by owlice » Mon Sep 19, 2011 6:13 am
_______________________________________________________________
Please vote for the TWO best Astronomy Pictures of the Day (image and text) of September 11-17, 2011.
(Repeated APODs are not included in the poll.)
All titles are clickable and link to the original APOD page.
We ask for your help in choosing an APOW as this helps Jerry and Robert create "
year in APOD images" review lectures, create APOM and
APOY polls that can be used to create a free PDF calendar at year's end, and provides feedback on which images and APODs were relatively well received. You can select two top images for the week.
We are very interested in why you selected the APODs you voted for, and enthusiastically welcome your telling us why by responding to this thread.
Thank you!
_______________________________________________________________
<- Previous week's poll
What does this Martian rock have so much zinc? Roughly the size and shape of a
tilted coffee-table, this oddly flat, light-topped rock outcropping was chanced upon a few weeks ago by the
robotic Opportunity rover currently rolling across Mars. Early last month Opportunity reached
Endeavour crater, the largest surface feature it has ever encountered, and is now exploring Endeavour's rim for clues about how
wet Mars was billions of years ago.
Pictured above and named
Tisdale 2, the unusual rock structure was probed by
Opportunity last week and is now thought to be a remnant thrown off during the impact that created nearby
Odyssey crater. The resulting chemical analysis of
Tisdale 2, however, has shown it to have a
strangely high amount of the element
zinc. The reason for this is currently unknown, but might turn out to be a clue to the history of the entire region. Opportunity is already finding rocks older than any previously studied and will
continue to explore several other
intriguing rock formations only now
glimpsed from a distance.
The
Great Nebula in Orion, also known as M42, is one of the most famous nebulas in the sky. The star forming region's glowing gas clouds and hot young stars are on the right in this sharp and colorful
image that includes the smaller
nebula M43 near center and dusty, bluish reflection nebulae
NGC 1977 and friends on the left. Located at the edge of an otherwise invisible
giant molecular
cloud complex, these eye-catching nebulae represent only a small fraction of this galactic neighborhood's wealth of
interstellar material. Within the well-studied stellar nursery, astronomers have also identified what appear to be numerous
infant solar systems. The gorgeous skyscape spans nearly two degrees or about 45
light-years at the
Orion Nebula's estimated distance of 1,500 light-years.
To the eye,
this cosmic composition nicely balances the Bubble Nebula at the lower right with open star cluster M52. The pair would be lopsided on other scales, though. Embedded in a complex of
interstellar dust and gas and blown by the winds from a single, massive
O-type star, the
Bubble Nebula, also known as NGC 7635, is a mere 10 light-years wide. On the other hand,
M52 is a rich open cluster of around a thousand stars. The cluster is about 25 light-years across. Seen toward the northern boundary
of Cassiopeia, distance estimates for the Bubble Nebula and associated cloud complex are around 11,000 light-years, while
star cluster M52 lies nearly 5,000 light-years away. The wide telescopic field of view spans about 1.5 degrees on the sky or three times the apparent size of the Full Moon.
Gorgeous spiral galaxy
NGC 3521 is a mere 35 million light-years away, toward the
constellation Leo. Relatively bright in planet Earth's sky, NGC 3521 is easily visible in small telescopes but often overlooked by amateur imagers in favor of other Leo spiral galaxies, like
M66 and M65. It's hard to overlook in
this colorful cosmic portrait, though. Spanning some 50,000 light-years the galaxy sports
characteristic patchy, irregular spiral arms laced with dust, pink star forming regions, and clusters of young, blue stars. Remarkably, this deep image also finds NGC 3521 embedded in gigantic bubble-like shells. The shells are likely tidal debris, streams of stars torn from satellite galaxies that have
undergone mergers with NGC 3521 in the distant past.
A Full Moon
rising can be a
dramatic celestial
sight, and Full Moons can have
many names. For example, Monday's Full Moon was the one nearest this year's autumnal
equinox for the northern hemisphere, traditionally called the Harvest Moon.
According to lore the name is a fitting one because farmers could work late into the night at the end of the growing season harvesting crops
by moonlight. This serene telephoto image captures this
September's harvest moonrise from Turin, Italy. In silhouette against an orange lunar disk is Turin's hilltop Basilica of Superga.
Few cosmic vistas excite the imagination like
the Orion Nebula, an immense stellar nursery some 1,500 light-years away.
This stunning false-color view spans about 40 light-years across the region, constructed using
infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope. Compared to its
visual wavelength appearance, the brightest portion of the nebula is likewise centered on Orion's young, massive, hot stars, known as the
Trapezium Cluster. But the infrared image also detects the nebula's many protostars, still in the process of formation, seen here in red hues. In fact, red spots along the dark dusty filament to the left of the bright cluster include the protostar cataloged as HOPS 68, recently
found to have crystals of the silicate mineral olivine within its
protostellar envelope.
<- Previous week's poll
[size=200][color=#FF0000]_______________________________________________________________[/color][/size]
Please vote for the TWO best Astronomy Pictures of the Day (image and text) of September 11-17, 2011.
(Repeated APODs are not included in the poll.)
All titles are clickable and link to the original APOD page.
We ask for your help in choosing an APOW as this helps Jerry and Robert create "[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAQXYYbBa1s]year in APOD images[/url]" review lectures, create APOM and [url=http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=22695&p=141942#p141942]APOY polls[/url] that can be used to create a free PDF calendar at year's end, and provides feedback on which images and APODs were relatively well received. You can select two top images for the week.
We are very interested in why you selected the APODs you voted for, and enthusiastically welcome your telling us why by responding to this thread.
Thank you!
[size=200][color=#FF0000]_______________________________________________________________[/color][/size]
[size=110][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=25217][color=#4040FF][b]<- Previous week's poll[/b][/color][/url][/size]
[c][url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110912.html][size=150][b]Tisdale 2 Rock Formation on Mars (2011 September 12)[/b][/size][/url][/c]
[float=left][img6="[size=85]Image Credit: Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Cornell, JPL, NASA[/size]"]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1109/tisdale2_opportunity_900.jpg[/img6][/float]What does this Martian rock have so much zinc? Roughly the size and shape of a [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PefS8tY_gnI]tilted[/url] coffee-table, this oddly flat, light-topped rock outcropping was chanced upon a few weeks ago by the [url=http://marsrover.nasa.gov/overview/]robotic Opportunity rover[/url] currently rolling across Mars. Early last month Opportunity reached [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110815.html]Endeavour crater[/url], the largest surface feature it has ever encountered, and is now exploring Endeavour's rim for clues about how [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_on_Mars]wet Mars[/url] was billions of years ago. [url=http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14748]Pictured above[/url] and named [url=http://www.universetoday.com/88571/nasa-robot-arrives-at-%E2%80%98new%E2%80%99-landing-site-holding-clues-to-ancient-water-flow-on-mars/]Tisdale 2[/url], the unusual rock structure was probed by [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap051214.html]Opportunity[/url] last week and is now thought to be a remnant thrown off during the impact that created nearby [url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/multimedia/gallery/pia11510.html]Odyssey crater[/url]. The resulting chemical analysis of [url=http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14749]Tisdale 2[/url], however, has shown it to have a [url=http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14747]strangely high[/url] amount of the element [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc]zinc[/url]. The reason for this is currently unknown, but might turn out to be a clue to the history of the entire region. Opportunity is already finding rocks older than any previously studied and will [url=http://marsrover.nasa.gov/mission/status_opportunityAll.html#sol2703]continue to explore[/url] several other [url=http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14539]intriguing rock formations[/url] only now [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZhmePA5r24]glimpsed[/url] from a distance.
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[c][url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110913.html][size=150][b]Great Orion Nebulae (2011 September 13)[/b][/size][/url][/c]
[float=left][img6="[size=85]Image Credit & Copyright: Jesús Vargas (Astrogades) & Maritxu Poyal (Maritxu)[/size]"]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1109/m42_vargas_900.jpg[/img6][/float]The [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula]Great Nebula in Orion[/url], also known as M42, is one of the most famous nebulas in the sky. The star forming region's glowing gas clouds and hot young stars are on the right in this sharp and colorful [url=http://www.astrogades.es/index.php?nodo=3titulo=galeria&level=picture&id=720]image[/url] that includes the smaller [url=http://seds.org/messier/m/m043.html]nebula M43[/url] near center and dusty, bluish reflection nebulae [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071220.html]NGC 1977 and friends[/url] on the left. Located at the edge of an otherwise invisible [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101023.html]giant[/url] molecular [url=http://www.seds.org/messier/more/oricloud.html]cloud complex[/url], these eye-catching nebulae represent only a small fraction of this galactic neighborhood's wealth of [url=http://www-ssg.sr.unh.edu/ism/what1.html]interstellar material[/url]. Within the well-studied stellar nursery, astronomers have also identified what appear to be numerous [url=http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2001/13]infant solar systems[/url]. The gorgeous skyscape spans nearly two degrees or about 45 [url=http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html]light-years[/url] at the [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FKZvBB30hg]Orion Nebula[/url]'s estimated distance of 1,500 light-years.
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[c][url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110914.html][size=150][b]The Bubble and M52 (2011 September 14)[/b][/size][/url][/c]
[float=left][img6="[size=85]Image Credit & Copyright: Lóránd Fényes[/size]"]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1109/bubbleM52_fenyes900.jpg[/img6][/float]To the eye, [url=http://www.pleiades.hu/galeria/kozmosz/kepek_normal/26.jpg]this cosmic composition[/url] nicely balances the Bubble Nebula at the lower right with open star cluster M52. The pair would be lopsided on other scales, though. Embedded in a complex of [url=http://www-ssg.sr.unh.edu/ism/what1.html]interstellar dust and gas[/url] and blown by the winds from a single, massive [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070726.html]O-type star[/url], the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090124.html]Bubble Nebula[/url], also known as NGC 7635, is a mere 10 light-years wide. On the other hand, [url=http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0608022]M52 is[/url] a rich open cluster of around a thousand stars. The cluster is about 25 light-years across. Seen toward the northern boundary [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_%28constellation%29]of Cassiopeia[/url], distance estimates for the Bubble Nebula and associated cloud complex are around 11,000 light-years, while [url=http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m052.html]star cluster M52[/url] lies nearly 5,000 light-years away. The wide telescopic field of view spans about 1.5 degrees on the sky or three times the apparent size of the Full Moon.
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[c][url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110915.html][size=150][b]NGC 3521: Galaxy in a Bubble (2011 September 15)[/b][/size][/url][/c]
[float=left][img6="[size=85]Image Credit & Copyright: R Jay Gabany (Blackbird Obs.), Collaboration: David Martinez-Delgado (MPIA, IAC), et al.[/size]"]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1109/ngc3521_gabany901.jpg[/img6][/float]Gorgeous spiral galaxy [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110113.html]NGC 3521 is[/url] a mere 35 million light-years away, toward the [url=http://www.universetoday.com/21173/leo/]constellation Leo[/url]. Relatively bright in planet Earth's sky, NGC 3521 is easily visible in small telescopes but often overlooked by amateur imagers in favor of other Leo spiral galaxies, like [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110803.html]M66 and M65[/url]. It's hard to overlook in [url=http://www.cosmotography.com/images/small_ngc3521.html]this colorful cosmic portrait[/url], though. Spanning some 50,000 light-years the galaxy sports [url=http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1982MNRAS.201.1021E]characteristic[/url] patchy, irregular spiral arms laced with dust, pink star forming regions, and clusters of young, blue stars. Remarkably, this deep image also finds NGC 3521 embedded in gigantic bubble-like shells. The shells are likely tidal debris, streams of stars torn from satellite galaxies that have [url=http://www.cosmotography.com/images/galaxy_formation_and_evolution.html]undergone mergers[/url] with NGC 3521 in the distant past.
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[c][url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110916.html][size=150][b]September's Harvest Moon (2011 September 16)[/b][/size][/url][/c]
[float=left][img6="[size=85]Image Credit & Copyright: Stefano De Rosa[/size]"]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1109/HarvestMoonSuperga_derosa900.jpg[/img6][/float]A Full Moon [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110320.html]rising[/url] can be a [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050623.html]dramatic[/url] celestial [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031011.html]sight[/url], and Full Moons can have [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070103.html]many[/url] names. For example, Monday's Full Moon was the one nearest this year's autumnal [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070923.html]equinox[/url] for the northern hemisphere, traditionally called the Harvest Moon. [url=http://www.space.com/spacewatch/061229_moonnames2007.html]According to lore[/url] the name is a fitting one because farmers could work late into the night at the end of the growing season harvesting crops [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Mu9fh23dY]by moonlight[/url]. This serene telephoto image captures this [url=http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/harvest-moon-2]September's harvest moonrise[/url] from Turin, Italy. In silhouette against an orange lunar disk is Turin's hilltop Basilica of Superga.
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[c][url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110917.html][size=150][b]Spitzer's Orion (2011 September 17)[/b][/size][/url][/c]
[float=left][img6="[size=85]NASA, JPL-Caltech, T. Megeath (Univ. Toledo, Ohio)[/size]"]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1109/orion_spitzerR600h.jpg[/img6][/float]Few cosmic vistas excite the imagination like [url=http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m042.html]the Orion Nebula[/url], an immense stellar nursery some 1,500 light-years away. [url=http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/3628-ssc2011-06a-Stars-Adorn-Orion-s-Sword]This stunning false-color view[/url] spans about 40 light-years across the region, constructed using [url=http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/importance.html]infrared data[/url] from the Spitzer Space Telescope. Compared to its [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110913.html]visual wavelength[/url] appearance, the brightest portion of the nebula is likewise centered on Orion's young, massive, hot stars, known as the [url=http://www.astropix.com/HTML/B_WINTER/TRAPEZ.HTM]Trapezium Cluster[/url]. But the infrared image also detects the nebula's many protostars, still in the process of formation, seen here in red hues. In fact, red spots along the dark dusty filament to the left of the bright cluster include the protostar cataloged as HOPS 68, recently [url=http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/3632-ssc2011-06c-Cosmic-Fountain-of-Crystal-Rain]found to have crystals[/url] of the silicate mineral olivine within its [url=http://arxiv.org/abs/1104.4498]protostellar envelope[/url].
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[size=110][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=25217][color=#4040FF][b]<- Previous week's poll[/b][/color][/url][/size]