- Messier 23, also known as NGC 6494, is an open cluster of stars in the northwest of the southern constellation of Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. It can be found in good conditions with binoculars or a modestly sized telescope. It is in front of “an extensive gas and dust network”, which there may be no inter-association. It is within 5° the sun’s position (namely in mid-December) so can be occulted by the moon.
- Old Coast, New Coast: Doha, Qatar (hakaimagazine.com)
In the Neolithic, 10,000 years ago, this entire shore would have been underwater. At that time, the coastline was two meters higher. This wet period brought the first known occupation of Qatar and archaeologists occasionally find the dark brown rock tools of the people who took advantage of this brief climactic window—and the concurrent flourishing of life—to spread across Arabia.