My Celestia

COMING SOON: The Plutoid Zone

2010-02-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

The International Astronomical Union in 2008 designated that orbital zone of our solar system beyond Neptune, that includes the dwarf planets Pluto and Eris, as the Plutoid Zone. The New Horizons spacecraft and its mission is on its way to explore this region and our once ninth planet Pluto. I will describe this mission and provide some editorial commentary on my views of the benefits and new knowledge that will come from it.

I will be back soon. Please stay tuned!

NOTE: While you wait: Plan on visiting AstonomyFM and catch their special on Pluto and the Kuiper Belt on "From Light To Darkness" Here

2010-01-09T04:04:00.000-08:00

UPDATE AND CHANGE INFORMATION

Happy New Year!

To all my faithful followers: My apologies for being away for so long. I am in the process of upgrading and changing one of my servers. This will mean that the link to inline (online) music and pictures will appear broken. This will be corrected by mid-February. My apologies for this inconvenience. Please be patient and stick with My Celestia.

In the meantime if you have not read it or heard about it, please consider reading my review of planetary scientist Sara Seager's wonderful book: "Is There Life Out There?" Best of all, please consider purchasing your own copy. It is a valuable addition to your personal libraries. Here is the link to the review, and it includes a link to Sara's web site. Enjoy.

Planetary Systems: An Evolutionary Process

2009-06-01T19:35:00.001-07:00

Searching for extra-solar objects is not a new effort, but improved technology and the location of over 300 exo-planets, to date, has accelerated this research. Is the building of these exoplanets a gradual evolutionary process? Does that process reach a stopping point as apparently our solar system has or is it ongoing? Will some of our new discoveries be of systems in an early stage of that evolutionary process? If these planet formations are accidental then can they be regarded as evolutionary? Click here for NASA plans presentation.

The forgoing are just a few examples of the questions that have been and are being asked by astronomers, astrophysicists and astrobiologists. Finally, as we are beginning to see, a more intensive study of our own solar system will be most helpful in understanding the entire process. In this regard, one of the key considerations of the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey of Planetary Science, is to better understand the "origins and evolution of habitable worlds"; starting with our own solar system.

Where's da money? Right now, NASA is undergoing intensive scrutiny both organizationally and financially as a result of both our national budget crunch and the arrival of a new NASA chief-in-waiting. For example, the Congress has, provisionally, cut over $300 million from NASA's exploration budget. This may be modified, but it still poses a threat to programs that investigate both our solar system and our galaxy. NASA is science, and when it becomes NASA Interupted the entire world loses. Both Congressional committees and the National Academies of Science are assessing NASA's goals. Hopefully, they will present to NASA's new boss a set of recommendations that will keep the agency moving forward and especially in the exploration and study of our solar system.

A duel evolutionary process. No I have not misspelled dual. What we are looking at, as mentioned above, is a dual process of proper funding and managment support and a carefully planned set of missions that have a dual impact. The dual impact of the missions is expected to: (a) expand and improve our knowledge of our solar system, including planet Earth, and (b) provide vital background data that will directly aid in the exo-solar research that is now underway. The dueling is and will continue to occur between funding sources and a variety of organizations, some within NASA, each having a set of mission goals that they would like to see become operational. The challenge is to accomplish the proper mix of money and mission to move our science and techonolgy steadily forward with a minimum of interruptions or detours.

Man vs Bot or Man and Bot. There is a great deal of serious inquiry and scientific investigation underway to better understand the physiological risks of extended manned exploration of outer space. This provokes some lively discussions from both scientists and accountants. The scientists take sides based on their assessment of the best way to conduct extended investigations of our solar system. The accountants, of course, see potential money saved by programs that are not "burdened" (their words) by the heavy costs of man-rated systems.

Well, it is hoped that wiser heads in both areas, science and finance, will see that we must have a Man and Bot plan. This is not what we have now. We need to develop a plan that optimizes both, with safety of both man and bot of high priority. We should look to send humans in only after extensive robotic exploration to thus reduce extended exposure of humans to harmful environments (the LRO mission is an example). That's right I do not see us colonizing any of our planetary neighbors for extended periods. The cost benefits ratios are too marginal. Increasing the sophistication and technology of robots dramatically changes that ratio in our favor. When humans go out to another planet we are not explorers, we are investigators. We go to specific areas and investigate and assess what is there. We use our Bot buddies to do the exploring as they are doing now on and around our solar system's planets.

The glorious fantasy of it all. I started this article with reference to our search for extra-solar bodies and the very thought of finding an Earth-like twin that may actually contain life. This stimulates our imaginations by a factor of 10 or better. This is not a bad thing because it helps make space science a public interest. We should not, however, let it warp how we go about our continuing investigation of the entire universe. In this regard, what we learn and use from our explorations and assessments of our Sun and its array of planets is going to fill us with new knowledge. This will improve our success in understanding all that is around and within us. Doing this constructively and sometimes very patiently is going to make us far smarter than we are now. Most importantly it is an essential evolutionary step to insure we are around to make all those discoveries out there. They are waiting for us to do it right. So, not only are we seriously investigating the evolution of our universe and all its wonders, we,hopefully, are experiencing an evolution in our scientific and socio-economic prowess. This will open whole new areas of knowledge and self-awareness that will be both humbling and stimulating. Well, I say, "Grab your Bot-buddy and let's get started."

Credits: The image on the left above is an artists representation of the Gliese planetary system. The source is the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for the astro-sciences.

Sailing The Celestial Sea: An Editorial

2009-05-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the science of modern astronomy and the telescope, but we are also celebrating our bold steps across the threshold of the space sciences. We have stopped crawling and are now taking our first real steps. A time to truly rejoice.

As spectacular as our accomplishments have been they are furtive when compared to where we shall be going. Like youngsters taking their first steps, we need to be mindful of that parental warning: "Don't rush it, but keep going."

What's Ahead? In the "mid-distant" future, manned space exploration will be limited to this solar system. Now, that is not a bad thing. Not only are we going to find important answers to how life develops and does not develop on planets, but we are also going to learn about the entire process of planet and solar system formation. Yes, man will land on Mars, and probably on one or more of the moons of Saturn and Jupiter. We will also explore the asteroid belt and actually develop mining operations on some of them. None of these activities are overnight events. We are talking trilllions of dollars and millions of hours for the design and development of efficient and safe space exploration systems. All of this is incredibly healthy for we Earthlings both financially and intellectually.

Going Deep Into Space: Well, what about deep space? Is the Kepler Mission a waste of time and money? The answer should be obvious, it certainly is not. Our exploration of deep space is going to not just blossom it is going to explode when we finally find life bearing exoplanetary systems. There will be that dreamed of and prized "first contact." It will be entirely and uniquely robotic, and will remain that way for a long, long time. Don't despair, the kind of contact I am talking about will represent almost unimaginable breakthroughs in robot design. It is time to use the science-fiction concept of cyborgs to understand this process.

A New Improved HAL: With apologies to that legion of science fiction writers, I predict we will completely discard those ideas of a "pasted" together man and machine cyborg. In reality we will develop totally safe and sane "Hal-like" robots that are directly, intimately linked to a specially selected and trained astronaut team. The team are astronauts because they are in space, but not deep space. They reside in a satellite complex located in, for example, the L1 or L2 orbital points around the Sun. These astronauts are the command, control and communication unit for the robot team in deep space. This is necessary to escape the communication and control barrier of the Earths atmosphere. It also allows the full usage of an expanded Deep Space Network (the key space communications network).

How that program will work is the topic for another My Celestia article. The image on the right is simply an example of a real robot team that was developed by Toyota as a demonstration. Are they playing music? Yes they are. Are they playing in a coordinated manner? Yes they are. So, in this respect it is a very limited example of the kind of robotics we will develop for our deep space visits. We can venture this. The robot team will operate on the most advanced neural network articificial intelligence that, like HAL, is very human and beyond in its capabilities and response to the ET environment they are visiting.

To listen to what the robot team in the image above are playing, you may click here.

The Bottom Line: There is always a bottom line and in this case to bring this multiple space exploration program into reality there needs to be some big, big changes. First the NASA team needs to become a full-fledged NASA-Industrial Complex. Don't let that frighten you. This coordinated activity is the only way we are going to really get out there properly, safely and soon. For this to happen, NASA needs to get its act together. Please, they have done marvelous, amazing and courageous things in their history, but now they have stepped into a much bigger role that needs an entirely new program and fiscal management paradigm.

The above is not going to be an easy process, and there are many out there who rather shoot NASA down than realize that NASA and its industrial/scientific partners are one of the key elements of both our growth and future stability. Space is the next (not the last) frontier and we are a nation that has built itself upon our exploring past frontiers. It has worked well, and this time we stand to move humankind far more forward and beneficially than has ever been done before. Most importantly, the new partnership is an international one that is far more comprehensive than the ones NASA has now. This extends that growth and stability factor around the world. In short, it spells FUTURE.

Now, who among us wants to deny the future? Come aboard and let's go sailing. The universe awaits us.

IMAGE CREDITS: Robots: Toyota Corporation and REUTERS May 4, 2008

Astrophoto: Waddell Robey/Slooh.com 2008.

SHOCK and AWE

2009-04-27T04:40:00.000-07:00

IT'S ASTRONOMICAL!

No this is not one of those end of the world horror speculations, the good Mayan astronomers aside. I am writing about the increasing new revelations and discoveries that are bursting forth from our expanded and innovative new cosmological research.

The image on the left of Chandra's view of Cassiopea A, the youngest supernova in the Milky Way, is a current example of this combination revelation and discovery. It is a discovery because we have just observed it. It is a revelation because it has been here for a long time.

Another example is a combined cosmological and chemical analysis of what we could consider a stellar life cycle. This study is courtesy of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. To view an image presentation of this concept, you may click here. The illustration's depiction of the showering of probiotic material onto a planet enters the realm of astrobiology.

Additionally, the deep space probe that captured a gamma ray burst (actually more like an explosion) over 13 billion light years distance is an example of our increasing ability to witness (albeit belatedly) a major cosmological event that directly impacted the universe. Of course in the next decade the exo-planet discoveries by the Kepler probe as well as those from the Corot Space telescope are going to intensify our investigations into what critieria certify an Earth twin. These efforts will also include efforts to determine the extent the Earth-twin has the ability to support or is actually supporting life.

The above are just minimal examples of the immense cosmological research that is underway. You may click here to see a current listing of research projects at the Harvard center. It is expected to steadily increase as more discoveries occur.

So, why do I label this as shock and awe? For the general public these revelations can be both amazing and unsettling as we are forced to reconsider our perceptions about our home, Earth, and the universe in which we reside. For the scientific community, there is ongoing shock and awe as old theories get either revised or tossed aside and new discoveries introduce views of the universe that open entirely new concepts and theories. This latter cognitive evolution is, in my opinion, accompanied by frequent awe.

All of this is good and should be considered as part of humankind's intellectual evolution. This is an essential stimulus for our ongoing progress. In other words, we are not done yet!

My Celestia (c) 2009 Waddell Robey - All individual copyrights apply.

CELESTIAL MATING

2009-04-19T01:45:00.001-07:00

The image on the left, courtesy of NASA/JPL and the Chandra spacecraft, displays a recent capture of what I am terming "celestial mating" rather than the usual terminology. By the way, the circles and letters are there to identify the individual galaxy clusters that are involved in this reproductive drama. To learn more, you may click here and here if you wish.

Hmm, celestial mating and reproductive drama am I anthropomorphizing space? Yes and no. I say yes with respect to explaining what is really happening when galaxies, of any number and size, come together. No, in the sense that they are far more powerful, more beautiful, and more vital to the universe than we mere humans.

Perhaps the most realistic term would be regeneration of the universe. In my humble opinion it is this dramatic, dynamic and often explosive merging or mating process that produces whole new populations of stars and eventually, for some, their gathering of orbiting dust, debris and planets. As we know, we are now pretty certain that many of those extra-solar bodies may be habitable planets that contain life. So mating, like Earth's own biological replenishment process, is what is happening in the universe - replenishment. I consider this encouraging and it strengthens my belief in both the dynamism and permanency of this energy system we call "universe."

Yes, there is, just like with us, birth, life, and death in the universe. The logic is stunning and also reassuring. Again, in my mind, it is an essential process that produces both endurance and stability in our lives and that of the universe. We humans are, of course, energy systems, and we essentially obey all the same rules as our celestial hosts. That's right we are components of celestial stability and balance. Miniscule yes, but we are still essential.

So, look up in awe, in humility, and with reassurance. We are needed. In that respect, we might want to consider doing a better job of preserving our host energy source - planet Earth and the solar system in which it resides.

My Celestia (c) 2009 Waddell Robey. All individual copyrights apply.

Anatomy of a Planet: An Editorial

2009-03-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

First, my apologies for being away from here for so long. I promise to be more attentive from now on. Next, I want to take this issue to express some of my own observations and opinions as we are now on our way to find Earth-like planets in our galaxy.

Much of my comments are more relevant to those follow-on explorations after Kepler has brought home a list of likely candidates. Kepler, by design is not intended to discern if there is life on a discovered exo-planet. Its primary mission is to find the ideal combination of star and planet that fits the Earth profile. I am confident Kepler will fulfill that goal several times over.

In my related blog, ExoDigest, I have included links to articles and reports that indicate that our scientists are still quite busy seeking answers to how life originated on this planet. The obvious corollary is that until we understand our own beginnings it will be hard to determine the presence, stage and status of life forms on any Earth-like exoplanet. This leads me to the question. How Earth-like does our candidate exo have to be?

Well, we know that its distance from its host star (the habitable zone) is important to insure that the planet has and sustains water, and it is not too hot or too cold. So water too, must be a basic ingredient as well as a variety of gaseous chemicals (oxygen, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and a variety of combinations of those chemicals). Certainly, the orbital period of our candidate around its parent star is important but equally important is the planet's rotation around its own axis. The cycle of light and dark are known factors the affect how things grow and thrive. It is also helpful for a "rocky" planet to have healthy gravity in order to keep a grip on all of its important life support components. The list is much longer and even includes new research that indicates that tectonic plates are contributors to the development of life. So, as astrobiologists state, this is not going to be an easy task.

Back to my question. I repeat, until we know completely how life got its start here, it will be difficult to determine if life on another planet has started, will start or started and stopped. In the latter case, our exploration of Mars is going to help us understand why life started and stopped, and why that planet also apparently lost much of its atmosphere and life supporting gases. Was it knocked so silly by an asteroid impact that it lost its life giving/supporting elements? We need to know this both for our appreciation and protection of our home, and in investigating candidate exoplanets.

I think there is going to be at least a century of awesome surprises that will tell us not only how we got started, but may indicate that starting up life has a variety of paths and that ours is not exclusive. Add to this the evolutionary process which as part of the development of life and is still part of our own mystery. For example, would we even be here, if the dinosaurs had survived? Planet age is also going to be a factor. How old was Earth before life got started, and is this a universal requisite or could life actually develop faster or even slower than it did here?

Well, it looks like it may be our great grand children or even our great, great grandchildren who finally get most of the answers. It will also be even longer before there is ever any direct association between life here and life on another planet. The distances are immense, even at the speed of light. At this realization, some may say, "why bother?" The answer is simple, in my mind, we bother because it is a genetic imperative. The next evolutionary step for us is to do exactly what we are doing. By reaching out to finally know we are not alone is going to dramatically impact who we become and how we deal with it. We will suddenly feel far less important while at the same time feel excited to be part of truly universal life. The universe, itself, will take on new meaning and become open to new avenues of research. Did it start with a bang, and will it end or...? Most importantly, we are now moving down the path that will open whole new revelations and opportunities to fully understand, appreciate and respect all life as well as the uniqueness of humankind within that environment.

I end here, and ask: "Quo Vadis ?"

A WISE View of the Universe

2009-01-20T05:04:00.000-08:00

The logo on the left is the official NASA/JPL logo for the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer a new space telescope scheduled for launch in November of this year. WISE's mission "will provide a vast storehouse of knowledge about the solar system, the Milky Way, and the Universe. Among the objects WISE will study are asteroids, the coolest and dimmest stars, and the most luminous galaxies." According to Dr. Amy Mainzer, the WISE project's Deputy Project Scientist, "The Wide-field Infrared Explorer (WISE) mission, an infrared telescope launching in about a year, will observe hundreds of near-Earth asteroids, offering unique insights into this question. The risk posed by hazardous asteroids is critically dependent on how many there are of different sizes. We know that there are more small asteroids than large ones, but how many more, and what are they made of?" To learn more about WISE and Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) research you may click here.

There are several other key mission goals of the WISE project. To get and overview of those planned activites you may click here. One of these, is to "Enable a wide variety of studies ranging from the evolution of planetary debris discs to the history of star formation in normal galaxies,", can be important science in support of our search for Earth-like exoplanets. The better understanding we have of the process of both star formation and planet development will provide important data and understanding about the evolutionary process of solar system formation.

Why Sometime "I" and Sometimes "We?"

2008-12-22T02:43:00.001-08:00

As you read my various blog post you will notice that sometimes I write in the first person and other times in the third person, we. I make this variation because in many instances what I have written is really a report on the work of many research scientists and it is their work that I am using and citing to help all of us understand our celestial environment. In those instances I will use "we." I hope this resolves some of the confusion as to who is generating this blog.

Meanwhile: Look Up, always, and to look farther and deeper, join us at Slooh.com as we "surf the universe."

Is It Snap, Crackle and Pop When Galaxies and Black Holes Merge ? Part II

2008-12-08T10:53:00.001-08:00

There is general agreement among astrophysicists, today, that most galaxies contain black holes at their center. It is, therefore, essentially a given that when galaxies merge, so do their resident black holes. Additionally, these same scientists are also hypothesizing that black holes are key controllers of the overall function and integrity of the galaxies they inhabit.

Note: In the image on the top left, "Scientists are watching two supermassive black holes spiral towards each other near the center of a galaxy cluster named Abell 400. Shown in this X-ray/radio composite image are the multi-million degree radio jets emanating from the black holes." Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/AIfA/D.Hudson & T.Reiprich et al.; Radio: NRAO/VLA/NRL

Let's stop here and take a moment to view this animation of merging black holes. This is a computer animation from NASA and as you watch keep in mind that, "According to Einstein's math, when two massive black holes merge, all of space jiggles like a bowl of Jell-O as gravitational waves race out from the collision at light speed.

When we watched the animation above, we sensed the intensity and drama of these merging black holes and looked for an even more descriptive and dramatic representation of this unification of celestial power. We found an excellent animation done by the Chandra project at Harvard University, and to dramatize it further we selected a snap from that animation and added a musical score to it. We call it the power dance. Please view the entire Chandra/Harvard animation by clicking here.

The increased research by astrophysicists into black holes, dark energy, and dark matter is yielding a new appreciation for Einstein's theories of relativity (special and general)and a strong theoretical move toward seeing a definite link between those theories and quantum physics. All of this is leading to renewed and new hypotheses on both the origin and the future of the universe. Although the "Big Bang" concept is still the most accepted other theories are challenging that there was ever an explosive beginning to the universe. The increased study of gravitational waves that are generated by most every action occurring in the universe promises to reveal many secrets and new understandings about our celestial environment.

LIGO and LISA gravitational wave research.

By the time gravitational waves reach Earth from distant galaxies or supermassive black holes they are quite small. For years, even though we knew they existed, we were unable to study them. Now, gravitational wave astronomy has become a new and very dynamic branch of astrophysics. Two key programs of this new astronomy are LIGO and LISA. LIGO is the acronym for Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory and LISA, a satellite system, is the acronym for Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. Both are new means for detecting and evaluating gravitational waves. This new branch of astronomy will finally allow astronomers to learn exactly what is inside a black hole and about dark energy and dark matter and what they are and what they are doing. Note: The artist's concept of the LISA satellite is courtesy of the European Space Agency.

Well, we have not really answered what happens when black holes merge except they get bigger, they accrete more stars and some galaxies and hide all that they consume, except their gravitational waves. So, review the links on LIGO and LISA that we have provided and look forward to specific blog posts on gravitational wave astronomy and the secrets this science will reveal not just about black holes, but about the very earliest stages of the universe. There are going to be a lot of big surprises including a successful theory that merges quantum theory with Einstein's theories. They are already calling it quantum relativity.

Is It Snap, Crackle, and Pop When Galaxies and Black Holes Merge? - Part One

2008-11-16T03:18:00.000-08:00

In the blog post, "It's Triplets", we began to consider the process of merging galaxies and included false color pictures and diagrams of these events. As promised, this posting will consider the possible effects of these mergers, and since most galaxies are host to black holes we will look at the possible impact of merging black holes. One might wonder if the universe is eating itself alive. Lets find out: read on.

Let's start by viewing NASA's movie of merging galaxies (simulation). Click MERGE to join in. Now keep in mind in the real world or universe these mergers would take millions even billions of years to come about, but the interaction is well illustrated by this NASA simulation. You can almost hear the crackle of energy and feel the power of the merger. In my mind this is not a dying universe, this is a ongoing, creative universe.

Actually, the coming together of galaxies is expressed by astro-scientists in three descriptive ways. They use the term interacting galaxies in which two, or as we have seen, three or more galaxies gravitationally interact. This is where their gravitational forces affect their respective structures. In about two to three billion years, our Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy will begin to interact. Somewhere after that time, these two galaxies will begin to merge or collilde with one another.

The term merging galaxies refers to the process, similar to that depicted in the NASA simulation above. This is where galaxies literally come together to create a new and larger galaxy. Finally, as these two galaxies or others merge, and when their central nuclei are very close to one another, they can produce what these scientists define as starburst galaxies. This is where dynamic bursts of new star formation take place. This phenomenon is expected to take place when our galaxy and Andromeda finally merge billions of years from now. This Hubble image of galaxy NGC1569 is an example of a starburst galaxy. Now this is a small galaxy and until Hubble looked it over it was not considered a star maker. You might also notice the similarities between this galaxy's structure and that of the Crab Nebula due to their common central "hot" cores, but from entirely different origins and with equally different futures. In our opinion, these new star birthing cycles do not spell a distintegrating universe but rather one that is expanding and growing - infinitely.

Take a moment and review the previous blog post "It's Triplets" and look at the images. You will see visual examples of both interacting and merging galaxies. It is also possible that in the second image a starburst galaxy is about to occur. What do you think? To learn more on this topic, visit this link here. Additionally if you would like to see a bigger view of this little galaxy with a musical tribute to its star making efforts click here. Lastly, if you wish, click here to view an image of this galaxy taken on 11/22/08 from Slooh.com. You too can wander the universe as a Slooh.com member. Come join us.

We pause here. The discussion on colliding or merging black holes will follow in Part Two of this topic. We invite your questions and comments, please respond.

It's Triplets !

2008-11-07T05:55:00.000-08:00

What the image above is displaying is a false color rendition of an actual astro-photograph of the NGC1725 triple galaxy (click on the image to zoom in) The members are: NGC7128 on the left, and NGC7121 on the right and NGC1725 in the center. Actually, what we see is a foursome not a threesome. Nestled close to NGC 1721 is the galaxy VV699, and it appears right at the edge of NGC 1721's halo.

Each galaxy is in a different morphological stage. NGC 1721 is in an intermediate (SBb) barred spiral state, and NGC 1725 is classed as being in a final lenticular stage (SO D). NGC 1728 is classed as a spiral galaxy in its mature stage (Sa D). If you want to delve further into galactic morphology this link, is a very recent (8/2008) and good graphical overview. References also indicate that VV 699 is essentially merged into the NGC 1725 galaxy triplet.

Well, are these galaxies merging, and if so what will be the outcome? The image on the right is another false color actual astro-photograph of merging triplet galaxies. You may click on the image to enlarge it. To see my astrophotograph of the first set of triplets, click here.

So what is the merging process? How does it really happen? This image is from a computer simulation of that process. Follow the process from left to right and top to bottom. The dashed lines indicate the flow pattern of the mergers. Let me tell you, this is just so exciting! Some naysayers say the universe is slowly dying. It will never die, it just keeps on changing, merging, and growing in different ways with enormous displays of power and energy. This process renews me, a mere human, each and every day.

I will stop here to catch my breath, ruminate a bit, and just wallow awhile in all this power and glory. When I come back we will talk more about the merging process and what happens when the inherent black holes CRASH together!! Stay tuned, please.

Fuzziness: Astronomers' Plight and Delight

2008-10-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

The Plight
When I point the robotic telescopes at Slooh.com out into deep, deep space, my hope is always for a sharp, detailed image of the star, or galaxy, or nebula that I am wanting to view. Well, unless I am lucky enough to have access to the Hubble Space Telescope, or to an adaptive optics system, I have little hope that what I eventually see is not a bit fuzzy around the edges. The image on the right is an example. You may click it to enlarge it.

That particular image is of the NGC7331 galaxy which is more commonly know as Caldwell 30. Don't worry about these names, we will explore a little about naming rules and conventions in a later blog posting. This galaxy is approximately 46,000,000 light years from planet Earth. Well good grief, some objects 50 yards from me begin to appear fuzzy, so why worry? Astronomers don't worry they just want to be able to know every little detail about every celestial object in the universe. This constitutes a demand which in turn boosts both the science and technology of astronomy. An example is the series of space telescopes (the Hubble was the first) that are being developed to give astronomers better insight into these celestial wonders. At the same, large, Earth-based telescope systems seek ways to also get sharper images. An important technology that is now in use involves the adaptive optics mentioned above.

The Delight
So how can fuzziness be an astronomer's delight? It is because it serves as the source of continual demands for better technology that allows astronomers to look farther and farther into deep space and observe more details in even the faintest of objects. An example of these technology breakthroughs is the work of an astronomer at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii, who learned about the research that DoD had done that related to adaptive optics. To learn more about astronomer Jerry Nelson's brilliant and innovative work, visit this narrative link. To learn even more about the entire adaptive optics technology, visit this link.

Of course, the ultimate delight comes from the improved viewing that these technological advances provide for the astrophysicists and astronomers, and for everyone of us. Many amateur astronomers take advantage of Meade telescopes' "Advanced Coma Free" systems as well as the Ritchey-Chretien designed (LX400 series)telescopes that apply a part of the advanced optics theory in their system designs. Lastly, for those who await the first light of Slooh.com's new 1/2 meter scope, it provides an even greater advance over the Ritchey-Chretien design. To learn more, visit this link.

A Heavenly Love Story

2008-10-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

Like the mighty warrior Perseus, I am totally infatuated with the lovely Andromeda our neighboring galaxy.

It is believed that this galaxy may have been observed by Persians as early as 905 AD. Charles Messier was the first to catalog it as "Messier 31" in 1764. He was, at the time, unaware of its earlier sightings. Neighborliness, in this case, is a distance of 2.9 million light years between Earth and Andromeda. Just think how far back in time the Persians were looking when they saw Andromeda in the 10th Century AD. Click on the light year link above to learn about both distance and time with respect to the light year measurements. To read more of the discovery history of our galactic neighbor go here.

Andromeda is a massive galaxy, in fact recent research by astrophysicists leads them to believe that the galaxy is five times larger than was originally thought. Andromeda's diameter is also five times that of our own Milky Way galaxy. The galaxy is most visible in the Northern sky at the end of Fall and the beginning of Winter. It is visible to the naked eye on a dark, clear night, but to see its glorious details you need a telescope. As always, you can enjoy that easily by joining up with a host of friendly amateur astronomers at Slooh.com.

There is both a great deal of history and science about each of the discoveries astronomers and astrophysicists have made from the Universe, but along with this there is an entrancing set of folklore or mythology attached to many of the stars, nebulae, galaxies and entire constellations in the universe. One of the most famous and endearing is the story of Perseus and Andromeda.

So the story, or mythology goes, Perseus, a brave warrior, was returning, astride Pegasus, after having just slain the dreadful gorgon, Medusa. To prove to powerful Zeus that he was successful, he carried Medusa's head with him. It was during this time that he learned of Andromeda's plight. Because of her mother's (Cassiopeia) impropriety, Andromeda was to be sacrificed to the horrible sea monster, Cetus and was thus chained to the rocks near Cetus's watery den. Perseus knew of Andromeda and her loveliness and asked her father, King Cepheus, if he rescued Andromeda, would Cepheus grant her hand in marriage to Perseus. The king agreed and Perseus set out to save his beloved Andromeda. When Cetus challenged Perseus at the rocks near Andromeda, Perseus removed the Medusa's head from its sack and turned it toward Cetus. Cetus was instantly turned to stone and Andromeda was safe.

Having freed and rescued lovely Andromeda, Perseus reaches out to her and bursts into song. Note: If you have speakers with your computer, you might want to turn them on.

The marriage of Perseus and Andromeda was a gala event attended by all the deities of the mythical heavens. Today, all the parties are in the heavens and very close to each other. When you look up to find Andromeda, very near and guarding her is the Perseus constellation and his in-laws, the constellations Cepheus and Cassiopeia are just around the block. Lastly, the bold and beautiful Pegasus, that magnificent beast Perseus rode on to rescue Andromeda is a nearby constellation as well.

Want to know more about constellations, just go here. Don't forget to visit Slooh.com as well.

"A Rose By Any Other Name..."

2008-10-26T05:04:00.000-07:00

Although it does not look all that much like a rose, the Trifid nebula (M20) certainly has rose-like features. Discovered by Charles Messier in 1764, it is located in the constellation of Saggitarius. Although there is some variances in the estimated distance to this nebula, the consensus seems to focus on 5,200 light years from Earth. It can be seen with the use of a good pair of binoculars, but when accessed through a more powerful telescope it will bloom into view like the image here. By-the-way 5200 light years distance equals 30,566,491,688,538,932 Miles. There is a handy conversion calculator you may use, just click here

Now for those of you who have not met him, Charles Messier is a most important contributor to the science of astronomy. Born in France in 1730, Messier took an early interest in astronomy and at 21 went to work with an astronomer in Paris. By 1753 Messier was beginning to make and document his own observations using the observatory where he worked. Although he is noted for discovering and recording the "M" series of nebula, galaxies and star clusters, Messier's chief interest was in discovering and reporting comets. To see a listing of all of Messier's discoveries, visit this link. To read a full biography of Charles Messier, visit this link.

Lastly, if you have a telescope or access to one here are the coordinates for Messier's Trifid nebula: RA: 18h02m22s DEC: -23:02:05. Please note these coordinates are based on observations from the Slooh.com telescopes in the Canary Islands. To visit Slooh.com and find out how you can have access to their powerful observatories go here.

Power and Glory

2008-10-25T04:02:00.000-07:00

I went visiting the Perseus Cluster the other night to wallow in all that celestial energy. This cluster of galaxies, located 250 million light-years beyond our own planet is one of the largest clusters of galaxies in the universe with over 1000 galaxies within it. At the center of the cluster is the galaxy NGC 1275 (also known as Perseus A). Using my Slooh.com telescope access I took this image and labeled some of the larger and closer galaxies within the cluster. Although you cannot see it NGC1275 has a super-massive black hole that directly affects the galaxy's energy levels and temperatures. Click on the image to enlarge it to see the labels.

Now there is an immense amount of energy within this system and I wanted to get a better idea of how that would look. So I used a software program, DS9, that allows me to use false color to display a more graphic presentation of the power and glory of this system. Here is that picture without the labels, but NGC 1275 is still in the center. You can again click on the image to enlarge it. The color bar at the bottom is based upon color temperature which partially reveals the scope and intensity of the energy in the galaxies in this astrophotograph. It also allows us to see a few more of the distant galaxies within the cluster.