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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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The Defector Crewneck Sweatshirt Is Back In Stock

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Barry Petchesky

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 06: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Indiana Pacers reacts after a play during the second half in Game One of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on May 06, 2024 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Indiana Pacers v New York Knicks – Game One

A Humble Knicks Fan’s Take On The Officiating In Game 1

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Arts And Culture

What’s In A Frame?

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - MAY 04: Brent Rooker #25 of the Oakland Athletics is congratulated by Abraham Toro #31 and Tyler Nevin #26 after Rooker hit a three-run home run against the Miami Marlins in the bottom of the third inning on May 4, 2024 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. The home run was Rooker's second home run of the inning. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Miami Marlins v Oakland Athletics

Let’s All Say Nice Things About The Oakland A’s

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 04: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins celebrates his over time winning goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Seven of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 04, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by China Wong/NHLI via Getty Images)

Toronto Maple Leafs v Boston Bruins – Game Seven

The Leafs Are Not Enough

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has captured the sharpest infrared images to date of one of the most distinctive objects in our skies, the Horsehead Nebula. These observations show a part of the iconic nebula in a whole new light, capturing its complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution. Webb’s new images show part of the sky in the constellation Orion (The Hunter), in the western side of the Orion B molecular cloud. Rising from turbulent waves of dust and gas is the Horsehead Nebula, otherwise known as Barnard 33, which resides roughly 1300 light-years away.  The nebula formed from a collapsing interstellar cloud of material, and glows because it is illuminated by a nearby hot star. The gas clouds surrounding the Horsehead have already dissipated, but the jutting pillar is made of thick clumps of material that is harder to erode. Astronomers estimate that the Horsehead has about five million years left before it too disintegrates. Webb’s new view focuses on the illuminated edge of the top of the nebula’s distinctive dust and gas structure. The Horsehead Nebula is a well-known photon-dominated region, or PDR. In such a region ultraviolet light from young, massive stars creates a mostly neutral, warm area of gas and dust between the fully ionised gas surrounding the massive stars and the clouds in which they are born. This ultraviolet radiation strongly influences the gas chemistry of these regions and acts as the most important source of heat.  These regions occur where interstellar gas is dense enough to remain neutral, but not dense enough to prevent the penetration of far-ultraviolet light from massive stars. The light emitted from such PDRs provides a unique tool to study the physical and chemical processes that drive the evolution of interstellar matter in our galaxy, and throughout the Universe from the early era of vigorous star formation to the present day. Owing to its proximity and its nearly edge-on geometry, the Horsehead Nebula is an ideal target for astronomers to study the physical structures of PDRs and the evolution of the chemical characteristics of the gas and dust within their respective environments, and the transition regions between them. It is considered one of the best objects in the sky to study how radiation interacts with interstellar matter. This image was captured with Webb’s NIRCam (Near-InfraRed Camera) instrument. [Image description: At the bottom of the image a small portion of the Horsehead Nebula is seen close-in, as a curved wall of thick, smoky gas and dust. Above the nebula various distant stars and galaxies can be seen up to the top of the image. One star is very bright and large, with six long diffraction spikes that cross the image. The background fades from a dark red colour above the nebula to black.]

Horsehead Nebula (NIRCam image)

Science

The Closer We Look The Smaller We Get

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 28: Arturs Silovs #31 and Teddy Blueger #53 of the Vancouver Canucks celebrate after defeating the Nashville Predators during overtime of Game Four of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on April 28, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Arturs Silovs; Teddy Blueger

Vancouver Canucks v Nashville Predators – Game Four

The Canucks Never Win That Game

Billy Hale, age 7, Simi Valley celebrates a Nintendo victory over his brother. Photo/Art by:Alan Hagman

Billy Hale, age 7, Simi Valley celebrates a Nintendo victory over his brother. Billy is afflicted wi

Video Games

Video Games Should Be Easy, For Baby Gamers Like Me

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This Puck Didn’t Go In

DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 22: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights is defended by Matt Duchene #95 of the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game One of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center on April 22, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Vegas Golden Knights v Dallas Stars – Game One

Death, Taxes, And Mark Stone Coming Off Long-Term IR For The Playoffs

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 21: Matt Rempe #73 of the New York Rangers celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period against the Washington Capitals in Game One of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 21, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)

Washington Capitals v New York Rangers – Game One

Matt Rempe Came Up Big

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 06: New York Yankees broadcasters Michael Kay (L) and John Sterling speak during the New York Yankees World Series Victory Celebration at City Hall on November 6, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

New York Yankees World Series Victory Parade

John Sterling Was The Soundtrack To My Life

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 21: Shohei Ohtani (C) of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks with his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (L) and agent Nez Balelo (R) prior to the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on December 21, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

New Orleans Saints v Los Angeles Rams

Gambling

Gambling Addiction Is A Nasty, Nasty Thing

against the Anaheim Ducks at Gila River Arena on February 24, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona.

Anaheim Ducks v Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes Have A Salt Lake City Plan

Honeybee drinking nectar from a flower in Markham, Ontario, Canada, on September 10, 2022. (Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto)

Honeybee Drinking Nectar From A Flower

Sports Highlight Of The Day

The Sports Highlight Of The Day Is The First Honeybee Ever To Pull A String

OTTAWA, CANADA - APRIL 6: Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators stretches during warmup prior to a game against the New Jersey Devils at Canadian Tire Centre on April 6, 2024 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/NHLI via Getty Images)

New Jersey Devils v Ottawa Senators

I Need The Senators To Sit Down And Explain To Me What’s Acceptable To Do To An Empty Net And What’s Not

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 05: Atlanta Braves pitching coach Rick Kranitz (r) talks to Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) and Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud (16) at the pitching mound during the Atlanta Braves 2024 season Home Opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 5, 2024 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

MLB: APR 05 Diamondbacks at Braves

The Elbows Are Exploding

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: A Boxer dog looks out from its kennel on first day of Crufts dog show at the NEC on March 6, 2014 in Birmingham, England. Said to be the largest show of its kind in the world, the annual four-day event, features thousands of dogs, with competitors travelling from countries across the globe to take part. Crufts, which was first held in 1891 and sees thousands of dogs vie for the coveted title of 'Best in Show'. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Dogs And Owners Gather For 2014 Crufts Dog Show

Life Lessons

It Happened To Me: I Thought I Bought People Treats But They Were Dog Treats

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: Matt Rempe #73 of the New York Rangers fights Kurtis MacDermid #23 of the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on April 3, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)

New Jersey Devils v New York Rangers

Highlight Of Devils’ Season Is Line Brawl

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Anybody Need 18,000 Jaromir Jagr Bobbleheads?

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I Think I Found The Problem Here: The Rocket Blew Up

SAINT PAUL, MN - MARCH 10: Juuse Saros #74, Ryan O'Reilly #90 and Gustav Nyquist #14 of the Nashville Predators defend their goal against Joel Eriksson Ek #14 of the Minnesota Wild during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on March 10, 2024 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)

Nashville Predators v Minnesota Wild

Not Even Wild Players Knew The Obscure Rule That Threatened A Forfeited Point

Flaco

Birdfector

Flaco Never Escaped

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Landing On The Moon Isn’t Getting Any Easier

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 31: Arizona Diamondbacks principal owner Ken Kendrick and president Derrick Hall talk on the field prior to Game 4 of the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

World Series – Texas Rangers v. Arizona Diamondbacks – Game Four

Threats Are No Way To Do Business, Says Diamondbacks Owner Threatening To Move

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - FEBRUARY 18: Goaltender Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers makes a save on a shot attempt by Matt Martin #17 of the New York Islanders during the first period of the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders at MetLife Stadium on February 18, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

2024 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series – New York Rangers v New York Islanders

Sometimes An Outdoor Hockey Game Still Delivers