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The Bar => The Lounge => Topic started by: Miss Mia on April 08, 2009, 09:01:13 PM

Title: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Miss Mia on April 08, 2009, 09:01:13 PM
'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513038,00.html)

(http://www.foxnews.com/images/525481/0_61_thorn_320.jpg)

 An unusual large galaxy with a shape bordering between spiral and elliptical has been spotted by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

NGC 7049 sits in the southern constellation Indus, and is the brightest of a cluster of galaxies, a so-called Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG). Typical BCGs are some of the oldest and most massive galaxies, which provide excellent opportunities for astronomers to study the elusive globular clusters lurking within.

The halo, a ghostly region of diffuse light surrounding the galaxy, is composed of myriads of individual stars and provides a luminous background to the swirling ring of dust lanes surrounding NGC 7049's core.

Small faint points of light sprinkled throughout the galaxy represent globular clusters, which are gravitational groupings of several hundreds of thousands of stars. They contain some of the first stars to be produced in a galaxy.

NGC 7049 has far fewer such clusters than other similar giant galaxies in very big, rich groups. This indicates to astronomers how the surrounding environment influenced the formation of galaxy halos in the early universe.

-snip-

Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Chris on April 08, 2009, 09:02:30 PM
Neat.

Here's NASA big-assed picture: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0904/ngc7049_hst_big.jpg
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: thundley4 on April 08, 2009, 09:16:26 PM
How about the "hand of God"?
(http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/326856main_image_1323_946-710.jpg)
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Miss Mia on April 08, 2009, 09:19:22 PM
(http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL728/2745263/9507627/360824245.jpg)
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Lord Undies on April 08, 2009, 09:22:32 PM
The article doesn't mention how many thousands of years ago the reflected light left the imaged surface for it to reach the Hubble in this era.  It may look completely different or not exist at all anymore in real time.
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: thundley4 on April 08, 2009, 09:30:21 PM
The article doesn't mention how many thousands of years ago the reflected light left the imaged surface for it to reach the Hubble in this era.  It may look completely different or not exist at all anymore in real time.

It's doubtful that any of those deep space objects would look the same close up.  Then again, there was no one around the thousands of years ago to witness them.  Just maybe someone planned for them to be seen at this place and time.
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Lord Undies on April 08, 2009, 09:31:52 PM
It's doubtful that any of those deep space objects would look the same close up.  Then again, there was no one around the thousands of years ago to witness them.  Just maybe someone planned for them to be seen at this place and time.

That's my thinking, but yet my mind wanders.
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: jinxmchue on April 08, 2009, 10:53:45 PM
'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513038,00.html)

Tsk-tsk-tsk.  Where are the Separation of Church and Staters to cry wolf?
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Flame on April 09, 2009, 07:44:15 AM
Loves those pictures.  Very awe-inspiring.
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: DixieBelle on April 09, 2009, 08:38:00 AM
That's my thinking, but yet my mind wanders.
is it big enough to be out on it's own? :-)
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Lord Undies on April 09, 2009, 08:51:45 AM
is it big enough to be out on it's own? :-)

With a "Will Think For Food" sign and a sack lunch - good to go!  (Food for thought)
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Servonaut on April 09, 2009, 11:02:20 AM
The Hourglass Nebula AKA The Eye of God

(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/Servonaut/hst_hourglass_nebula.jpg)
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Chris_ on April 09, 2009, 11:31:18 AM
This one was in the news recently:

(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b293/aggie8387/nebula_helix.jpg)

"All the better to see you with, my pretty"   :-)
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Ptarmigan on April 09, 2009, 06:07:36 PM
Cool images as always. The light we are seeing is from thousands of years ago.
Title: Re: 'Crown of Thorns' Galaxy Photographed in Space
Post by: Mike220 on April 09, 2009, 08:30:41 PM
(http://www.richcompany.com/IMAGES/ihubble/eskimo-nebula-NGC2392.jpg)

Eskimo nebula.