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Sloan Survey Second Data Release
TMB writes "The Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a large survey for distant galaxies and quasars that will cover 1/4 of the sky, just celebrated Data Release 2. The imaging data covers 3324 square degrees, with 88 million objects, plus spectra of 367,360 objects (mostly galaxies)."
A quick calculation shows that 3324 square degrees is almost exactly 1 sr ... hmm coincidence?
Thoughts on tech, Software Engineering, and stuff
I just picked up a book by a guy named Rees called Before the Beginning which does a fabulous job of explaining the basics of cosmology and astronomy. I'm only about a hundred pages in, but am absolutely fascinated.
Is anyone else kept up at night thinking about the immensity and unknowability of the universe? I toss and turn, switching between two modes of thought, one being "Man, this place is huge and everything we do is pretty much inconsequential! I wish I could live long enough to hear answers to the cool questions, and this paltry 80 years we're dealt just doesn't cut it. The injustice!" And the other mode of thought being, "Yeah, but this shit's cool! I don't need to know it all, just enough to keep my brain churning. The wonder!"
What does this have to do with the article? Well, it seems pretty obvious to me that each of those 88 million objects is unique and interesting in its own way, and even though I feel like we're amoebas piggybacking on a brontosaurus (borrowed metaphor), it's cool that we're getting to know our little patch of dirt. Fun stuff, and nicely done.