Starship Asterisk*

This deep Chandra Observatory x-ray image spans about 300,000 light-years across the galaxy cluster core.

I read this as the distance shown between the two sides of the image.

FieryIce "Prograde rotation. All planets move around the Sun in the same direction that the Sun rotates and close to the equatorial plane of the Sun." This is a big plus for accretion theory. Though there are inconsitencies it has to be said that a large majority of the solar system confor...

mmm its one of those questions I would really like to know the real answer to - mission to europa, anyone?

ta152h0 with the right technology, yes they would be visible :) and no, we don't currently have technology like that... and although planets can be detected indirectly through gravitational micro lensing and doppler shifting, these techniques currently require the planets to be both very large and a...

If the moon was created by a cataclysmic event as theorized, it may not. Aren't we pretty confident it was created by a cataclysmic event - a mars sized body striking the early Earth? That aside, the earth itself was created through a series of cataclysmic events! The process of accretion can be qu...

Yes if this theory has any weight then we should expect to see oil deep below the surface of the moon - what an exciting development that would be!

was thermal upwelling a theory for the creation of these features?

as in half the night sky would be relatively bright, close reflection nebula and the other half would be the stars visible out the 'top' of the cloud

maybe it wouldnt look as bright up close though im really not sure

The Horsehead nebula up close.
http://www.space.com/images/besthubble_horsehead_02.jpg

At the top left of the horse shape you can see a star embedded in the cloud - illuminating it. (unless I am mistaken)

I imagine there would be a stunning view from a planet orbiting that star!!!

*sigh* :p

hmm ... i thought i understood the significance of that picture but it may have eluded me... is the attraction simply that it is a good photo?

that is a fantastic picture!

http://schmidling.netfirms.com/bubble.htm
but I really can't see the hourglass formation in the bubble nebula - although I see the similarities you are pointing out.

Incorrect, you would get there instantly, while observer would see that taking 100 years.

Aha! Ashamed I am for not getting that right! Thanks.

this is more of a gradual dragging effect

could be thats it very low gravity prevents collisions of adequate force to form major craters, and it has just been lucky not to be hit by anything (recently) with a high relative velocity. the mechanics of dust and debris settling in an environment with gravity that low could be very different to ...

possible, but that would be significantly more difficult to explain

with a one on distance-squared relationship for the force exerted on objects by gravity it would seem to me that another galaxy would have to float very much straight through to have the center taper out as it does in that image (i expect it is stretched in the direction of movement of the colliding...

If a galaxy is 100 light years across then, travelling at the speed of light, would it take 100 years to go from one side to the other?

Travelling at the speed of light, I expect it would appear to you, the traveller, to take 100 years, however you would appear to take far longer to an observer.