Posted in Astronomy at 15:00 on 14 May 2023
Taken from Astronomy Picture of the Day for 11/5/23 this is spectacular view in infra-red light of the rings around Fomalhaut, which extend over twice as far as the Kuiper Belt is from our sun. A large dust cloud in the outermost ring is shown in highlight. The gaps in the rings may be evidence for planets.
Posted in Astronomy at 20:00 on 11 May 2023
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 8/5/23.
A magnificent view of spiral galaxy NGC 1566.
The image has been constructed from the Hubble Legacy Archive by Detlev Odenthal.
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 25 March 2023
From YouTube via Astronomy Picture of the Day for 20/3/23.
A time-lapse video of the Crab Nebula’s expansion over 14 years from 2008 – 2022 as captured by Detlef Hartmann. It also shows dynamic interactions at the nebula’s centre.
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 28 January 2023
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 23/1/23 a picture of two spiral galaxies in the process of collision.
The whole system is known as ARP 274 and contains three galaxies as there is a smaller one to the left in the image.
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 14 December 2022
This, from Astronomy Picture of the Day for 11/12/22 shows Jupiter’s magnificaently volcanically active moon Io as it would appear to human eyes.
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 21 November 2022
This, from Astronomy Picture of the Day for 18/11/22, is amazing.
It’s an image in infra-red light of the nebula surrounding a star in the process of forming. This is L1527, a dark nebula in the Taurus star forming region.
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 14 November 2022
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 8/11/22, another amazing image.
This is a triplet of galaxies collectively known as ARP 248. Two of them are interacting gravitationally with each other as evidenced by the bridge of stars connecting them – a bridge almost 200,000 light years long. The other largish galaxy (towards the centre) is only in line of sight and is actually much further away; as are the other galaxies in the frame.
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 22 October 2022
What a strange apparition from the Webb Telescope via Astronomy Picture of the Day for 13/10/22.
The apparent rings are thought to be dust shells but their formation process is unknown.
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 20 October 2022
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 27/9/22:-
This video shows the lead up to the DART spacecraft’s impact on the asteroid Dimorphos.
This still picture of the impact’s aftermath is from From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 29/9/22.
Posted in Astronomy at 20:30 on 26 September 2022
A brilliant image from the James Webb Space Telescope as seen in Astronomy Picture of the Day for 23/9/22.
The image is different from the usual pictures of Neptune as the James Webb Space Telescope is “seeing” in infra-red light, hence the relative brightness of the rings, its planet Triton to the top left and of the storm clouds in its atmosphere.
