Astronomy Picture of the Day Archives

ginnie · 02-21-2014, 12:16 PM

I don't know how anything can spin that fast either. I still can't wrap my head around the fact we are spinning at 17,000 MPH PLUS traveling how ever fast through space while we spin! Why don't we feel it at all? Where exactly are we in this universe? Where are we going? What's in the way of our direction, and how much is headed toward us? So many questions for all of us.
xxxginnie

ginnie · 02-21-2014, 08:24 PM

Science is one never ending learning project! Wish I had paid attention in my youth. Well, better late than never. Love the pictures posted. Just thinking about some of the concepts boggles the mind! When I was a kid, we thought the heavens were static, and never changed. Oops.... we sure know different today. Great to have this site to share information. ginnie

ginnie · 02-21-2014, 08:30 PM

We of course spin, and then our Galaxy spins around its center as well. I think the universe, and most of what's in it spins too. Yep you are right, it is all do to gravity. Size of the mass. Crazy place. ginnie

Brokenfriend · 02-22-2014, 01:32 AM

They seem to be area's of gravity that are swirling in a pattern. If gravity wasn't present,the universe would be out of control,and objects would be traveling
in all directions individually. It would be chaos. BF

Mari · 02-23-2014, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

This picture isn't very interesting,but it shows a pulsar.

Scientists recently discovered a pulsar in space that is spinning 716 times per second. It's identification number is PSRJ1748-2446ad.

How can anything spin that fast?

2014 February 21: The Long Jet of the Lighthouse Nebula

This is incredible. How can anything do that? Space is full of surprises.

BF

I love these pictures of space, Steve.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140221.html

Quote:

Explanation:
The Lighthouse nebula was formed by the wind of a pulsar, a rapidly rotating, magnetized neutron star, as it speeds through the interstellar medium at over 1,000 kilometers per second.
Some 23,000 light-years distant toward the southern constellation Carina, pulsar and wind nebula (cataloged as IGR J1104-6103) are indicated at the lower right in this remarkable image from the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Energetic particles generated by the pulsar are swept back into the wind's comet-like tail trailing up and to the left, along the direction of the pulsar's motion away from its parent supernova remnant.

Both runaway pulsar and expanding remnant debris field are the aftermath of the core-collapse-explosion of a massive star, with the pulsar kicked out by the supernova explosion.

Adding to the scene of exotic cosmic extremes is a long, spiraling jet extending for almost 37 light-years, but nearly at a right angle to the pulsar's motion.
The high-energy particle jet is the longest known for any object in our Milky Way galaxy

M

Brokenfriend · 03-02-2014, 12:22 AM

I'm glad that we are where we are in the solar system. We have a nice bright Sun creating beautiful sunsets,tolerable weather,and oxygen.

I looked at this picture where the Martian Rover was taking a picture of the Martian sunset. It looks cold there,and the sun is so small.

2014 March 02: Martian Sunset.

BF

Mari · 03-02-2014, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

I'm glad that we are where we are in the solar system. We have a nice bright Sun creating beautiful sunsets,tolerable weather,and oxygen.

I looked at this picture where the Martian Rover was taking a picture of the Martian sunset. It looks cold there,and the sun is so small.

2014 March 02: Martian Sunset.

BF

This is beautiful.
I hope that I did it right.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140302.html

Quote:

Explanation:
What would it be like to see a sunset on Mars? To help find out, the robotic rover Spirit was deployed in 2005 to park and watch the Sun dip serenely below the distant lip of Gusev crater.

Colors in the above image have been slightly exaggerated but would likely be apparent to a human explorer's eye.

Fine martian dust particles suspended in the thin atmosphere lend the sky a reddish color, but the dust also scatters blue light in the forward direction, creating a bluish sky glow near the setting.

M