By Ed Downs

Part of the fun at looking into deep space (beyond our own solar system) is knowing that the light you are seeing has been traveling through space for possibly millions of years.  While astronomers talk as if they are viewing in the present, the images they observe are actually being seen as if you were looking back in time.  In other words, the dramatic announcement of spotting a super nova (massive exploding star) makes it sound as if the event was currently in the process of happening whereas, in fact, it may have happened a million years ago. That does not, however, alter the fact that it is the first time the event is being seen from our planet.  True, others, on other exoplanets (planets not in our solar system, and there are a BUNCH of those) may have seen an event first, but they (the little green guys) are not talking… yet.

But let’s take another approach at talking about celestial objects and events, like those that are to come.  What about “coming attractions?”