Starship Asterisk*

Sadly, this "One of the brightest members of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, M100, also known as NGC 4321" is not even shown at the Virgo Cluster APOD link:

Well, yes... not really an option with most astronomical objects, though! Angular sizes are usually only given when they are interesting in their own right for some reason (like if an object is the apparent size of the Moon). But they are always easily determined in any image with more than a handf...

Thank you very much. Extremely honored again. 🙏🏼 I am blessed with Bortle 2 skies in Northern Arizona. -Drew https://www.astrobin.com/users/DrewJEvans/ https://NAZObservatory.com Excellent work! Can I ask how many hours did you spend creating this picture in total? The link to the author's Astrobin...

But in order to determine that the snowman is 2 meters high, we need to know our distance from it and the angle it subtends at that distance. Likewise for the nebula. ... I was declaring the Snowman's height, not estimating. Well, yes... not really an option with most astronomical objects, though! ...

Just wanted to note that there are two possible right angle triangles that could be used to determine the distance and angle, but at the large distances typically involved, they are almost the same. I had always assumed that we were using the smaller ɑ angle, but it's really the slightly larger angl...

In context from a wider field of view image at one of the links in the text:

Not so with supernovas. And it's fascinating to think that supernovas type Ia form in much the same way as cataclysmic novas like GK Per. The difference is that so much matter builds up on the white dwarf's surface that the white dwarf reaches its Chandrasekhar limit, the maximum mass of a white dw...

mason dixon wrote: ↑Tue Apr 30, 2024 6:19 pm Is there a timelapse of the Firework nebula growing in size like the Crab nebula?

Sort of. Here's a succession of images taken over the years that demonstrate the growth: https://vimeo.com/31120259

Not so with supernovas. And it's fascinating to think that supernovas type Ia form in much the same way as cataclysmic novas like GK Per. The difference is that so much matter builds up on the white dwarf's surface that the white dwarf reaches its Chandrasekhar limit, the maximum mass of a white dw...

Ok, agreed. The Sun would be merely senescent, but not yet entirely dead! 😊 Maybe these stars are quite comfortable in anticipation; a ripening chrysalis perhaps. The ripening is only beginning, give them a quadrillion years and white dwarfs apparently turn into giant diamonds! Which of course are ...

Rauf wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 7:26 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 3:12 pm

Rauf wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 5:24 am

20240408h14crop.jpg

I think this is the Turkish flag they are referring to.

Thanks. Indeed it must be. I didn't even notice it!

I wonder if that flag is lying on the ground or is it standing.

Very hard to tell.

Ok, where is this "stubby" dust tail on the right? If it really is visible here, I find it difficult to distinguish it from the impressive vertical ion tail!

Rauf wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 5:24 am

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 1:18 pm

wilddouglascounty wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 2:36 am

So is he from Turkey? That's the Turkey flag, right?

Where is this Turkish flag you’re referring to?

20240408h14crop.jpg

I think this is the Turkish flag they are referring to.

Thanks. Indeed it must be. I didn't even notice it!

The HR diagram of the Milky Way..jpgThe HR diagram of the Milky Way-.jpg https://asterisk.apod.com/download/file.php?id=49545&mode=view Cool! Nice work. Well I am not sure. Maybe fitting the temperature scales is better The HR diagram of the Milky Way-3.jpgThe HR diagram of the Milky Way-4.jpg ...

... Galaxies and globular clusters contain different types of stars. Ann Exactly. Which reasonably suggests that they have entirely different formation processes. The HR diagram of the Milky Way..jpgThe HR diagram of the Milky Way-.jpg https://asterisk.apod.com/download/file.php?id=49545&mode=v...

So, something similar will likely be the fate of our own Sun, correct? From the link - Planetary Nebulae Planetary nebulae (PN) represent the last stages of evolution for low- and intermediate-mass stars whose Main Sequence mass was less than about 8 solar masses. After evolving through the Asympto...

So, something similar will likely be the fate of our own Sun, correct? From the link - Planetary Nebulae Planetary nebulae (PN) represent the last stages of evolution for low- and intermediate-mass stars whose Main Sequence mass was less than about 8 solar masses. After evolving through the Asymptot...

Probably not near center, but Cassiopeia should be in the picture. I definitely couldn't spot the familiar W. Ann Cassiopeia is in the picture. Look at the annotated version mentioned in the explanation. The image is a another masterpiece by Tunç Tezel. APOD should be able to spell his name correct...

This image really showcases just how tiny this phenomenon really looks to the unaided eye. Still, though, it's a great image! Actually, to the unaided eye, it looks much larger. What this picture illustrates is just how small it actually is, despite the powerful illusion of it appearing much larger...

This image really showcases just how tiny this phenomenon really looks to the unaided eye. Still, though, it's a great image!

Always nice to see a reference to the book Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward, but the O-type stellar "egg" here is not the same type of egg as the titular star of the book, which is a neutron star. Though HD 148937 may well become a neutron star in a few million years as the end product of...

Interesting discussion on an APOD I was expecting to see none on! And I took the text at it's word, but it's now (pretty) clear to me that the shadow is cast downward, not up. Thanks!

ayankforyes wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2024 5:18 am First thing I thought of upon seeing this Scotland!

Nice. A prefect match. I guessed you must mean the flag, and I was right:

It seems the link that is supposed to direct to yesterday's APOD instead redirects to the APOD for April 18. That's usually remedied by refreshing (reloading) your browser page. Doing that almost always fixes any stale link issues that I sometimes see. Not working. I don't think it's on my end. zxc...

Rauf wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 6:49 pm It seems the link that is supposed to direct to yesterday's APOD instead redirects to the APOD for April 18.

That's usually remedied by refreshing (reloading) your browser page. Doing that almost always fixes any stale link issues that I sometimes see.