Explanation: Bright-rimmed, flowing shapes gather near the center of this rich starfield toward the boarders of the nautical southern constellations Pupis and Vela. Composed of interstellar gas and dust, the grouping of light-year sized cometary globules is about 1300 light-years distant. Energetic ultraviolet light from nearby hot stars has molded the globules and ionized their bright rims. The globules also stream away from the Vela supernova remnant which may have influenced their swept-back shapes. Within them, cores of cold gas and dust are likely collapsing to form low mass stars, whose formation will ultimately cause the globules to disperse. In fact, cometary globule CG30 (upper right in the group) sports a small reddish glow near its head, a telltale sign of energetic jets from a star in the early stages of formation.
This is a fascinating and beautiful image. The objects look downright mysterious, as if they were a gathering of spirits wandering the vastness of the universe. In reality, of course, they are just a fragmented cloud of gas and dust being sculpted by the ultraviolet radiation and stellar wind of one or more hot stars.
As for the colors (since I am the self-appointed color commentator), they look a little different from those seen in most portraits of cometary globules today. But as far as I can understand, Robert Gendler has used old blue and red photographic plates of this region and then combined the plates into this image. This process is different from how most images are made today, which explains why they look different. But in any case, the red parts of the globules certainly glow red from Ha emission, the most common red color in the universe. The globules give off this red light as hydrogen in them is being ionized by the hot stars that sculpted these globules in the first place.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poop_deck wrote:
<<In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship. The name originates from the French word for stern, la poupe, from Latin puppis. Thus the poop deck is technically a stern deck, which in sailing ships was usually elevated as the roof of the stern or "after" cabin, also known as the "poop cabin". In sailing ships, with the helmsman at the stern, an elevated position was ideal for both navigation and observation of the crew and sails.>>
Ann wrote:This is a fascinating and beautiful image. The objects look downright mysterious, as if they were a gathering of spirits wandering the vastness of the universe. In reality, of course, they are just a fragmented cloud of gas and dust being sculpted by the ultraviolet radiation and stellar wind of one or more hot stars.
....
Ann
And a beautiful description of a wonderful image of our strange and amazing universe!
LocalColor wrote:And a beautiful description of a wonderful image of our strange and amazing universe!
Amazing? Absolutely! Strange? I'd say not. The Universe is quite ordinary. What else could it be? Only the imaginary worlds we create in our mythology and literature qualify as "strange".
Chris
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Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory http://www.cloudbait.com
LocalColor wrote:
And a beautiful description of a wonderful image of our strange and amazing universe!
Amazing? Absolutely! Strange? I'd say not. The Universe is quite ordinary. What else could it be? Only the imaginary worlds we create in our mythology and literature qualify as "strange".
There you go again, Chris. Just being contrary.
Everything natural that is taking place on a different scale from our normal everyday experiences
(including all the microscopic creatures that inhabit our bodies) is by definition STRANGE.
neufer wrote:Everything natural that is taking place on a different scale from our normal everyday experiences
(including all the microscopic creatures that inhabit our bodies) is by definition STRANGE.
Not to me. Not by my definition.
Chris
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Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory http://www.cloudbait.com
neufer wrote:Everything natural that is taking place on a different scale from our normal everyday experiences
(including all the microscopic creatures that inhabit our bodies) is by definition STRANGE.
I think it is kind of amazing to think that WE - or the specific life forms on Earth - are so unique. At least I'm convinced that all the multicellular life forms that have ever existed on the Earth are unique to this planet. So take a look around, and consider the fact that it took the entire universe to make you, your kids, your cat, your dog, and your aspidistra.
If that isn't strange, then at least it really is amazing.
Ann wrote:
I think it is kind of amazing to think that WE - or the specific life forms on Earth - are so unique. At least I'm convinced that all the multicellular life forms that have ever existed on the Earth are unique to this planet. So take a look around, and consider the fact that it took the entire universe to make you, your kids, your cat, your dog, and your aspidistra.
If that isn't strange, then at least it really is amazing.
Ann wrote:I think it is kind of amazing to think that WE - or the specific life forms on Earth - are so unique. At least I'm convinced that all the multicellular life forms that have ever existed on the Earth are unique to this planet. So take a look around, and consider the fact that it took the entire universe to make you, your kids, your cat, your dog, and your aspidistra.
If that isn't strange, then at least it really is amazing.
To me it seems inevitable, not amazing. And outside of atoms, individual molecules, and elementary particles, everything in the Universe is unique!
Chris
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Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory http://www.cloudbait.com
Ann wrote:I think it is kind of amazing to think that WE - or the specific life forms on Earth - are so unique. At least I'm convinced that all the multicellular life forms that have ever existed on the Earth are unique to this planet. So take a look around, and consider the fact that it took the entire universe to make you, your kids, your cat, your dog, and your aspidistra.
If that isn't strange, then at least it really is amazing.
To me it seems inevitable, not amazing. And outside of atoms, individual molecules, and elementary particles, everything in the Universe is unique!
What's amazing is the fact that we are confined to a habitable zone of approximately 5 1/2 km in altitude, outside of which we would quickly perish. Beyond that little zone, the next livable place is how many trillion km away? I would consider our little planet to be amazing and unique indeed.
stephen63 wrote:
What's amazing is the fact that we are confined to a habitable zone of approximately 5 1/2 km in altitude, outside of which we would quickly perish. Beyond that little zone, the next livable place is how many trillion km away? I would consider our little planet to be amazing and unique indeed.
Without clothes or spacesuits it is even more restricting.
neufer wrote:Everything natural that is taking place on a different scale from our normal everyday experiences
(including all the microscopic creatures that inhabit our bodies) is by definition STRANGE.
Not to me. Not by my definition.
Ah, but that's just strange.
Astronomy through a microscope?
Just call me "geck" because "zilla" is like a last name.
For some reason, i wasn't quite latching onto the meaning of the sizes. Then i got to the Voyagers ... oh yeah. Also interesting what he said about algorithms. Who's Jeeves
I've saved this for reference. Next time I travel to the centre of the Earth to observe celestial objects, it may come in handy.
If the Earth were see-through, then from my house, I could look down at my feet, and a bit off to one side I would see Florida (the visible bits at least). It would appear roughly three inches long on my floor, and I could cover it with my foot.
Cometary Globules
