APOD: Andromeda on the Rocks (2013 Sep 27)

[APOD Robot]

Andromeda on the Rocks

Explanation: How far can you see? The Andromeda Galaxy 2.5 million light years away is the most distant object easily seen by the unaided eye. Other apparent denizens of the night sky, stars, clusters, and nebulae, typically range from a few hundred to a few thousand light-years away and lie well within our own Milky Way Galaxy. Also known as M31, the Andromeda Galaxy is the faint smudge near top center of this Earth and skyscape, taken from eastern Italy, near Monte Conero on the Adriatic sea coast. From a few centimeters to a few million light-years, the picture demonstrates a stunning range of vision. Though galaxy and seaside rocks could be seen with the eye on that clear summer night, no camera captured this view in a single exposure. Because the stars trailed above the horizon while the picture was made, separate exposures tracking the stars were combined with one of rocks and cliffs made with the camera steadied to create the tantalizing scene.

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[Nitpicker]

the picture demonstrates a stunning range of vision

Indeed, very striking. Evocative of fractals and midnight swims.

[Ann]

Yes, it's a lovely image.

Ann

[Locutus]

Note that in this image M33 is also visible near the horizon.

[RedFishBlueFish]

Yes, this is a stunning range of vision ... though within the current century this particular vista might well be underwater.

The summary of the 2013 IPCC report was released today. Even in the watered down final version (watered down, as all of the governments making up the IPCC -Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - must agree on the final wording of the report) it makes dismal reading.

Find it at "http://www.climatechange2013.org/images ... ep2013.pdf"

Let us hope that enough people have sufficient range of vision to see that this is a problem with which we must engage. Whatever the outcome, Andromeda will still be looking down on our world - I wonder what that world will be like.

[Nitpicker]

[wild speculation]

Not that I'm looking forward to it, but the climate change predicted within this century, and beyond, might be the only thing (apart from the widespread education of women, which is strongly correlated with wealth, which is strongly correlated with energy usage [damn it]) which has a hope of controlling the human population of our planet, which has roughly quadrupled in just the last 100 years, and arguably poses the greatest threat to our species.

And never mind that certain nations cannot wait for climate change. The notion of the vast, frozen steppes of Siberia becoming viable for agriculture is rather attractive to many Russians, so I have been told.

We are a flawed species with a lot of ego. No one has control of humanity. Perhaps if we had a hive mentality, the situation would be different, but that is not the reality. So maybe it is time for another species to evolve and become dominant?

Or maybe humanity will pull itself together for long enough to efficiently harness sunlight directly, to address all our energy needs. But then there would be nothing to stop the human population from growing even further. Jevons thought about issues like this way back in 1865 and subsequently had a paradox named after him.

But to bring us back to matters astronomical, I am confident that the Earth will carry on supporting life, human or otherwise, until some other part of the universe makes it impossible. Thou art star dust and unto star dust thou shalt return.

[/wild speculation]

[neufer]

[b][color=#0000FF]Johannes Hevelius's depiction of Andromeda, from the 1690 edition of his Uranographia. As was conventional for celestial atlases of the time, the constellation is a mirror image of modern maps as it was drawn from a perspective outside the celestial sphere.[/color][/b]

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<<Andromeda is known as "the Chained Lady" or "the Chained Woman" in English. It was known as Mulier Catenata ("chained woman") in Latin and al-Mar'at al Musalsalah in Arabic. It has also been called Persea ("Perseus's wife") or Cepheis ("Cepheus's daughter"), all names that refer to Andromeda's role in the Greco-Roman myth of Perseus, in which Cassiopeia, the queen of Ethiopia, bragged that her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids, sea nymphs blessed with incredible beauty. Offended at her remark, the nymphs petitioned Poseidon to punish Cassiopeia for her insolence, which he did by commanding the sea monster Cetus to attack Ethiopia. Andromeda's panicked father, Cepheus, was told by the Oracle of Ammon that the only way to save his kingdom was to sacrifice his daughter to Cetus. She was chained to a rock by the sea but was saved by the hero Perseus, who used the head of Medusa to turn the monster into stone; Algol (β Persei), the "Demon Star", marks the head of Medusa. Perseus and Andromeda then married; the myth recounts that the couple had nine children together – seven sons and two daughter – and founded Mycenae and its Persideae dynasty. After Andromeda's death Athena placed her in the sky as a constellation, to honor her. Several of the neighboring constellations (Perseus, Cassiopeia, Cetus, and Cepheus) also represent characters in the Perseus myth.>>

[Boomer12k]

Nice composite image....as for over population....ZPG was proposed back in the late sixties...maybe we give it a try...

:---[===] *

[geckzilla]

[wild speculation]

(apart from the widespread education of women, which is strongly correlated with wealth, which is strongly correlated with energy usage [damn it])

[/wild speculation]

Just what are you trying to say, here?!

[Nitpicker]

Just what are you trying to say, here?!

Merely that in many of the wealthier nations of the world, the education of women has proven to be a good way to approach ZPG. Or at least there appears to be a demographic correlation. It certainly sounds reasonable to me.

[geckzilla]

Your statement was definitely worded confusingly enough for me to think you meant global warming was as dangerous as education of women. Haha, I just woke up. I accidentally edited your post instead of hitting quote at first, too.

[bactame]

Nice apod which refers to naked eye astronomy and mentions limits of vision to M31. If you have ever seen it you know it is quite an extended object even though it can only be seen by not looking directly at it. There are two pointer stars in the asterism that you can stare at and the ruddy red glow of M31 becomes evident. However the author fails to mention the Pinwheel supernova PTF11kly which is more than the 2.3 million lt. yrs. away. The Pinwheel is 25 million lt. yrs. away and several naked eye observers saw that. I saw it on Sep 10 and its brilliant cobalt blue light was a sight to inspire beholding.
At any rate, with the luck of Tyhco and the opportunity to view the heavens, we can see more than M31.

[fausto.lubatti]

It's a wonderful picture, well composite!

[Beyond]

Your statement was definitely worded confusingly enough for me to think you meant global warming was as dangerous as education of women. Haha, I just woke up. I accidentally edited your post instead of hitting quote at first, too.

Sounds like you're having one of my 'typical' mornings, just differently.

[Cousin Ricky]

Why have I never, ever, ever seen Princess Andromeda depicted as an Ethiopian?

[neufer]

<<Nice apod which refers to naked eye astronomy and mentions limits of vision to M31. If you have ever seen it you know it is quite an extended object even though it can only be seen by not looking directly at it. There are two pointer stars in the asterism that you can stare at and the ruddy red glow of M31 becomes evident. However the author fails to mention the Pinwheel supernova PTF11kly which is more than the 2.3 million lt. yrs. away. The Pinwheel is 25 million lt. yrs. away and several naked eye observers saw that.

I saw it on Sep 10 and its brilliant cobalt blue light was a sight to inspire beholding.>>

[b][color=#0000FF]10th magnitude SN 2011fe (aka, PTF 11kly)[/color][/b]

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• You saw a 10th magnitude supernova with your naked eye!

<<SN 2011fe, initially designated PTF 11kly, is a star which perished in a Type Ia supernova event that is currently visible from Earth. The star was discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) survey on 24 August 2011 during an automated review of images of the Messier 101 from the nights of 22 and 23 August 2011. The star, formerly a white dwarf, is located in Messier 101, the Pinwheel Galaxy, 21 million light years from Earth. It was observed by the PTF survey very near the beginning of its supernova event, when it was approximately 1 million times too dim to be visible to the naked eye. It is the youngest type Ia ever discovered. About 13 September 2011, it reached its maximum brightness of apparent magnitude +9.9 which equals an absolute magnitude of about -19, equal to 2.5 billion Suns. At +10 apparent magnitude around 5 September, SN 2011fe was visible in small telescopes. As of 30 September the supernova was at +11 apparent magnitude in the early evening sky after sunset above the northwest horizon. It had dropped to +13.7 as of 26 November 2011.>>

[neufer]

Why have I never, ever, ever seen Princess Andromeda depicted as an Ethiopian?

For the same reason that the Queen of Sheba is seldom depicted as an Ethiopian

[geckzilla]

For the same reason that the Queen of Sheba is seldom depicted as an Ethiopian Greek

Fixed?

[Ron-Astro Pharmacist]

Great Photo! Thanks for not catching a whale jumping toward Andromeda to give APOD a third day running title of : Andromeda versus Cetus

I like the title (and the photo) just as it is. Along with the comments and explanations which adds that little extra “twist” to the plot.

[neufer]

For the same reason that the Queen of Sheba is seldom depicted as an Ethiopian Greek

Fixed?

• Huh That's Ethiopian to me

<<The Queen of Sheba (Hebrew: מלכת שבא‎) was a monarch of the ancient kingdom of Sheba believed to have been in Ethiopia & Yemen.

Christian interpretations of the scriptures mentioning the Queen of Sheba in the Hebrew Bible, typically have emphasized both the historical and metaphorical values in the story. The Queen's visit to Solomon has been compared to the metaphorical marriage of the Church to Christ where Solomon is the anointed one or the messiah and Sheba represents a Gentile population submitting to the messiah; the Queen of Sheba's chastity has also been depicted as a foreshadowing of the Virgin Mary; and the three gifts that she brought (gold, spices and stones) have been seen as analogous to the gifts of the Magi (gold, frankincense and myrrh).

Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus refers to the Queen of Sheba as Saba, when Mephistopheles is trying to persuade Faustus of the wisdom of the women with whom he supposedly shall be presented every morning. [Hopefully these women weren't presented too early in the morning before they were fully awake.]>>

[geckzilla]

Sheba's depictions featured a lot more with dark skin than light skin when I looked at images of her, though.

It's true though, I have been derping all over the place this morning.

[retrogalax]

The Andromeda constellation appears so clearly in this bright night view, thanks to the photographer for that dreamy shot.

[neufer]

Sheba's depictions featured a lot more with dark skin than light skin when I looked at images of her, though.

I googled a whole bunch of Sheba paintings...and now I've forgotten what the question was.

[Beyond]

The paintings aren't really all that great, but question What question

[ta152h0]

almost looks like the image beamed back by Huygens from the ground on Titan