APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

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APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by APOD Robot » Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:10 am

Image Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field

Explanation: The clouds surrounding the star system Rho Ophiuchi compose one of the closest star forming regions. Rho Ophiuchi itself is a binary star system visible in the light-colored region on the image right. The star system, located only 400 light years away, is distinguished by its colorful surroundings, which include a red emission nebula and numerous light and dark brown dust lanes. Near the upper right of the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud system is the yellow star Antares, while a distant but coincidently-superposed globular cluster of stars, M4, is visible between Antares and the red emission nebula. Near the image bottom lies IC 4592, the Blue Horsehead nebula. The blue glow that surrounds the Blue Horsehead's eye -- and other stars around the image -- is a reflection nebula composed of fine dust. On the above image left is a geometrically angled reflection nebula cataloged as Sharpless 1. Here, the bright star near the dust vortex creates the light of surrounding reflection nebula. Although most of these features are visible through a small telescope pointed toward the constellations of Ophiuchus, Scorpius, and Sagittarius, the only way to see the intricate details of the dust swirls, as featured above, is to use a long exposure camera.

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by Boomer12k » Sun Jul 27, 2014 10:38 am

Whoa!!!!!! THAT IS AWESOME!!!

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by Ann » Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:09 am

Rogelio Bernal Andreo is the one who first showed the world the now-classic Blue Horsehead in Scorpius. In this new widefield portrait of nebulas in Scorpius, Rogelio has turned this part of the sky into a mythological zoo. The central creature is the Rho Ophiuchus and Antares complex at mid-center right. Note how Sigma Scorpii, the star surrounded by a small bright red nebula, can be seen as an eye. The other eye could be the multiple star 22 Scorpii, surrounded by a small blue reflection nebula. IC 4603 could be the creature's snout. (Note that the picture you can see if you click on the link also shows you 22 Scorpii.) The snout is surrounded by a dark, wild goat's beard. Between the dark black strands, the creatures beard is blue around multiple star Rho Ophiuchi. At the top of its head, the creature appears to sport a pair of antennas. The shiniest "antenna bead" is Antares, and the other "bead" is globular cluster M4 - you can see them both here.

So what creature is that? To me it looks like an awe-inspiring mixture of a giant cosmic goat and an alien.

There is more. At upper left, a blue-eyed, red-skinned alien is emerging from some sort of blue cocoon. In reality it is Pi Scorpii, seen here at upper left. A long narrow stalk or "body" connects it to its stellar neighbour, Delta Scorpii. It resembles a Disneyesque cosmic flower, or a sort of botanical Tinkerbell. At bottom center, the Blue Horse somewhat melancholically contemplates it all.

The only creature missing from this zoo is the scorpion itself, unless the scorpion is everywhere in this part of the sky.

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by starsurfer » Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:07 pm

Ann wrote:Rogelio Bernal Andreo is the one who first showed the world the now-classic Blue Horsehead in Scorpius

Ann
You're wrong Ann, the nebula IC 4592 has been photographed many times before Rogelio Bernal Andreo took his image. However I think he devised the popular name.

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by Ann » Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:11 pm

Well, Rogelio was the one who made the field horsey. Image :wink:

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by starsurfer » Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:17 pm

The only thing I don't like about this image is that it isn't north up! However this is a new version with Ha data that emphasises the faint emission nebulosity in the area. The large nebula below Sh2-1 is Sh2-7 and the pink nebula to the left of Antares is Sh2-9. Also Sh2-1 refers to the round emission nebula and the associated reflection nebula is vdB99.

Also Sh2-1 (upside down) reminds me a little of the spaceship in Guardians of the Galaxy. :D
scifi_mumbo_jumbo.jpg
Last edited by starsurfer on Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by starsurfer » Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:19 pm

Ann wrote:Well, Rogelio was the one who made the field horsey. Image :wink:

Ann
Well the origin of the name has been lost to history, the IC 4592 page on Rogelio's website already mentions that this name was sometimes used, so I guess according to him the name predates his image.

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by rgendler » Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:26 pm

Ann wrote:Rogelio Bernal Andreo is the one who first showed the world the now-classic Blue Horsehead in Scorpius.


http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060808.html

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by BDanielMayfield » Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:37 pm

starsurfer wrote:
Ann wrote:Well, Rogelio was the one who made the field horsey. Image :wink:

Ann
Well the origin of the name has been lost to history, the IC 4592 page on Rogelio's website already mentions that this name was sometimes used, so I guess according to him the name predates his image.
As Colonel Potter on MASH used to say;
Horse hockey!
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Just as zero is not equal to infinity, everything coming from nothing is illogical.

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by Ann » Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:51 pm

rgendler wrote:
Ann wrote:Rogelio Bernal Andreo is the one who first showed the world the now-classic Blue Horsehead in Scorpius.



http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060808.html
Oh, sorry, Rob!

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by LuigiF » Sun Jul 27, 2014 10:54 pm

Amazing picture, never seen so many details in that area, but how much it costs in term of equipment?

Rogelio Bernal

Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by Rogelio Bernal » Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:00 pm

Sorry for being late to this thread.

I took note of the Blue Horsehead from Rob's image, actually. I don't know if I was the first who's used the term "blue horsehead" for this nebula, but certainly not the first one to use "horsehead". Having said that, I don't think it matters :D

In any case, the description Ann wrote of the image is pure poetry, very nice, loved it!!

Cheers,
Rogelio

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by starsurfer » Mon Jul 28, 2014 11:08 am

rgendler wrote:
Ann wrote:Rogelio Bernal Andreo is the one who first showed the world the now-classic Blue Horsehead in Scorpius.


http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060808.html
Rob Gendler to the rescue! I knew its name predated the other image! I still prefer to call it IC 4592 and I definitely prefer it north up.

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by DavidLeodis » Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:20 pm

Great images (the original and the new). This comment with the new image in Rogelio Bernal Andreo's website made me :).

"Interesting, isn't it? I've been missing all that red nebulosity all these years and nobody complained ;-)".

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Re: APOD: Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field (2014 Jul 27)

Post by heehaw » Tue May 24, 2016 7:59 pm

Alert! Alert! There is a serious error! This is NOT Rho Ophiuchi, it is Rho Ophiuchus! As of 2016 May 24! Alert! Alert!

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