The Helix Nebula (2009 March 03)

[JimWWhite]

Wonderful pic of the Helix Nebula. Did anyone notice the dozens of galaxies inthe background? There are probably many more but that was my quick estimate of the number. There are many beautiful spirals and eliptical galaxies to see if you expand the picture to the max size. Awesome!

Jim White
Statesville, NC

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090303.html

[aristarchusinexile]

So THAT'S where Paul Newman went when he left the planet!

[neufer]

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090303.html
Wonderful pic of the Helix Nebula. Did anyone notice the dozens of galaxies in the background? There are probably many more but that was my quick estimate of the number. There are many beautiful spirals and elliptical galaxies to see if you expand the picture to the max size.

While the Helix Nebula has appeared in a number of APODS,
this is the first to clearly show all those distant galaxies.

But my favorite Helix Nebula APOD is still the Spitzer
IR view showing the old Oort cloud (maybe?):

<<Explanation: Dust makes this cosmic eye look red. The eerie Spitzer Space Telescope image shows infrared radiation from the well-studied Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) a mere 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. The two light-year diameter shroud of dust and gas around a central white dwarf has long been considered an excellent example of a planetary nebula, representing the final stages in the evolution of a sun-like star. But the Spitzer data show the nebula's central star itself is immersed in a surprisingly bright infrared glow. Models suggest the glow is produced by a dust debris disk. Even though the nebular material was ejected from the star many thousands of years ago, the close-in dust could be generated by collisions in a reservoir of objects analogous to our own solar system's Kuiper Belt or cometary Oort cloud. Formed in the distant planetary system, the comet-like bodies have otherwise survived even the dramatic late stages of the star's evolution.>>

[geckzilla]

My favorite part is all the distant galaxies which appear near the center of the nebula. When they look at us, our milky way also appear within the center of the nebula.

Edit: er, oops, I guess the nebula is close enough to us that it actually appears as part of our galaxy. My mistake... so easy to lose perspective.

[neufer]

My favorite part is all the distant galaxies which appear near the center of the nebula. When they look at us, our milky way also appear within the center of the nebula.

Edit: er, oops, I guess the nebula is close enough to us that it actually appears as part of our galaxy. My mistake... so easy to lose perspective.

• To prevent war, the galaxies are in the Helix Nebula.''
  
  Junior, there are no galaxies in the Helix Nebula.
  The Helix Nebula is just this planetary nebula.
  Galaxies are huge. They're made up of billions of stars.

[apodman]

... the nebula is close enough to us that it actually appears as part of our galaxy ... so easy to lose perspective.

Warning! This is not a joke. This is a true story. I know you will understand as you post from the starless skies of NYC.

I grew up in New Jersey within view of the tops of some of the taller NYC landmarks, and I crossed the bridge (or occasionally used a tunnel) often enough to know the skies of which you speak. But I always returned home afterward to some facsimile of a nighttime skyscape (no Milky Way or anything requiring actual dark skies, of course). Then I moved for a period of years to Baltimore where I actually stayed downtown for months on end. One night as I walked down the street I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye and looked up to see if the moon was full. All I saw was the streetlight that I had mistaken for the moon. This happened to me more than once before I adjusted my perception processing to remember where I was. Talk about loss of perspective.

---

To prevent war, the galaxies are in the Helix Nebula.

Junior, there are no galaxies in the Helix Nebula.
The Helix Nebula is just this planetary nebula.
Galaxies are huge. They're made up of billions of stars.

I thought that less than two weeks ago you were informed that Agent K is not a reliable source:

http://asterisk.apod.com/vie ... 89#p101389

[geckzilla]

Haha apod, I still don't think that's as bad as me imagining the helix nebula as being some kind of massive structure between our galaxy and those behind it and creating some kind of imaginary fun view portal out of it in my mind. I should draw a picture of what was going on in my head. I'm no astronomer but sheesh.

On the topic of starless skies... I miss being able to see the milky way. I'm living here with my fiance. Before I moved here he visited me and my car broke down on the highway in Oklahoma and he saw it for the first time. He even did a double take since he couldn't believe that you can actually see the milky way when it's dark enough. I'll never get used to the city.

[BMAONE23]

You're right in that it is likely that our galaxy would appear as far away to them as theirs does to us. If however; they were able to construct telescopes capable of discerning both stars and nebulae in our galaxy, and were able to see this particular nebula, we would appear as a star relatively close to the center of the nebula.

[bystander]

You're right in that it is likely that our galaxy would appear as far away to them as theirs does to us. If however; they were able to construct telescopes capable of discerning both stars and nebulae in our galaxy, and were able to see this particular nebula, we would appear as a star relatively close to the center of the nebula.

I assume when you say we, you are referring to Sol, and not the Milky Way.

[BMAONE23]

You're right in that it is likely that our galaxy would appear as far away to them as theirs does to us. If however; they were able to construct telescopes capable of discerning both stars and nebulae in our galaxy, and were able to see this particular nebula, we would appear as a star relatively close to the center of the nebula.

I assume when you say we, you are referring to Sol, and not the Milky Way.

You assume correctly

[neufer]

I assume when you say we, you are referring to Sol, and not the Milky Way.

You assume correctly

"You'll be S.O.L. , and you *know* what that means!" - WCW Monday Nitro (1995)

"You remember Archimedes of Syracuse, eh? The king asks Archimedes to determine if a present he's received is actually solid gold. Unsolved problem at the time. It tortures the great Greek mathematician for weeks - insomnia haunts him and he twists and turns in his bed for nights on end.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes%27_screw

Finally, his equally exhausted wife - she's forced to share a bed with this genius - convinces him to take a bath to relax. While he's entering the tub, Archimedes notices the bath water rise. Displacement, a way to determine volume, and that's a way to determine density - weight over volume. And thus, Archimedes solves the problem. He screams "Eureka" and he is so overwhelmed he runs dripping naked through the streets to the king's palace to report his discovery." - Pi (1998)

[apodman]

Is that a water screw you're packing, or is your telescope just happy to see a helix?

[neufer]

Is that a water screw you're packing, or is your telescope just happy to see a helix?

Well, I was born under Aquarius and someone's got to mop up this soggy mess:

Aquarius is one of the oldest of the recognized constellations along the zodiac. It is found in a region often called the Sea due to its profusion of constellations with watery associations such as Cetus the whale, Pisces the fish and Eridanus the river. Aquarius has been identified as the pourer of the waters that flooded the earth in the ancient Greek version of the Great Flood myth.

[bystander]

Into the Eye of the Helix
Provided by ESO, Garching, Germany
Astronomy.com - 2009 February 25

• The central part of this nebula reveals not only knots, but also many remote galaxies seen right through the thinly spread glowing gas.