On October 1, Jimmy Carter celebrated a major milestone, becoming the first U.S. president to reach 100 years old. While his family honored this remarkable moment, his grandson shared that Carter is now “very limited in what he can do,” reflecting on the final stages of his life’s journey.
Friends and family gathered in Plains, Georgia, Carter’s hometown, to celebrate his birthday, marking the first one without his wife Rosalynn. President Joe Biden sent a heartfelt message, acknowledging the bittersweet occasion, reminding Carter that even though Rosalynn passed away, she remains with him in spirit.
The milestone celebration took place at the home Carter and Rosalynn built in the 1960s, where Carter has been in hospice care. His grandson Jason shared that this home has always provided Carter with the most comfort and support, and there is no other place where he’d want to spend these final moments.
Jason also spoke about the difficulty his grandad has faced since Rosalynn’s death, after 77 years of marriage, noting that no one can fully understand what Carter is going through. He emphasized the importance of accepting that this stage of life is deeply spiritual and beyond full comprehension.
At the birthday celebration, Carter’s son Chip and other family members enjoyed cupcakes on the lawn while World War II planes flew overhead in honor of the former president. Chip mentioned that Carter is still engaged and intends to live long enough to vote in the upcoming election, showing his continued dedication to democracy.
Jason reflected on the significance of Carter’s 100 years, highlighting the immense good he’s done throughout his life. He also shared how the last 19 months, during which Carter has been in hospice, have been an opportunity for the family and the world to reflect on his legacy.
While physically limited and rarely leaving home, Carter remains emotionally engaged, still laughing and enjoying meaningful experiences in these final stages of his journey. Jason expressed that this time has been deeply significant for his grandfather, a unique chapter of life that can only be experienced at the very end.
NASA Confirmed Saturn’s Rings Are Going to Disappear Completely in 18 Months
The sky often treats us to new wonders like meteor showers, intriguing planets, and captivating lunar eclipses. However, it’s not just about new arrivals in space — some things are saying their goodbyes and Saturn’s famous rings are on the way out. Scientists are closely monitoring this phenomenon.
Soon, Saturn’s rings are going to disappear from our view.
© NASA / JPL / Space Science Institute / Wikimedia Commons, © Public domain
Those iconic rings we’ve admired from Earth will no longer be visible in just 18 short months. These rings are composed of a mix of icy and rocky bits, often dust-coated, encircling the sixth planet in our solar system. But the reality is, even though it might not seem soon in human terms, they are on the path to becoming invisible to us by 2025, a cosmic blink of an eye. While the full disappearance will take millions of years, the show in the night sky won’t last much longer.
© NASA / JPL-Caltech / SSI / Wikimedia Commons, © Public domain
Here’s why this is happening: as Saturn orbits the Sun, its tilt angle will drop to zero on March 23, 2025. When this tilt reaches zero, it essentially means that Saturn will present itself perfectly on its side to us here on Earth. Saturn is about 746 million miles away from us at its nearest point, and when it’s sideways, we won’t see its iconic rings. This unique alignment will occur again on October 15, 2038, and then in quick succession on April 1 and July 9, 2039.
© NASA / ESA / A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), M.H. Wong (UC Berkeley), OPAL Team / Wikimedia Commons, © Public domain, © NASA / JPL / Wikimedia Commons, © Public domain
After Saturn’s rings disappear in 2025, we won’t get a full view of them again until 2032. Saturn’s rings are tilted towards our planet at an angle of nine degrees. By next year, this tilt will reduce to only 3.7 degrees. We haven’t witnessed this disappearing act since September 2009; prior to that, it hadn’t occurred since February 1996. So, it’s a relatively rare event for skywatchers to witness.
NASA captured an image of an unusual celestial object resembling a question mark.
© Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI) / NASA, ESA, CSA
NASA’s James Webb Telescope has spotted a mysterious object shaped like a question mark. Although the true nature of this object is currently unknown, scientists have some speculations about it. This intriguing discovery has piqued the interest of astronomers and researchers eager to learn more about this enigmatic celestial feature.
© Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI) / NASA, ESA, CSA
The object is part of the Herbig Haro 46/47 star system, where two young stars orbit each other under the influence of gravity. These stars are located in the Vela Constellation, approximately 1,470 light-years away from Earth. The object’s distinct question mark shape is of a reddish hue, signifying it is more distant than the other stars in the image.
The true nature of this celestial entity remains a puzzle, but its unique shape and color provide some hints. It may represent a distant galaxy or even the result of two galaxies colliding, which gives it the distinctive question mark appearance. This interpretation is supported by experts at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore.
The search for extraterrestrial life continues, and with technological advancements and our understanding of the cosmos, we may one day make significant discoveries. In the meantime, exploring the wonders of the starry sky through cosmic images can be a truly enchanting experience.
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