APOD: Herschel Views the Milky Way (2011 Sep 02)

[APOD Robot]

Herschel Views the Milky Way

Explanation: With a 3.5 meter diameter mirror, larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, ESA's Herschel Space Observatory explores the Universe at infrared wavelengths. Herschel is named for German-born British astronomer Frederick William Herschel who discovered infrared light over 200 years ago. Herschel's sensitive cameras have combined to deliver this spectacular skyscape looking toward the constellation of the Southern Cross. Spanning some 2 degrees the premier, false-color, far-infrared view captures our galaxy's cold dust clouds in extreme detail, showing a remarkable, connected maze of filaments and star-forming regions. Such observations are intended to unravel mysteries of star formation by surveying broad areas of the galactic plane.

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[Beyond]

Concerning Herschel's discovery of infared, i wonder if the tempretures of all the colors + the infared, add up to the temperature of the sunlight that he deflected through the prism?

[Confused]

The links on the page are messed up. The "<" for going to the previous day goes to the same page instead. I have never had a problem with that link (for going to the previous day) until today and I have used it many times. When I click on the "Discuss" link it says that the page for September 3 does not exist.

[starstruck]

Space Art !!

[nstahl]

The link from today's APOD to here doesn't work. The link from yesterday's discussion to today's, fortunately, does.

I have a problem with the title "Herschel Views the Milky Way" which lead me to expect I was seeing a large chunk of the MW in IR. But that's not the case at all. Otherwise it's a nice picture.

[dick Henry]

The links on the page are messed up. The "<" for going to the previous day goes to the same page instead. I have never had a problem with that link (for going to the previous day) until today and I have used it many times. When I click on the "Discuss" link it says that the page for September 3 does not exist.

Even getting to THIS page required an edit in the address!

[dick Henry]

Is the Herschel mission named after him, or after him AND his sister?

[orin stepanek]

Awesome view looking toward the Southern Cross!

Click to view full size image

[bystander]

I have a problem with the title "Herschel Views the Milky Way" which lead me to expect I was seeing a large chunk of the MW in IR. But that's not the case at all. Otherwise it's a nice picture.

It is an image of the center of the Milky Way in five bands of Infrared as explained in the link this spectacular skyscape.

[saturn2]

The discovery infrared light by Herschel was a big scientific discovery.
The infrared light is very import for the space investigation.
With normal light it cann´t to see the object exactly.

[Boomer12k]

There are some interesting things in this picture, and about this picture.
1. It reminds me of the Structure of the Universe where and when you see galaxies clump, and the structure that implies. Strandy strings crisscrossing, etc...

2. Do you notice the "SQUARE" area to the right of center? It looks like a TV with Jimmie Hendrix!!!! Now look lower and to the left some what...wait there is another square TV there!!!! And lower to the left again...ANOTHER ONE!!!!! It is like a JULIA OR MANDELBROT SET!!!! FASCINATING!!!

:------======= * <-smiley with telescope...looking at a star....

[nstahl]

I have a problem with the title "Herschel Views the Milky Way" which lead me to expect I was seeing a large chunk of the MW in IR. But that's not the case at all. Otherwise it's a nice picture.

It is an image of the center of the Milky Way in five bands of Infrared as explained in the link this spectacular skyscape.

One outcome is spectacular views in five different far infrared colours of an area near the galactic plane about 60 degrees away from the direction towards the centre of the Galaxy

and

The area imaged is about 2x2 degrees on the sky

so while it is of the MW it's not of the center and it's not a large chunk. However I see from your link that it's considered a representative region of the MW and in that sense I guess the title's not so bad.

[biddie67]

I'm surprised that Herschel didn't also discover ultraviolet light. But maybe he tried and his thermometer approach wasn't sensitive enough to isolate ultraviolet as he did infrared light ??

I did a search on "discovery of ultraviolet" and came up with an article on Johann Wilhelm Ritter who did discover ultraviolet light in 1801. He knew about Herschel's infrared discovery the previous year and decided to try a search at the other end of the visual color spectrum.

Neat stuff !!!!

[Ann]

I'm surprised that Herschel didn't also discover ultraviolet light. But maybe he tried and his thermometer approach wasn't sensitive enough to isolate ultraviolet as he did infrared light ??

I did a search on "discovery of ultraviolet" and came up with an article on Johann Wilhelm Ritter who did discover ultraviolet light in 1801. He knew about Herschel's infrared discovery the previous year and decided to try a search at the other end of the visual color spectrum.

Neat stuff !!!!

Pesonally I would love to see more ultraviolet images. Unfortunately, the best ultraviolet telescope, GALEX, is no longer fully functioning, if it is functioning at all. And when infrared telescopes run out of cooling or stop functioning for other reasons, there are many new infrared telescopes ready to replace them. However, there are a few ultraviolet telescopes. One is Swift, which carries the ultraviolet instrument UVOT. To my knowledge, however, UVOT rarely if ever observes our galaxy as such, or the galactic center. (But of course, ultraviolet light from the galactic center can't penetrate the extremely thick layers of dust separating our vantage point from the galactic center.)

As it is, the ultraviolet instruments that exist are mostly used to observe the Sun or to look for gamma-ray burst afterglows.

Ann

[islader2]

dickhenry==I regret that no one on this "blog" picked up on your request about Caroline. She is honored in the sky. My interest in Caroline comes about because was born in Hanover, where I had the opportunity to meet distant members of never-wed Caroline. There is a wiki entry on her. Thanx.

[Ann]

dickhenry==I regret that no one on this "blog" picked up on your request about Caroline. She is honored in the sky. My interest in Caroline comes about because was born in Hanover, where I had the opportunity to meet distant members of never-wed Caroline. There is a wiki entry on her. Thanx.

islader2, thank you for speaking up for Caroline Herschel! She is one of the great underappreciated females in astronomy.

I checked her up at wikipedia, and as you said, she was born in Hanover. Were you born there, too?

The wiki article says this, among other things, about Caroline Herschel:

Caroline possessed incredible dexterity [3] in polishing mirrors and mounting telescopes involving astonishing discipline and dexterity which Wilhelm did not have. Therefore he depended on her support and presence. With time, Caroline learned to copy astronomical catalogues and other publications that Wilhelm had borrowed. She also learned to record, reduce, and organize her brother’s astronomical observations. She recognized that this work demanded speed and accuracy rather than understanding. However, at William’s insistence, Caroline began to make observations on her own in 1782.[4] This insistence led to many accomplishments. Caroline no longer had to depend solely on her singing to gain satisfaction; rather she was able to contribute to society far more than she thought she would. Wilhelm was labeled an astronomer; however, Caroline Herschel was an astronomer in her own right. After taking her brother’s advice to understand astronomy, she discovered more than half a dozen comets in the 1780s and 1790s [5] that several are named after her in some way. Throughout her writings, she repeatedly makes it clear that she desires to earn an independent wage. When this is rewarded by the state for her assistance to her brother, she becomes the first woman—at a time when even men rarely received wages for scientific enterprises—to receive a salary for services to science.

Well done, Caroline!! Where is the clap, clap smilie?

Ann

[Case]

Where is the clap, clap smilie?

[islader2]

Ann {without an 'e'}==I knew that Caroline would be one of your heroes. No, I was not born in Hanover; I meant to say that Caroline was. Just visiting on an exchange program. And Case: thanks for the clappies!

[Ann]

Me too, Case, thanks for the clappies! Can I use them too? How? (I'm a technological idiot, sorry. Can I just click on the clappies in your post?)

Ann

[Case]

Can I use them too? How?

I think you can add these to any post by inserting an image with the URL of the above images:

Code: Select all

[img]http://asterisk.apod.com/download/file.php?id=4383[/img]

The board will replace this code with the image after submitting your post.

[Ann]

Where is the clap, clap smilie?

Well, it appears that I can make the clappies appear by quoting your post, at least. Or else I can memorize the download/file.php?id=4382 and the download/file.php?id=4383 after the asterisk.apod.com/ address. I'm a scatterbrain, so I make no promises.

But thanks!

Ann

[neufer]

Where is the clap, clap smilie?

Well, it appears that I can make the clappies appear by quoting your post, at least. Or else I can memorize the download/file.php?id=4382 and the download/file.php?id=4383 after the asterisk.apod.com/ address. I'm a scatterbrain, so I make no promises.

But thanks!

Bystander has also given us the

[Ann]

Thanks, bystander!

Ann

[bystander]

I can't take credit for it, it's geckzilla's fault.

[neufer]

I can't take credit for it, it's geckzilla's fault.

I stand corrected: Geckzilla has given us the