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2274: Stargazing 3

2025-04-05T03:13:54Z

Jackal: /* Explanation */ Adding mention of Stargazing 4

{{comic
| number = 2274
| date = February 28, 2020
| title = Stargazing 3
| image = stargazing_3.png
| titletext = If we can destroy enough of the lights in our region, we may see more comets, but that's a risk we'll have to take.
}}

==Explanation==
This is the third comic in the [[:Category:Stargazing|Stargazing]] series. The first [[1644: Stargazing]] appeared four years earlier and the second [[2017: Stargazing 2]] one and a half years earlier. It was followed by [[3072: Stargazing 4]] five years later.

As in the first two comics, [[Megan]] is hosting a stargazing event, in which she mixes accurate astronomical information with trivialities, as well as utterly bizarre statements. (See this [[1644: Stargazing#Relevant TV-shows|section]] from the original Stargazing comic about the host and also the [[1644: Stargazing#Trivia|trivia]], from the original comic, regarding the gender of the host).

{{w|Vega}} is a star in the constellation of {{w|Lyra}}. It does indeed have {{w|Magnitude (astronomy)|magnitude}} 0.03 and is the brightest star mentioned in this comic. Vega is only the {{w|List of brightest stars|5th brightest star}} (outside of the Sun), as {{w|Sirius}} is the brightest visible star. The phrase <q>It's the brightest star I'm currently talking about</q> is an example of the technically correct but not at all useful information that is typical of the Stargazing series. The phrase is true no matter what, because any star one talks about is the brightest star one is talking about, as any brighter star becomes the one talked about when mentioned.{{Citation needed}}

{{w|Polaris}} is indeed the star over the North Pole, and is commonly called the North Star or the Pole Star. It is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, but there are about fifty other stars that are as bright as it is (magnitude 2), so it's not really remarkable apart from being the pole star, as Megan says. Despite the fact that being the pole star is "all it has going for it," it is nevertheless very important because it is used for navigation, as it appears fixed in the night sky. It hasn't always been and won't always be the pole star, however, as Earth's axis precesses in a 26,000 year cycle.

{{w|Comets}} are comparatively small clumps of rock and ice, seen mostly by the long, lit 'trail' of particles the heat of the sun causes to be ejected, and the solar wind then spreads outward in thin glowing lines that ''can'' be larger and more visible even than the constellations they are seen in front of - at least during the brief phase of their closest approach to the sun. Comets generally have highly elliptical orbits around the Sun and so they are only seen for a brief period of time "every few decades" during their closest aproach. Yelling at comets is believed to be an ineffective way to make them go away.{{Citation needed}} Megan may dislike comets because of their history in superstition of being seen as a sign of doom. This provides humor because typically this superstitious fear was caused by a lack of understanding, and it would be expected that a stargazing host would be informed on and therefore unafraid of comets. No actual astronomers are bothered by comets,{{Citation needed}} but some are upset about [https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/starlink-satellites-astronomy/ satellite megaconstellations] such as {{w|SpaceX Starlink|SpaceX's Starlink}}. In that case, astronomers are not yelling at the satellites, but at the companies that launch them.

{{w|Light pollution}} is indeed a problem with stargazing. Light pollution is the presence of artificial light in the night sky, which makes it very difficult to see stars. Stargazing in remote locations is remarkably different than in populated cities. Light pollution was previously discussed in [[2121: Light Pollution]]. Light pollution does not actually make the "sky go away", but it does affect how humans can see stars or other astronomical features in the sky.

Megan advocates an active approach to resolving light pollution—rather than lobbying for reductions in artificial lighting, as the {{w|dark-sky movement}} does, she intends to lead her audience in destroying artificial lights. Older lightbulbs are usually glass bulbs filled with inert gas (for incandescent bulbs) or high-pressure gases (for e.g. {{w|sodium-vapor lamp}}s) and so are easy to destroy with any blunt impact, thus accounting for Megan's mention of "throwing rocks at them". Modern LED lights, however, are much more robust, which is why she is handing out crossbows to achieve greater projectile energy. An "[http://sonic.net/~rknop/php/astronomy/classes/a103/sum2006/info/angdist.shtml#xbow astronomy crossbow]" is a tool used to measure the angular distance between stars. They cannot shoot real {{w|crossbow bolt}}s, but any type of crossbow or other weapon could be used to destroy lights and "preserve" the sky. (Speaking of astronomy tools that have weapon-related names, there is a type of telescope called a "{{w|Sun Gun Telescope|Sun Gun}}", but it is only meant to be used during the day to enable groups of people to view the Sun safely. It is probably best that Megan's show is taking place at night, or else she might cause even more trouble.)

In the title text Megan mentions that by destroying enough of the lights in the region will make it possible to see more comets. By reducing the light pollution it will in general be possible to see more of any kind of astronomical objects, not just comets. Megan has made clear she dislikes comets, and is thus not interested in seeing any of them. To see more of any of the other astronomical objects out there, she is willing to take the risk of seeing more comets, by lowering the light pollution.

This comic became the last comic not to be related to [[:Category:COVID-19|COVID-19]] for more than a month!

==Transcript==
:[In a dark panel, Megan as a TV host stands in front of a group of people: Hairbun, Ponytail and Cueball. The panel is inverse-colored, i.e. white text and drawings on black]
:Host: Welcome back to Stargazing.
:Host: There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason.

:[Zoomed out on the same scene, the host is now with Hairbun, Ponytail, Cueball, a Megan-like woman, and White Hat. The host is pointing upwards with her left hand.]
:Host: That star is Vega. At magnitude 0.03, it's the brightest star I'm currently talking about.
:Host: That one is Polaris. It's over the North Pole, which is all it has going for it.

:[A frame-less white panel, zoomed in on the host, who is now pointing upwards with her right hand.]
:Host: That's a comet. Some of them come back every few decades, no matter how much I yell at them.
:Host: But stargazing isn't all fun yelling. We face a problem even worse than comets: light pollution.

:[Back to a dark panel, the host now has a big bag of crossbows. The bag has a logo of a crossbow with stars around it. She has taken out one of them and is holding it in her right hand.]
:Host: The sky is going away because people keep shining lights at it. The new LEDs are even worse - they're too blue, and you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like with the old ones.
:Host: Luckily, I brought these astronomy crossbows.
:Host: Take one, then let's fan out and look for lamps.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Crossbows]]

2017: Stargazing 2

2025-04-05T03:12:39Z

Jackal: /* Explanation */ Adding mention of Stargazing 4

<noinclude>{{distinguish|1779: 2017}}</noinclude>
{{comic
| number = 2017
| date = July 9, 2018
| title = Stargazing 2
| image = stargazing_2.png
| titletext = I mean, it wasn't exactly MY thesis. When the FAA came to shut down our observatory for using the telescope mirror to shine light at airplanes, I took a thesis and a bunch of doctorates from the supply cabinet on my way out.
}}

==Explanation==
This is the second comic in the [[:Category:Stargazing|Stargazing]] series: The first was [[1644: Stargazing]], two and a half years earlier. It was followed by [[2274: Stargazing 3]] one and a half years later and then [[3072: Stargazing 4]] just under 7 years later.

This comic continues with [[Megan]] as a TV host mixing accurate astronomical information with trivialities, as well as utterly bizarre statements. (See this [[1644: Stargazing#Relevant TV-shows|section]] from the original Stargazing comic about the host and also the [[1644: Stargazing#Trivia|trivia]], from the original comic, regarding the gender of the host).

In the first panel, the host voices surprise that the stars are visible again after disappearing during daylight.

The host mentions three stars in a constellation which she says is called The Triangle, likely referring to the constellation {{w|Triangulum}}, which is in fact just three main stars in a narrow triangle. However, this may also simply be intended to show the host's lack of knowledge of constellations, since she then goes on to point out three other stars forming a triangle and concludes that one can form lots of triangles by connecting groups of three stars. In Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry, any set of three non-collinear points will form a triangle, so to say that there are a "lotta triangles" is both trivial and an understatement.{{Citation needed}} (There are about 125 billion triangles visible in the night sky with around 9096 visible stars.)

Then she points to planets, calling them dots known as "fool's stars" (like fool's gold). Planets such as Venus and Jupiter are often mistaken as stars, and the word itself is derived from the Greek, ''planētēs'' or "wanderer." She also notes that lacking interstellar transportation, humanity will likely only reach the planets within our solar system. However, she then makes the seemingly ludicrous assertion that humans will turn these planets into interplanetary landfills, which might be a comment on how humans have used the Earth. See [[2633: Astronomer Hotline]] where an astronomer calls fireflies "ground stars" and other names.

The host also notices a dot of "space trash": An artificial satellite. Since the nascent Space Age, the Earth's orbit has gradually accumulated artificial materials that include satellites, spent rockets, and space stations. There are concerns such debris accumulation will increasingly imperil current and future space projects. However, the host claims there is an app that can tell you "whose fault it is," presumably a satellite-tracking smartphone app such as [http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skyview-satellite-guide-find/id694309958?mt=8 SkyView] which can inform you who launched a given satellite and thus whose "fault" that particular bit of space-junk might be.

The host eventually goes off on a tangent when someone from the audience points out something blinking in the sky. The host says it is a plane, and tells them what is inside it. The host continues, "don't bother trying to catch that one." This could be understood as she means it's too hard to point the telescope at it properly because it is moving too fast. In the title text, however, she means this literally, revealing that at one point during her studies she apparently used the reflective mirror of a telescope to shine light directly at airplanes, which caused the {{w|Federal Aviation Administration}} (FAA) to close down the observatory. She claims it was worth getting shut down by the FAA because she completed her thesis for her graduate degree. "Got a thesis out of it" is a phrase typically used by a scholar after discussing a research project, as a way of indicating that it was actually the main research they had conducted as a student in graduate school. Conducting research and writing it up in a thesis is one of the major hurdles toward earning a graduate degree (masters or doctorate).

In the title text, she clarifies that as she was exiting the observatory, she literally "got", as in "stole", someone else's thesis paper and multiple doctorates (presumably framed degrees), either to fraudulently claim them as her own accomplishments, or perhaps just because she wanted to steal stuff. Usually "got a thesis" is shorthand for the process of "writing a lengthy thesis paper and having it be accepted as a requirement for graduation", however in this case she simply swiped someone else's document. The revelations that she's extremely unqualified (and unethical) would explain her many bizarre statements.

==Transcript==
:[In a dark panel, Megan is a TV host standing in front of a group of 5 people: two Cueballs, Ponytail, Hairbun and a Megan-like woman.]
:Host: Welcome back to stargazing.
:Host: When the stars disappeared this morning, I figured I had to find a new job, but they're ''back!'' This ''rules!''

:[A frame-less white panel in which the host points to the upper right with the Megan-like woman, Ponytail and Cueball looking in that direction.]
:Host: Those three stars form a constellation called the triangle.
:Host: Those three are another triangle.
:Host: Lotta triangles. Very important shape.

:[Back to a dark panel with the host now pointing to the upper left in a close-up.]
:Host: Those dots are planets, or "fool's stars." Without interstellar travel, they're the only ones we can realistically hope to dump trash on.
:Host: Speaking of space trash, that dot is a satellite. There are apps that will tell you whose fault it is.

:[The host is now turned right not pointing, still in a close-up.]
:Off-panel voice: What's that blinking one?
:Host: Airplane. They're full of snacks and money and stuff, but don't bother trying to catch them- they're ''way'' too high up.
:Host: Learned that the hard way in grad school.
:Host: Got a thesis out of it, at least.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Scientific research]]

1644: Stargazing

2025-04-05T03:06:51Z

Jackal: /* Explanation */ Adding mention of Stargazing 4

{{comic
| number = 1644
| date = February 17, 2016
| title = Stargazing
| image = stargazing.png
| titletext = Some of you may be thinking, 'But wait, isn't the brightest star in our sky the Sun?' I think that's a great question and you should totally ask it. On the infinite tree of possible conversations spread out before us, I think that's definitely the most promising branch.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|The [[#Trivia]] section is a mess. Need to clean it up and use coherent sentences.}}This is the first comic in the [[:Category:Stargazing|Stargazing]] series. It was followed by [[2017: Stargazing 2]] two and a half years later, [[2274: Stargazing 3]] four years later, and [[3072: Stargazing 4]] nine years later. This comic opens on [[Megan]] as the host for a {{w|stargazing}} TV show, or simply a stargazing tour. She claims to be a doctor, although it is unclear what exactly she's a doctor of. Her remarks, however, may call her professionalism into question. (Originally the host was suspected to be a spoof on {{w|Brian Cox (physicist)|Brian Cox}}, see [[#Relevant TV-shows|below]], but at some later point [[Randall]] changed his official transcript thus making the host female rather than male as in the original version, see the [[#Trivia|trivia]] section below. Thus now the host is clearly Megan, which it could not have been originally when the host was described as a man by Randall).

Throughout the comic the host's tone and choice of words becomes increasingly unprofessional, referring to most of the stars as "shitty," personifying them based on different astronomical observations, and providing little useful information on the study of stars or how they work. It seems that this is not an isolated issue as the host mentions that people keep asking her whether or not she is a real astronomer. The host also continuously glosses over the arguably less exciting portions of a typical presentation on astronomy sharing only what she sees as "the good stuff." This penchant for only caring about something if it is interesting extends past astronomy as well as the host is too bored when reading the dictionary to look up the meaning of astronomer.

The comic derives much of its humor from the absurdity of the host's comments on various astronomical bodies. Although not technically incorrect, the way she presents the information is far from informative. (See details below on [[#The host's observations|the host's observations]]). One of her observations regards the fact that {{w|Sirius}} is a {{w|binary star}}, a system where two stars orbit each other. So even though it is the brightest star as seen from Earth we only really see one of them, as the other is, to quote the host, "not even trying". Sirius A is "large" and "bright" {{w|main sequence}} white star, while Sirius B is a {{w|white dwarf}} with a little under half the mass, 0.49% the radius and only 0.22% the luminosity of Sirius A.

{{w|Andromeda Galaxy|Andromeda}} is the largest galaxy in our {{w|Local Group}}. It is 220,000 light years across and contains a trillion stars. Humans have difficulty conceptualizing distances of this scale. Suffice to say that it is very large.{{Citation needed}} {{w|Betelgeuse}} is the 9th brightest star visible from earth. One of its prominent features is its visible redness. Within the next million years (or maybe only 100,000 years) it is expected to explode as a {{w|supernova}}, which will certainly be a spectacular sight. It could happen anytime now, and the host hopes it will be in her lifetime. See also [[1371: Brightness]] and [[1342: Ancient Stars]]. Saying cool things about space to make people like you is mentioned in [[1746: Making Friends]].

In the title text it is mentioned that the {{w|Sun}} is also a star and of course is much brighter than Sirius seen from Earth, and thus Sirius is technically not the brightest star in our sky (although it is in the night sky). The title text sarcastically encourages the audience to raise that obvious but irrelevant point (a standard joke when people mention bright stars) instead of asking a more interesting, informative, or fruitful question, when there are so many to ask regarding astronomy.

===The host's observations===
Here is a list of the host's observations:

;Most {{w|Bright Star Catalogue|visible stars}} are still very faint, and just become background to the bright {{w|stars}} that form the named {{w|constellations}}.
:The host correctly states that they are just dots. (This is also true for the bright stars, but at least they are clearly distinguishable).

;{{w|Sirius}} is the {{w|Apparent magnitude|brightest}} star in our {{w|List of brightest stars|night sky}}. But it is not the brightest object in the night sky, as several of the planets, especially {{w|Venus}} and {{w|Jupiter}}, and of course the {{w|Moon}} are much brighter. It is also far from being one of the most {{w|Absolute magnitude|luminous stars}} in the {{w|Milky Way}}, but its proximity to Earth makes it the brightest in the night sky. For instance, {{w|Betelgeuse}}, mentioned later in the comic, is thousands of times more luminous than Sirius, but it is so farther away that it appears dimmer.
:The host thus names Sirius as the star in charge since it outshines all the others as seen from the {{w|Earth}}.

;Sirius is actually a star system consisting of two stars: a {{w|binary star}} system. But though Sirius A is twice the size of the {{w|Sun}} and much brighter, Sirius B is currently just a dim {{w|white dwarf}}, the remains of a much larger star that became a {{w|red giant}} before shedding its outer layers and collapsing into its current state around 120 million years ago. So now Sirius A completely outshines Sirius B, which actually is now a dead star with no further fusion inside its core.
:This is construed by the host as it is barely even trying, as it is now only radiating away the rest of the heat from the now-exposed core.

;{{w|Andromeda Galaxy|Andromeda}} is a {{w|spiral galaxy}}, like the Milky Way, and it is the largest galaxy in the {{w|Local Group}} where our own galaxy the Milky Way is the second largest. It is one of a few visible objects that are located outside the Milky Way. It is "only" 2.5 million light-years from the Sun and it is heading our way (or vice versa), and will {{w|Andromeda–Milky Way collision|collide with the Milky way}} in about 4 billion years (before the Sun goes into {{w|Sun#After_core_hydrogen_exhaustion|its red giant phase}}). Being 220,000 light years across and consisting of a trillion stars, it is somewhere between 1.2-2.2 times wider than the Milky Way and has 2.5-10 times as many stars. (The local group was also mentioned two comics ago, in [[1642: Gravitational Waves]], together with the much less well known third largest galaxy in the group the {{w|Triangulum Galaxy}}).
:It is therefore true when the host says that it is too big to try to understand, and thinking about it will make your head spin, so she suggests we do not think about it.

;{{w|Betelgeuse}} is a clearly visible (9th brightest) {{w|Red_supergiant|red supergiant}} {{w|Semiregular_variable_star|variable star}} located in the {{w|Orion (constellation)|constellation of Orion}}. It is one of the largest and most luminous observable stars (12th) and one of the few where it is clear that the light is not white. Most people can see that it is slightly red, whereas most other stars are so faint that they look white despite having different colors (when seeing Orion's two brightest stars, to remember which is which between Rigel and Betelgeuse, its diagonal opposite, just remember: Rigel is "R" like blue, and Betelgeuse is "B" like red). It is expected that Betelgeuse, being at a late stage of its {{w|Stellar_evolution|evolution}}, will go supernova within the next 100,000 years as a {{w|type II supernova}}. The exact time when it will become a {{w|Supernova}} is so uncertain that it could [http://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/betelgeuse-will-explode-someday#explode just as likely happen tomorrow] as in a 100,000 years. When it happens it will not be dangerous to anyone on Earth, but it will likely be visible even during the day, as it may even become as bright as the full Moon.
:When it does go nova, it will be a fantastic spectacle for everyone, but especially for anyone who likes the ''good stuff'' in space like the host, who cannot wait for the star to explode. Clearly she hopes it will be in her lifetime, and, although this is unlikely, there is a small chance that it might just happen.

;A {{w|meteor}} (also known as {{w|shooting star}}), is debris from space that rains down on Earth, and burns up in the atmosphere. This happens all the time, but you need to be either lucky, patient, or know the right time for one of the {{w|meteor showers}} to see one. Often they are visible for so short a time period, that it is difficult to share the experience with anyone, as it will be gone by the time they turn their head to look where you are pointing.
:The host becomes very excited when she spots such a meteor, especially because it is likely that her audience got to share the experience with her, as they were already looking in the same direction as her. But still she asks if they saw it, because it is so short lived.

;{{w|Outer space}} is the void that exists between {{w|Astronomical object|celestial bodies}}, including the Earth. There is by definition nothing there but {{w|vacuum}}, and the interesting part of space is thus not the space but the astronomical objects found out there.
:The host says that ''space is awesome'', which is a very un-astronomical comment, as explained above. Also her excitement for a simple shooting star is cause for the suspicion that is raised after her space comment.

;A {{w|dictionary}} is a reference resource for words. Unless otherwise specified (as a "Dictionary of ''<some theme>''"), it contains a significant proportion of ''all'' words in the language(s) it covers.
:The host considers the dictionary ''boring'', which suggests that she is not even familiar with how to zero in on a word and its definition. For a typical and expected English dictionary (unless she made further errors) the word "Astronomer" is actually quite near the start, but it still would have been a large number of words needing to be read past (e.g. "a ... aardvark ... abandon ... abbey ... abbreviation ... ability ...") if one tried to find the word by slavishly checking every entry on the way up to it. It adds to the suspicion that the host's actual expertise isn't in either space ''or'' any more normal and grounded matters but {{tvtropes|Cloudcuckoolander|somewhere else entirely}}.

===Relevant TV-shows===
The comic could be a reference to BBC's ''{{w|Stargazing Live}}'', which {{w|Brian Cox (physicist)|Brian Cox}} has appeared in since 2011. If drawn in xkcd style he would likely look like Megan. He has a PhD in high-energy {{w|particle physics}}, but not astronomy. The newest season of the show aired during January 2016 just a month before this comic's release. Brian Cox has also been the presenter of several other science programs, especially such as the ''{{w|Wonders of the Solar System}}'', ''{{w|Wonders of the Universe}}'' and ''{{w|Wonders of Life (TV series)|Wonders of Life}}''. Originally the host was described as male in the official transcript (see [[#Trivia|trivia]] below), making this seem more likely. For some reason Randall changed the host to female in the transcript later. Very strange, but for sure when he was male, it was obviously a Brian Cox spoof.

It could also be a reference to {{w|Jack Horkheimer}}'s PBS shows ''Star Hustler'' and ''{{w|Star Gazers}}''. Horkheimer, however, does not at all look like Megan, and he died 6 years ago. But he was not a doctor in astronomy, only getting into it when he started volunteering at the Miami Museum of Science's planetarium. He ended up writing shows for the planetarium and the PBS series developed from there. He rarely covered facts about the night sky that couldn't be found in any basic reference (possibly because the show was aimed at children and non-astronomy buffs), although he did get more in-depth about current astronomical events such as {{W|Comet Hale–Bopp}}.

==Transcript==
:[A thin panel with Megan as a TV-host is holding her hands up. She is drawn in white on a black background. Behind her is an audience drawn in faint gray lines consisting of Hairy (to the left) and two Cueball-like guys and Ponytail (seen in a rare full face position) to the right of the host. One of the Cueball-like guys is partly hidden behind the host.]
:Host: Welcome to stargazing, with your host, me.
:Host: I'm a doctor or whatever.

:[Same scene as before but in a broader panel, and the host is now holding only one hand up with a finger pointing up. The audience is the same four people, but now Hairy has moved further to the left in the panel to make room for a Megan-like woman also to the left of the host.]
:Host: I'm not gonna waste your time on the shitty stars.
:Host: Just the good stuff.
:Host: Honestly half of 'em just look like dots.

:[A frame-less drawing with a zoom out showing the group of six people in black silhouette on a white background. Part of the ground beneath them is shown as a black pool. The host is pointing up with one hand. The people have been rearranged, so left of the host is now a Cueball-like guy and a Megan-like woman, and to the right is the other Cueball-like guy, then Ponytail (seen from the side as usual) and Hairy. All are looking up following the host's directions.]
:Host: This is Sirius. It's the brightest star in our sky so it's in charge.
:Host: It's really two stars but one of them is barely even trying.
:Host: This is Andromeda, it's too big to think about, so let's not.

:[Zoom in of the host's upper body, again drawn in white on a black background. She is looking right gesturing with one arm raised, and the other still pointing up with a finger stretched out. Her audience is no longer shown.]
:Host: That red stars is Betelgeuse. It's gonna explode someday.
:Host: Can't happen soon enough, as far as I'm concerned. I-
:Host: ''Holy shit did you see that meteor!?!''
:Host: Space is ''awesome!''

:[Same scene as the previous panel, but the host has turned towards left looking at someone in the audience (not shown) who speaks off-screen. She has taken both her hands down for the first time.]
:Off-screen voice: Are you ''sure'' you're an astronomer?
:Host: People keep asking that, so I finally tried to look that word up in a dictionary, and ''wow'' is that book ever boring. No thank you.
:Off-screen voice: But-
:Host: ''Space!''

==Trivia==
*In the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/4/48/20160221022727!stargazing.png original version of the comic], the third panel said "'''That's''' Andromeda" instead of "'''This is''' Andromeda".
*The official transcript [https://web.archive.org/web/20160913162302/http://xkcd.com/1646/info.0.json originally] used male pronouns for the TV host. It now (as of 2019) uses female pronouns for the host.
**The official transcripts seems to have been messed up on xkcd at the time being.
***The [http://xkcd.com/1644/info.0.json transcript for 1644] is thus at the moment a mix of that comics main info (top and bottom) which results in the correct title and title text, but the entire description in this transcript is describing the comic from two releases before no. [[1642]].
***This seems to be a general problem for comics released around that time...
***Thus the description of this comic, was first released when comic no. [[1646]] came out.
***This has not been corrected (4 years later at the time of writing)!
****So the official transcript for 1644 can be found [http://xkcd.com/1646/info.0.json here], together with the data for comic 1646.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]