Light Echos from V838 Monocerotis
Drudge had a thumbnail up, but his link did not have the picture or even a link to the picture. Then, every link I followed, had either no picture or misinformation. (or both) Since I recognized the picture, I figured I'd put an explainer up for anyone left curious after seeing it on Drudge. In addition to being eye candy, it is a cool phenomenon...
The picture is capturing light echoing just like sound does here on earth. The news here is that it is still being seen 3 years after it was first documented. You don't get the full effect from the single picture because you can't see an echo in only one picture. The original series was shot over a few months in 2002 and released in March 2003. But one picture does not an echo make... if you want the full effect, here is an animation. The full story on today's release is here.
If you wander thru that site, (or maybe jpl's) you can find highres pictures of all 4 images. Large enough to make good 8x10's for you science junkies. (I'll dig up the link, or I'll email the set to anyone interested.)
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Comments (12)
Animation doesn't animate f... (Below threshold)1. Posted by JM Hanes | February 4, 2005 12:31 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Animation doesn't animate for me [sad sniff, sniff] I'm using IE - but maybe it knows I'm on a mac?
1. Posted by JM Hanes | February 4, 2005 12:31 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 00:31
2. Posted by OneDrummer | February 4, 2005 12:36 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Dude... so if that's the new Santana album cover, where's the drawing of the naked woman???!?
2. Posted by OneDrummer | February 4, 2005 12:36 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 00:36
3. Posted by arn anderson | February 4, 2005 1:25 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
check out the angryman clearinghouse for a big bang
http://angrymanclearinghouse.blogspot.com/
3. Posted by arn anderson | February 4, 2005 1:25 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 01:25
4. Posted by Rightwingsparkle | February 4, 2005 1:27 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It's quite beautiful, isn't it?
4. Posted by Rightwingsparkle | February 4, 2005 1:27 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 01:27
5. Posted by mikem | February 4, 2005 6:50 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Wow. Thanks for the animation. The cool thing is that the effect is not of the explosion itself, although that is what has happened. The views are of an existent, if still expanding, sphere of debris being illuminated from the inside out in successive layers as light, the "light echo", races out from the center. In other words we are watching an effect that is moving at the speed of light.
Beautiful and wondrous.
5. Posted by mikem | February 4, 2005 6:50 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 06:50
6. Posted by Rodney Dill | February 4, 2005 8:15 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
You can find many good pictures and links at the Astronomy Picture of the Day site.
APOD
6. Posted by Rodney Dill | February 4, 2005 8:15 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 08:15
7. Posted by player of blues | February 4, 2005 9:06 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Rodney beat me to it. A cool site where I get images for my rotating desktop image. I try to go every day.
7. Posted by player of blues | February 4, 2005 9:06 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 09:06
8. Posted by Bullwinkle | February 4, 2005 9:20 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Heh, look closely and tell me that's not my picture.
8. Posted by Bullwinkle | February 4, 2005 9:20 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 09:20
9. Posted by seePea | February 4, 2005 10:33 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I'd much prefer if they would stop with the phony colors. The photo is touched up by an artist to enhance and replace the real colors with colors that make it look nice.
9. Posted by seePea | February 4, 2005 10:33 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 10:33
10. Posted by McGehee | February 4, 2005 2:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Any astronomy pic (except of planets within our own solar system) that has actual color is enhanced. You look at any of these objects through a telescope, no matter how strong it is, you're never going to see that much color.
The enhancement is ususally intended merely to enhance the colors that are already present but too washed out by distance to be seen otherwise.
10. Posted by McGehee | February 4, 2005 2:05 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 14:05
11. Posted by mainstreet8 | February 4, 2005 8:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Nancy Pellosi gives the Democratic Party's PLAN for fixing Social Security.
11. Posted by mainstreet8 | February 4, 2005 8:02 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 20:02
12. Posted by tee bee | February 4, 2005 9:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
so that's a picture of the Democratic Party's plan for fixing Social Security? 'cause it looked like an awesome astronomy pic. but it explains a few things.
12. Posted by tee bee | February 4, 2005 9:02 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2005 21:02