Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 17 March 2019
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 11/3/19.
OK, it’s a manipulated image, magnetic field lines superimposed on visible light (grey) and hydrogen gas (red) pictures of the Cigar Galaxy, more systematically known as M82, but this is an amazing sight.
Posted in Curiosities at 12:00 on 3 March 2019
Weather phenomena can be very strange indeed.
I found this photograph on Astronomy Picture of the Day for 25/2/19 – which sprinkles the odd meteorological image amongst its astronomical ones.
The photograph shows red sprites – a form of lightning that was only recognised as such 30 years ago.
More information about atmospheric sprites can be found here.
Also on that page is an illustration of different atmospheric electrical phenomena which I reproduce below. These appear to take place at different heights abobe the ground. (Image credited to Abestrobi.)
By Abestrobi – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Posted in Astronomy, Chemistry at 12:00 on 25 February 2019
This is from Astronomy Picture of the Day for 20/2/19.
Eta Carinae is set to explode in a supernova – sometime.
The unusual nebula that surrounds it puts me in mind of a one of the sets of atomic orbitals wherein electrons occur round the nucleus of an atom. Specifically a p orbital.
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 16 February 2019
According to Astronomy Picture of the Day for 11/2/19 the asteroid Ultima Thule is not two spheres stuck together as it appeared from the angle at which the New Horizons spacecraft approached it but judging from the way stars reappeared from behind it more like a pancake stuck to a walnut, as represented in the graphic below.
Posted in Astronomy at 20:00 on 1 February 2019
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 28/1/19.
A pretty astonishing structure emanating from said galaxy. A long tail of gas.
The gas has been stripped from the galaxy due to its passage through the hot gas in a cluster of galaxies.
Posted in Astronomy at 20:00 on 6 January 2019
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 1/1/2019. The Sombrero Galaxy (also known as M104) in infra-red:-
That central portion is much less transparent in visible light – photo from Wikipedia:-
Posted in Astronomy at 20:00 on 5 January 2019
The image of galaxy NGC 1365 on Astronomy Picture of the Day for 28/12/18 is under copyright by Martin Pugh so I shan’t reproduce it here.
But I urge you to pop over via the link on the date.
Why does this remind me of a spider?
Posted in Astronomy at 20:00 on 4 January 2019
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 3/1/2019.
Ultime Thule from 28,000 kilometres away. This object is 6.5 billion* kilometres from the Sun. Astounding that we can get to see this.
As the pictures continue to stream in they’ll be even better I’m sure.
*(I assume that’s 65,000,000,000 not 65,000,000,000,000.)
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 24 December 2018
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 23/12/18. A video reconstruction of the famous Earthrise, photographed by Apollo 8’s astronauts, fifty years ago today.
Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 13 December 2018
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 11/12/18.
A beautiful Hubble Telescope photo of the Tadpole Galaxy:-
They could have nicknamed this something else but I suppose discretion prevailed.
