In with the New

I've just completed my annual New Year's ritual, the ceremonial Changing of the Calendars. I've got quite a nice little crop of them this year: an astronomy calendar, a calendar from work, a Fellowship of the Ring calendar and a Star Trek: TOS calendar. Which means that I shall have the following pictures accompanying me through this month:

A rich starfield, partially obscured by the Coal Sack Nebula.

A really cool picture of the Pie Town radio telescope framed between snow-laden trees. (According to the caption, the photo was actually taken by one of the antenna's technicians, a very talented photographer whose pictures get featured a lot in company publications.)

A mildly hideous close-up of the cave troll.

Captain Kirk staring off into the middle distance, looking all Heroic and Noble.

In the course of the Changing of the Calendars ritual, I have also learned that on this day in 1801, the asteroid Ceres was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi. Better still, I've learned that the Fridays in this month fall in such a way that I'll be getting three paychecks. Happy New Year!