August 18, 2019
Galaxies were colliding long before you were born, and they will keep colliding long after us all.
Human as Spaceship
Birthday · August 18, 2019
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published August 18, 2019. Credit: Charis Tsevis; Composition: R. J. Nemiroff. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
You are a spaceship soaring through the universe. So is your dog. We all carry with us trillions of microorganisms as we go through life. These multitudes of bacteria, fungi, and archaea have different DNA than you. Collectively called your microbiome, your shipmates outnumber your own cells. Your crew members form communities, help digest food, engage in battles against intruders, and sometimes commute on a liquid superhighway from one end of your body to the other. Much of what your microbiome does, however, remains unknown. You are the captain, but being nice to your crew may allow you to explore more of your local cosmos.
Image credit: Charis Tsevis; Composition: R. J. Nemiroff