You just can't understate how cool this photograph is

As lots of us have maybe heard, the transit of planet Venus is taking place today. People will be able to see the "tiny" planet Venus going across the Sun, between the Earth and Sun.

It's fascinating stuff.

What gets me about all this, are the pictures, like the one above, showing such a transit.

It blows me away showing the size and scale of Venus, compared to the Sun.

Sure, there's some distortion, naturally, because of the distances but still, it gives some better idea of what's out there and the sizes involved.

Incredible stuff, indeed.

Something I don't take for granted.

Brilliant.

Note: There's a great story on NPR's website, too, telling of how this transit of Venus figures in humankind's scientific development and when we first knew of it: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/06/05/154353521/how-the-transit-of-venus-helped-unlock-the-universe

4 minutes and 17 seconds of astounding education. And humility

We are tiny, folks. Our problems? Think about it. I hope people would slow down, see this and listen to the full narration of this video. What he relates is overwhelming. We can't even begin to contemplate all he tells. The distances, the times, the quantities. If need be, rerun it. Dude. I'm in awe, for sure. But then it makes me feel like this:

Across the universe

"nuthin's gonna' change my world..."

On the launch of a "solar dynamics observatory"

In case you missed it, there is a solar dynamics observatory going up into space today, thanks to NASA--and our tax dollars--that is going to study the sun for the next 5 years, inside and out, literally.

And while I find this fascinating, I can't help but also think that, between this new instrument, the Hubble telescope already looking into the far reaches of space and the Hadron collider in Switerland, looking back to the original, creating "big bang" that made us all, the universe, really, that somewhere we don't have one hell of a lot of information out there on this crazy universe of ours.

I mean, think of it. The Hubble alone is collecting so much data NASA said they can't keep up with it.

What if they found there was no God?

Or what if they found there was--but she/he was unlike what anyone had proposed to date? (Which, after all, is highly possible and even likely).

So it makes me want to propose two thoughts:

1) What if the US government learned something particularly incredible about us, about the universe--and then could not/would not tell us?

I think it makes a great story line.

Which brings me to my 2nd point:

2) Wouldn't this make a terrific sci-fi movie?

If only Rod Serling were alive.

"Calling Mr. Spielberg..."