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10' by 10', X-ray image of M
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10' by 10', X-ray image of M82 |
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When Diamonds Aren't Forever
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When Diamonds Aren't Forever |
| Explanation |
The track of totality for the first solar eclipse of 2006 [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2006/ TSE2006.html ] began early yesterday on the east coast of Brazil and ended half a world away at sunset in western Mongolia [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020209.html ]. In between, the shadow [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040926.html ] of the Moon crossed the Atlantic Ocean, northern Africa, and central Asia, and so came for a moment to the small Greek island of Kastelorizo [ http://www.hri.org/infoxenios/english/dodecanese/kastelorizo/ history.html ] in the eastern Aegean. Astronomer Anthony Ayiomamitis reports that the islanders and many eclipse-watching [ http://www.spaceweather.com/eclipses/ gallery_29mar06.htm ] visitors were indeed treated to an inspiring display of the beautiful solar corona [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010408.html ] as totality lasted about three minutes. As the total phase [ http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/SEprimer.html ] of the eclipse ended, he was able to capture this striking "diamond ring" image [ http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Eclipses-2006-03-29b.htm ]. In it, the first rays of sunlight shining through edge-on lunar valleys create the fleeting appearance of glistening diamonds set in a bright ring around the Moon's silhouette [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050506.html ]. |
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M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
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M27: The Dumbbell Nebula |
| Explanation |
The first hint of what will become of our Sun [ http://www.nineplanets.org/sol.html ] was discovered inadvertently in 1764 [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1764 ]. At that time, Charles Messier [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/biograph.html ] was compiling a list of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets. The 27th object on Messier's list [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960626.html ], now known as M27 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m027.html ] or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/planetary_nebulae.html ], the type of nebula our Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/sun.html ] will produce when nuclear fusion [ http://fusedweb.pppl.gov/ ] stops in its core. M27 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020302.html ] is one of the brightest planetary nebulae [ http://www.seds.org/messier/planetar.html ] on the sky, and can be seen in the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations.html ] Vulpecula [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=88 ] with binoculars. It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27, shown above [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m27.html ], digitally sharpened, in three standard colors. Understanding the physics and significance of M27 [ http://astro.nineplanets.org/twn/n6853x.html ] was well beyond 18th century science. Even today, many things remain mysterious about bipolar planetary nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040201.html ] like M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an X-ray [ http://www.treasure-troves.com/physics/X-Ray.html ] hot white dwarf [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/dwarfs.html ]. |
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Thirteen Seconds After Impac
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Thirteen Seconds After Impact |
| Explanation |
Fireworks came early on July 4th [ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul04.html ] when, at 1:52am EDT, the Deep Impact [ http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] spacecraft's probe smashed into the surface of Comet Tempel 1's nucleus at ten kilometers per "second". The well-targeted impactor probe was vaporized as it blasted out an expanding cloud of material, seen here 13 seconds [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02123 ] after the collision. The image is part of a stunning series [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02125 ] of frames documenting the event from the high resolution camera onboard the flyby spacecraft [ http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/tech/flyby.html ]. Tempel 1's potato-shaped nucleus is approximately 5 kilometers across as seen from this perspective. Cameras onboard the impactor probe [ http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/tech/impactor.html ] were also able to image the nucleus and impact site up-close ... until about 3 seconds before the impact. Of course, telescopes nearer to planet Earth followed the event [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/17/ ], detecting a significant brightening of comet Tempel 1 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050512.html ]. |
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