Ring Nebula Deep Field (2009 November 6 APOD)

[neufer]

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091106.html

<<Within the last two thousand years, the central star of the Ring Nebula has left the asymptotic giant branch after exhausting its supply of hydrogen fuel. Thus it no longer produces its energy through nuclear fusion and, in evolutionary terms, it is now becomimg a compact white dwarf star. This planetary nebula nucleus (PNN) now consists primarily of carbon and oxygen with a thin outer envelope composed of lighter elements. Its mass is about 0.61–0.62 solar mass, with a surface temperature of 125,000K. Currently it is 200 times more luminous than the Sun, but its apparent magnitude is only +15.75.>>

<<Friedrich II Graf von Hahn (July 27, 1742 – October 9, 1805) was a German nobleman, a philosopher and astronomer. Von Hahn was born in Neuhaus, Holstein. In 1793 he started the construction of a private observatory, the first in Mecklenburg, which was well equipped. He owned some of the largest mirrors made by William Herschel and precision instruments for determining the position of stars. In 1800, he discovered the central star in M57, the Ring Nebula in the constellation Lyra. After his death, his son, the "theatrical count", squandered his fortune and all books and instruments were sold. The best instruments were bought by Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel for the new observatory in Königsberg.>>

[ogsan]

I seem to detect a number of shapes within the molecular cloud that might imply spiral motion. Is there spiral motion, and if so, how does this effect the nebula shape. Thanks

[neufer]

I seem to detect a number of shapes within the molecular cloud that might imply spiral motion. Is there spiral motion, and if so, how does this effect the nebula shape. Thanks

It is an optical illusion.

Now you are getting sleepy, ogsan, ...sleeepy....

[kovil]

<< I seem to detect a number of shapes within the molecular cloud that might imply spiral motion. Is there spiral motion, and if so, how does this effect the nebula shape. Thanks >>

Correct. The apparent spiral shapes are exactly that, it's no illusion. We are looking lengthwise 'down the barrel' (like rifling in a gunbarrel) and seeing plasma that is glowing from the current flowing thru it, and as Birkeland Currents like to spiral as they move as entwined twin filaments, we are seeing pairs of spiraling glowing plasma as the current moves towards the central star in the nebula.

This is a structure like M2-9, but we are seeing it lengthwise insead of sideways, as in the case of M2-9.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050612.html

[loblollyboy]

Hi. Just for fun, I decided to count all the galaxies visible in this shot beside the big boy in the upper right-hand corner and came up with a total of 47 obvious galaxies split about evenly between spiral/barred and elliptical (you can even see some through the tenuous material of the nebula itself). An even closer second look shows even more fuzzies which could be far more distant galaxies if they're not just imaging artefacts. Just curious: is this an average distribution for that part of the sky?

[Chris Peterson]

Correct. The apparent spiral shapes are exactly that, it's no illusion. We are looking lengthwise 'down the barrel' (like rifling in a gunbarrel) and seeing plasma that is glowing from the current flowing thru it, and as Birkeland Currents like to spiral as they move as entwined twin filaments, we are seeing pairs of spiraling glowing plasma as the current moves towards the central star in the nebula.

Just a warning to those reading this forum looking for good astronomical information: Kovil's responses should be entirely ignored. What he is suggesting is going on is pure fantasy (and even discussing this particular nonsense is grounds for removal from the forum).

[JohnD]

That's not a nebula!
That's a cabbage!

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... 6245YmScTn

Seriously, this shows that both grow by rules.
Whether those governing cabbage growth are the same as controlling nebula growth, I cannot say.

John

[neufer]

That's not a nebula!
That's a cabbage!

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... 6245YmScTn

Seriously, this shows that both grow by rules.
Whether those governing cabbage growth are the same as controlling nebula growth, I cannot say.

Except that cabbage growth really is a spiral:

<<Detail showing the inner part of a cross-section through a red cabbage, revealing a beautiful spiral. The thickened veins themselves form a Fibonacci spiral pattern; the flat surfaces of the leaves are crumpled to form almost a fractal pattern of wandering between the veins.
This image is a detail of a background showing a large-scale image of the whole cross-section of the Red Cabbage.>>

• "The time has come," the Walrus said,
  "To talk of many things:
  Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
  Of cabbages--and kings--
  And why the sea is boiling hot--
  And whether pigs have wings."

[JohnD]

Ah! Fibonacci!
Thta's what I was groping for.
It's involved in so many 'growth' phenomena. Is it in nebulae?

John