Cool nod to Babylon 5 just got a lot cooler.

[Triple F]

When someone recently read what’s on this link they got a bit annoyed and complained to NASA – stating the artists should be blacklisted.

http://www.facebook.com/B5Scrolls?ref=tn_tnmn#!/photo.php?fbid=322007267887673&set=a.283248628430204.70587.178490865572648&type=1&theater


The response?

The Director of Communications at the Spitzer Centre thanked them – and added a new description beneath the image on the NASA, Spitzer and JPL websites – which includes the following.



In the popular TV series "Babylon 5" it is the location of the featured space station; as a nod to the show, hidden within the background nebula in this artist concept is a small silhouette that may be familiar to fans of the series. Can you find it?

http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1966-ssc2008-19a-Epsilon-Eridani-Double-the-Rubble

I guess that idea backfired a bit. ; )

[factotum]

Maybe I'm te dumb, but I'm not seeing it--and I can't read whatever it was that triggered this shebang, either, not having a Facebook account (and having no desire to get one).

[The Succubus]

I guess I'm looking for the outline of a Shadow vessel but I can't spot it. FWIW, I don't have a Facebook account either - I'm not actually allowed one because they don't believe what my real name is and I'm not sending my passport and driving licence to them to prove otherwise.:smallsigh:

[Iruka]

Here's the Post from the Facebook page. Weird that you can't see it, I don't need to log in to get access.


< < UPDATE > >
After someone read this post they contacted NASA to complain – stating the artists should be blacklisted.

The response? The Director of Communications at the Spitzer Centre thanked them – and has today added a new description beneath the image on the NASA, Spitzer and JPL websites – which includes the following.

“In the popular TV series "Babylon 5" it is the location of the featured space station; as a nod to the show, hidden within the background nebula in this artist concept is a small silhouette that may be familiar to fans of the series. Can you find it?”

< < End of update ; ) > >


NASA has produced an image which clearly shows an alien spacecraft . . . . and there it is highlighted on the left. This is 100% genuine, btw. Go find it for yourself and check it out.

For me, this is perhaps the coolest nod to Babylon 5 that I’ve seen – and a write up on it, including lots of links can be found in the miscellaneous bit of the artwork section on B5Scrolls.

But in a nutshell. In 2008 the Spitzer telescope discovered a couple of asteroid belts around the Epsilon Eridani star. That’s where the station is located in Babylon 5, and where some Trek fans incorrectly believe Vulcan is located. To highlight the discovery, NASA artists Tim Pyle and Robert Hurt created the image on the left (minus the little arrows and circles ; ).

The digital artwork has appeared in numerous prestigious scientific and astronomy publications. Same for websites. Everyone from Fox News and USA Today to Harvard, the Smithsonian Institute, Scientific American and World Science have shown it while running the story. Some have included very large hi-res versions of the image.

And here’s the really funny bit about it. Many of those running the story couldn’t resist bringing up the (erroneous as it turns out) connection with Spock, Vulcan and Star Trek, while the truth of the matter is the artists were Babylon 5 fans (and no doubt Trek ones as well) who snuck the Shadow vessel into the rendering as a nod to the shows main bad guys. . . . . . and no one every noticed it. ; )

I only know, because I stumbled over an interview with Robert Hurt. And after the briefest of chats, he confirmed this is the one and only such ‘nod’ they ever included in any NASA image.

Is that f*ing cool or what. ; )

I just love the idea of some astronomy or physics professor standing in front of a class with a huge blow up of this on the wall behind him, showing one of Ron Thornton’s designs sneakily flying past.

Here's the picture with the spot in question magnified (and with increased contrast, I'd say). It's really hard to spot otherwise.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/486622_322007267887673_502941151_n.jpg

[Teddy]

For finding it in the picture yourself, use one of the links to the left on the original page.

[Triple F]

Differing monitor set-ups (and sizes) can make it a bit more tricky to see, to be sure.

[Drumbum42]

Babylon 5 doesn't get a lot of love much anymore, given that it's been off the air(even re-runs) for over 10 years. It's nice to see a few dedicated holdouts in the world.

[Triple F]

Funnily enough, it is still on air in various countries round the world. The one place that it hasn’t been shown in for the best part of a decade is the U.S. terrestrial TV. Weird!