved for you.

“promise me you’ll sleep too,” you mumble. your lover stays silent for a couple seconds, not knowing whether he can promise you that or not. though after seeing your little pout again, he can’t help but give in.

zayne leans in and places a reassuring kiss on your forehead, “i promise. i will.”

[klimkovsky]

The Lagoon Nebula, also known as Messier 8, M8 or NGC 6523 (Emission nebula)

The Lagoon Nebula, also known as Messier 8, M8 or NGC 6523 (Emission nebula), is drawn by the Grock AI

Messier 8, commonly known as the Lagoon Nebula, is a stunning emission nebula located in the constellation Sagittarius. Here's a concise overview:

Overview

Designation: Messier 8 (M8), also cataloged as NGC 6523 (the nebula itself) and NGC 6530 (the associated open star cluster).

Type: Emission nebula with an embedded open star cluster.

Location: Approximately 4,000–6,000 light-years from Earth in the Sagittarius arm of the Milky Way.

Size: Spans about 110 by 50 light-years, with an apparent size of roughly 90 by 40 arcminutes in the sky (about three times the size of the full Moon).

Magnitude: Approximately 6.0, making it visible to the naked eye under dark skies, though binoculars or a telescope enhance the view.

Characteristics

Appearance: The Lagoon Nebula is named for its wide, lagoon-like dust lane that divides it, visible in photographs and through telescopes. It glows with a reddish hue due to ionized hydrogen (H II regions), energized by the intense radiation from young, hot stars within it.

Star Formation: M8 is a stellar nursery, actively forming new stars. The open cluster NGC 6530, embedded within the nebula, contains numerous young, hot stars, including O-type stars, which illuminate and ionize the surrounding gas.

Notable Features:The "Hourglass Nebula," a smaller, bright region within M8, is a site of intense star formation.Several Bok globules—dark, dense clouds of gas and dust—are visible, some of which may collapse to form new stars.

Observation

Best Time to Observe: Summer months (June to August) in the Northern Hemisphere, when Sagittarius is prominent in the night sky.

Location in Sky: Near the bright star Lambda Sagittarii and the Teapot asterism in Sagittarius.

Equipment: Visible with the naked eye in dark skies, but binoculars or a small telescope reveal more detail, including the cluster and nebulosity. Long-exposure photography highlights its vivid colors and intricate structure.

Scientific Significance

The Lagoon Nebula is a key object for studying star formation and the evolution of massive stars. Its proximity and brightness make it a prime target for both amateur astronomers and professional researchers using advanced telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Very Large Telescope.

Grok AI

Constellation Sagittarius

Additional information from human

It is considered to be the second brightest nebula in the Earth’s sky, and one of two hydrogen nebulae visible to the naked eye (for an observer in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere). The first to come to mind is the Orion Nebula. Is there anything comparable to it in the sky? — Yes — There is the Lagoon Nebula.

But it is not easy to see the Lagoon with the naked eye. Its integral brightness is about 6m — right at the limit of the eye’s penetrating ability. If it is possible to see it without optics somewhere, then only high in the mountains. And it is not at all surprising that the Lagoon was discovered using a telescope, even the simplest one. Different sources give different discoverers. It is believed that this nebula was observed by Giovanni Hodierna back in 1654 or even earlier — in fact, in the era of Galileo. But then, telescopic study of the skies was not yet mainstream in astronomy, not everyone was in a hurry to talk about it. And Hodierna’s discovery did not become generally known at the time. That is why the French astronomer Guillaume le Gentil, who discovered a wispy foggy cloud in the constellation Sagittarius a century later, is sometimes mentioned as the discoverer of the Lagoon Nebula.

The Lagoon is located literally in the direction of the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, at a distance of 5,200 light years from us (until recently, distance estimates varied greatly — from 4 to 6 thousand light years, but in any case, the Lagoon is still very far from the center of the Milky Way). Interestingly, the famous Orion Nebula, often mentioned in connection with the Lagoon, is located almost in the opposite direction — away from the center of the Galaxy (but a little closer to us — 1,300 light years, which means that the Lagoon is much larger and brighter than the Orion Nebula … would be under equal conditions).

The M8 nebula has a physical diameter of 50 to 100 light years (it is oblong), in its huge volume young hot — sometimes very massive — stars are intensively born. It is the same maternity hospital for new galactic luminaries as the Orion Nebula.

The lagoon is adjacent to a large number of other interesting objects, which the constellation Sagittarius is rich in. Sometimes it seems that Sagittarius has attracted most of the pearls of visual and photographic astronomy. But the center of the Galaxy is to blame for everything — it is to it that both Nebulae and star clusters gravitate, which are most often present in the central parts of hydrogen nebulae — they are born in them. Laguna also has its own cluster — NGC 6530.

The visualization provided as an example is based on an astrophotography by Andre Helmuth and Jan Beckman, published on the Astrobin website — there this image became the winner of regular ratings, and in terms of detail it competes with the best professional photographs, although it was made using a telescope with a mirror diameter of 12 inches — quite serious, but not too big in comparison with the multi-meter giants of the top observatories.