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Space: Space, stars and all things out there

13 December 2004   

 

APOTD: Announcing Comet Machholz

Explanation: A comet discovered only this summer is brightening quickly and already visible to the unaided eye. Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) is currently best visible in Earth's Southern Hemisphere where some observers report it brighter than magnitude 5. The comet is moving rapidly to northern skies and should continue to brighten until early January. By coincidence, Comet Machholz will be easy to view as it will be nearly opposite the Sun when appearing its brightest. How bright Comet Machholz will become then remains uncertain, but it will surely stay in northern skies for much of 2005, even approaching Polaris in early March. Pictured above, Comet Machholz was captured in early December already sporting a bright surrounding coma, a white oblong dust tail fading off toward the left, and a long wispy ion tail toward the top with a kink near the end.
machholz_noao_big

This is going to look good next year.
 


2028 Also posted to: Home page . At: 9:12:28 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: APOTD: Announcing Comet Machholz

 

07 July 2004   

 

To the side of a galaxy not so far away

Massive stars, abrasive winds, mountains of dust, and energetic light sculpt one of the largest and most picturesque regions of star formation in the Local Group of Galaxies. Known as N11, the region is visible on the upper right of many images of its home galaxy, the Milky Way neighbor known as the Large Magellanic Clouds (LMC). The above image actually highlights N11B, part of the nebula that spans about 100 light years and is particularly active. The entire emission nebula N11 is second in LMC size only to 30 Doradus. Studying the stars in N11B has shown that it actually houses three successive generations of star formation. Compact globules of dark dust housing emerging young stars are also visible on the upper right.
heic0411b

n11_hst_big

 


1851 Also posted to: Home page . At: 8:34:12 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: To the side of a galaxy not so far away

 

04 July 2004   

 

Bloody big tadpoles

m57ring_hst_big

The Ring Nebula about one light year across. But look closer, into the barrel shaped cloud...

helixedge_hst_big

At the edge

HelixD_hst_big

Cometary knots: So called because of their resemblence to comets, they are actually much larger - their heads are several billion miles across (roughly twice the size of the our solar system itself) while their tails, pointing radially away from the central star, stretch over 100 billion miles.

ic4406_hst_big

From the top Not the same nebula, but the square nebula could be what we'd see of the ring nebula, if we looked from the top.

 


1834 Also posted to: Home page . At: 1:56:23 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Bloody big tadpoles

 

02 July 2004   

 

Saturn's rings

Pink Floyd: Brain Damage
And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear.
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.

"I can't think of anything to say except...
I think it's marvelous! HaHaHa!"

encke_cassini_fp

 


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Other title(s) for this story: Saturn's rings

 

30 June 2004   

 

In the Center of NGC 6559

red stars at night " Explanation: Bright gas and dark dust permeate the space between stars in the center of a nebula known as NGC 6559. The gas, primarily hydrogen, is responsible for the diffuse red glow of the emission nebula. As energetic light from neighboring stars ionizes interstellar hydrogen, protons and electrons recombine to emit light of very specific colors, including the red hue observed. Small dust particles reflect blue starlight efficiently and so creates the blue reflection nebulosity seen near two of the bright stars. Dust also absorbs visible light, causing the dark clouds and filaments visible. NGC 6559 lies about 5000 light-years away toward the constellation of Sagittarius."

Imagine if we lived much closer to this, and we saw this view when we looked up at night (assuming there was no light pollution). I'd be quite sure, that either we'd be completely nuts about gods, or we'd be flying about in space ships by now.


1824 Also posted to: Home page . At: 11:10:36 AM  . .
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08 June 2004   

 

APOD: Mammatus Clouds Over Mexico

clouds_aguirre_big "Under some conditions, however, cloud pockets can develop that contain large droplets of water or ice that fall into clear air as they evaporate. Such pockets may occur in turbulent air near a thunderstorm, being seen near the top of an anvil cloud, for example. Resulting mammatus clouds can appear especially dramatic if sunlit from the side. The above mammatus clouds were photographed last month over Monclova, Mexico."


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07 April 2004   

 

Galaxies, galaxies & galaxies as far as the eye can see

Too many to count. Found a page full of galaxies. Plenty of large 1600+ pixel images for wallpapers. I could spend the rest of my life here, trying to understand it all.
I wish some mad Muslims would do the same, (and some crazy Christians).
galaxies everywhere

 


1676 Also posted to: Home page . At: 9:46:43 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Galaxies, galaxies & galaxies as far as the eye can see