Look At The Pretty Pictures!

I am subscribed to NASA’s website and they sent this pic yesterday:

Aren’t they pretty?  They are called buckyballs.  I have no idea what they are or what they do, despite this explanation (there’s a reason I only subscribe to NASA, rather than work for them):

Formally named buckministerfullerene, buckyballs are named after their resemblance to the late architect Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes. They are made up of 60 carbon atoms arranged into a hollow sphere, like a soccer ball. Their unusual structure makes them ideal candidates for electrical and chemical applications on Earth, including superconducting materials, medicines, water purification and armor.

I am sharing the information because I like the picture and the name.  ‘Buckyballs’ sound like such fun, er, things. 

A great name is vital.  Consider what came in the previous day’s email:

Looks good, doesn’t it?  It is an image of the fastest wind from stellar-mass black hole.  It is so beautiful, it should have a romantic name, like Angel’s Breath from Angel’s Mouth, or something.  So what do the scientists at NASA call it?  I’ll let them speak for themselves:

The stellar-mass black hole powering this super wind is known as IGR J17091-3624, or IGR J17091 for short.

Gotta love those catchy nicknames.