Astronomy Picture of the Day Archives

waves · 08-06-2014, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

Thank you Waves. I'm glad that I don't live on that stormy world. There's no oxygen,and the ground is questionable. BF

Steve,

If we had evolved on Saturn, we wouldn't be oxygen-breathing life forms. We'd be some sort of hydrogen-breathing ganglion of EM fields. And as such, we wouldn't need any ground, because we wouldn't need to walk around.

But just think. We'd be able to fly. In fact, we might even be able to convey ourselves through space, in which case, we could try to invade Earth. Problem is, we wouldn't do too well on Earth. All that oxygen... we'd blow up!

waves

Mari · 08-08-2014, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waves

Archive link: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140806.html

Steve and Waves,

I saw that shot on the news. I forget in what context.
Anyway, it is beautiful.

M

Brokenfriend · 08-15-2014, 02:10 AM

Oh wow. Look at this pretty sight.

2014 August 13: Rings Around the Ring Nebula

If you click on it twice,you can zoom in,and look at more color. BF

waves · 08-15-2014, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

Oh wow. Look at this pretty sight.

2014 August 13: Rings Around the Ring Nebula

If you click on it twice,you can zoom in,and look at more color. BF

Archive link: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140813.html

... and I've made this image clickable/zoomable also. Click twice to zoom:

Quote:

Explanation: It is a familiar sight to sky enthusiasts with even a small telescope. There is much more to the Ring Nebula (M57), however, than can be seen through a small telescope. The easily visible central ring is about one light-year across, but this remarkably deep exposure - a collaborative effort combining data from three different large telescopes - explores the looping filaments of glowing gas extending much farther from the nebula's central star. This remarkable composite image includes narrowband hydrogen image, visible light emission, and infrared light emission. Of course, in this well-studied example of a planetary nebula, the glowing material does not come from planets. Instead, the gaseous shroud represents outer layers expelled from a dying, sun-like star. The Ring Nebula is about 2,000 light-years away toward the musical constellation Lyra.

Brokenfriend · 08-15-2014, 03:21 AM

Thank you Waves. I hope that you have a nice day. BF

waves · 08-15-2014, 11:00 AM

Wow, Steve, I just realized. Doesn't this look like that thing that Starbuck used to draw, on the Battlestar Galactica series??

You have a good day, also. I mostly slept... a lot. I needed it.

waves

Brokenfriend · 08-24-2014, 07:08 PM

Wow. Look at Mercury. It's a dot compared to our sun.

2014 August 24: Mercurys Transit: An Unusual Spot on the sun.

BF

waves · 08-25-2014, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

Wow. Look at Mercury. It's a dot compared to our sun.

2014 August 24: Mercurys Transit: An Unusual Spot on the sun.

BF

archive link: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140824.html

Quote:

Explanation:What's that dot on the Sun? If you look closely, it is almost perfectly round. The dot is the result of an unusual type of solar eclipse that occurred in 2006. Usually it is the Earth's Moon that eclipses the Sun. This time, the planet Mercury took a turn. Like the approach to New Moon before a solar eclipse, the phase of Mercury became a continually thinner crescent as the planet progressed toward an alignment with the Sun. Eventually the phase of Mercury dropped to zero and the dark spot of Mercury crossed our parent star. The situation could technically be labeled a Mercurian annular eclipse with an extraordinarily large ring of fire. From above the cratered planes of the night side of Mercury, the Earth appeared in its fullest phase. Hours later, as Mercury continued in its orbit, a slight crescent phase appeared again. The next Mercurian solar eclipse will occur in 2016.

Brokenfriend · 08-25-2014, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waves

Wow, Steve, I just realized. Doesn't this look like that thing that Starbuck used to draw, on the Battlestar Galactica series??

You have a good day, also. I mostly slept... a lot. I needed it.

waves

Hey Waves. I've seen allot of the Battlestar Galactica series,but I don't remember her drawing anything. I don't know why. I should remember her drawings. I just can't recall. BF

Brokenfriend · 08-25-2014, 01:18 AM

Thank you Waves. I've seen some Star charts showing how large some of the stars are out there. Our sun is about the size of Mercury compared to some of those super giant stars. It's fascinating. Spock says that allot doesn't he.

Thank you for posting this. BF

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