#flaming star

[the-wolf-and-moon]

IC 405, Flaming Star Nebula

[johnlyngfr]

The Flaming Star Nebula

A nearby nebula illuminated by a runaway star

The Flaming Star Nebula is a nearby interstellar dust cloud illuminated by a star that is hurtling through our region of the galaxy. The star at the centre, AE Aurigae, is a “Runaway Star” that was ejected from the intense Trapezium area of the Orion Nebula when several binary stars collided two million years ago.

This visiting star now brightly illuminates the centre of the nebula, but its arrival created a shock wave that thrusted the gas and dust in a sweeping arc, visible across the bottom of the image.

The brightly illuminated area is only about 5 light years in diameter, certainly very small on a galactic scale. However, it is 1,000 times larger than our entire solar system.

I photographed the Flaming Star Nebula from my garden in Strasbourg France on two evening in March 2026. This final image was built from 140 photos, where each was a 3 minute exposure (7 hours of photography).

Equipment used to capture images:

Telescope: Redcat51

Computer: ASIAIR

Mount: AM5

Filter: Optolong L-Enhance

Camera: ASI183MC-PRO

Processing Software:

Pixinsight + WBPP + MAS

Blur Exterminator

Noise Exterminator

Star Exterminator 

Seti Astro Suite

[thetaoofzoe]

It's been a while. Take my poll

You never thought that you'd be out on the scrub land, alone, frightened and hungry. You meet three rough looking men on horseback at a cross roads. Each man offers you space on his saddle and the protection under his gun if you go with him. However, each one of them traveling in a different direction towards their home. Which one are you going with?

Pacer

Joe

Jess

Homeward bound with?

Pacer Burton

Joe Lightcloud

Jess Wade

Voting ended onJul 15

I'm chuckling about this poll because I think I already know the winner. Have fun!

[wistfulnightingale]

Crowley as a 1950's Romantic Rebel (or, That glorious modern pompadour!)

(The deep dive into Crowley's hair that you didn't know you needed, and that I didn't expect to write!) 😅. A JUST-FOR-FUN POST FROM DEEP IN MY DRAFTS, HERE TO DISTRACT AND AMUSE...!

The rebellious, dramatic upswept hairstyles -- some of the most iconic American stars of the 1950s and early '60s wore these. And our own Crowley, movie lover that he is, seems to have modeled his own modern hairstyle after them. And with good reason.

Inspired by smooth rock and roll icons like Elvis Presley and Hollywood rebels like James Dean, these styles featured longer, sculpted hair and came to represent the counterculture youth of that era. 

The pompadour: Voluminous and dramatic. The hair on top is combed forward, rolled up, and swept back into a high pouf at the front. The sides were shorter and slicked back.

Jelly roll:  Dramatic style with a rolling crest of hair created by combing the sides upwards and inwards with pomade to meet in the middle. (THIS IS THE CROWLEY CURL WE SEE IN GO3!!)

So, yeah, I took an intriguing and semi-ridiculous deep dive into some of the pop culture heroes that might have inspired Crowley. The ones whose signature looks are so much like his, and made movies that inspired a generation! I can imagine Crowley changing his own hair with a discrete miracle as he languidly saunters out of the dark theater after movies like East of Eden, Some Like It Hot, and Flaming Star...

Here are the ones that most stood out to me, the icons Crowley likely would have seen, even in British cinemas:

James Dean, gorgeous, brooding, rebellious. He was unusual for the 1950's -- he played strong characters who weren't afraid to show strong and vulnerable emotions. His three major films have striking titles for our Ineffable demon: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant.

Tragically, James Dean died at age 24 in a car crash in 1955, after starring in just these three films. He's remembered as a classic icon of disillusionment, angst, and rebellion.

James Dean in his Rebel Without a Cause classic denims, white tee, and red jacket from the movie, even more stunning in black and white. Imagine Crowley binging 1950s movies and discovering this unique young actor, who embodied the rebel that didn't fit in anywhere because of his compassion and unique views on life.

Like Crowley, James Dean's characters had tremendous emotional depth, while being judged for what he looked like on the outside. His character in Rebel... is rejected, but is just trying to find a place in the world where he can live a peaceful life and find a fragile bit of love and happiness with his found family. Instead, unprovoked violence crashes his world and destroys a gentle person he tried to protect.

I can imagine this breaking Crowley's heart -- and fueling his determination.

Tony Curtis was once described as "The underrated actor with perfect hair." His pompadour often had the darling curl drooping onto his forehead, like we see on Crowley when they visit the former convent. Tony Curtis was known for his handsome good looks, but too often dismissed as "just a pretty face." He was compelling in everything, from comedy to tragic hero.

Two of his most famous movies (with titles Crowley would also be drawn to!) were The Defiant Ones and Billy Wilder's Some Like it Hot, an early gender-bending comedy. (The 2022 stage revival of Some Like it Hot fixes the most problematic parts of the movie, but in its own era, the movie challenged gender norms.)

That's Tony Curtis on the left, as "Josephine". In the movie, the male duo cross-dressed simply to find work, getting hired by an "all-girl" band. The Broadway musical explores how Josephine discovers that this is who she really IS, and embraces her identity. I think our gender-fluid Crowley would appreciate the modern 2022 musical even more than the original 1959 movie. (The movie itself was banned in Kansas when it was released, because the cross-dressing was deemed "too disturbing for Kansans!")

I can just imagine Crowley's defiant smirk at that...

This photo of the great Elvis Presley has such a Crowley vibe!

Elvis was an incredibly talented singer, songwriter and musical performer, crossing genres like country, pop, R&B, and Gospel with his distinct, soulful voice. He was also known for his magnetic charisma, and a sensuality he carried both on and off the stage. He scandalized conservatives with his onstage hip gyrations when performing. He walked with a fluid, graceful saunter some called feline.

Fans wanted more, so Elvis starred in a series of movies that would likely grab Crowley's attention.

His song-filled movie Jail House Rock was a fan favorite, but one of his best performances was in the drama Flaming Star. Presley himself was of Cherokee heritage, and in Flaming Star he played a mixed heritage man dealing with hatred and racial prejudice, caught between his Kiowa heritage and white culture when conflict breaks out. Even today, many view this movie as progressive for its era, with positive representation and the way it challenged racism against Indigenous Americans.

I could imagine Crowley in a movie theater relating to how the main character's life suddenly changes as violence erupts. He belongs nowhere, not fitting in with either "side". Another icon in a role of rebelling against the cages he is pinned in, searching for identity and acceptance. Like Rebel Without a Cause, the rejected protagonist tries to foster peace and help others, but gets pulled into the violence instead -- in this case, simply because of hatred for who he is.

Our Beloved Demon could easily identify -- rejected, misjudged, fighting to survive and find peace in a chaotic, threatening world.

I wrote most of this post long before the teasers and trailers. Now, this scene from Flaming Star reminds me too much of the photo of "Absolutely Feral" Crowley appearing forcibly restrained. Not that they're the same image -- not at all. But it hit a protective fear in me. DON'T HURT OUR CROWLEY. WE WILL FIGHT FOR HIM.

WE MARCH AT DAWN...

*****

This odd (but hopefully interesting!) exploration of "hair icons" started out as just a lark, a fun little project to play with. But I was shocked when I found how the most famous "pompadour icons" of the 1950s had such on-target Crowley-relatable movies they were famous for.

In the Good Omens world, we can imagine how Crowley might have seen these movies, and embraced everything they represented, everything they would have helped him understand and express about himself.

In our own world, we can admire the character depiction and hair/costume choices that led to developing this personal style for modern Crowley. Yet another GO moment where many layers of thought and consideration went into a deeply developed character decision.

Thanks for being interested enough to get this far! -- I truly hope you found it worthwhile!

To Our World! 🥂✨

(Bonus Elvis, with a VERY Crowley-esque pompadour!!!)

[tyger-land]

𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙨 1963. Andy Warhol.

[elviscrazy]

On the set of the 1961 film “Wild In The Country,” a ceremony is held in which Elvis is inducted into the Los Angeles Tribal Council by Chief Wha-Nee-Ota for his constructive portrayal of a Native American. American of Indian blood, in his previous film, “Flaming Star“, from 1960.

[nerds-yearbook]

The last issue of the limited series Blaze of Glory was published with a cover date of March 2000. The issue saw the deaths of Gunhawk, Two-Gun Kid, Kid Colt, Outlaw Kid, Marcel Fournier, Kid Cassidy, and Clay Riley. (Blaze of Glory 4, Marvel Comic Event)

[hooked-on-elvis]

Indian Cowboy characters: The 1960 or the 1968 one?