Where am I?

Moonlady · Post by **Moonlady** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 9:11 pm

I met a friend after my art class, she liked my painting and wanted me to paint her one too, I asked what she likes and
what she doesnt like, she said seriously

I don't like circles with a beginning and an end.

that is the question!

( after I could stop laughing, I said " You are so brutal to me!")

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:43 am

I have no idea, Moonlady, but I need to say something, so that you can give us more clues.

So, a Moebius strip?

Ann

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:17 am

Well, if Moonlady is referring to space, aren't galaxies kinda like circles with no begining and no end

rstevenson · Post by **rstevenson** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:39 am

Is there a circle associated with Centaurus? I'm thinking the beginning and end bit might be alpha and omega, and the first thing that pops into mind from that is that there's an alpha Centauri and an omega Centauri. But they're two different kinds of objects altogether, the first a star and the latter a globular cluster. So while both are round, I don't think this is it.

Rob

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 2:01 am

: Click to view full size image

NGC 7217. Photo: Kent Biggs.

I rather like Beyond's galaxy. The outer ring of galaxy NGC 7217 could be described as a circle with no beginning and no end.

Ann

Moonlady · Post by **Moonlady** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 2:39 am

It happens that I have a beginning and an end as a "circle", that is why I am not liked on a painting.
You are right when you say I am a galaxy. My spiral arms have a beginning point and an ending point.

Which galaxy am I ? Here is a clue:

I have a companion!

I m going to bed, see ya later

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:25 am

: Click to view full size image

M51 and NGC 5195. Photo: Jon and Bryan Rolfe/Adam Block

Perhaps one of the most famous of all galaxies, M51 and its companion NGC 5195?

Ann

Moonlady · Post by **Moonlady** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:52 am

We got a winner! Ann it is the whirlpool galaxy!

I am sorry to tell you that you dont win a whirlpool, but I got this short video for you

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:52 pm

An * is located not far from a

.

The * is a star, but it is not a star!

The * is a bigger

than the

.

That is my puzzle!

Ann

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:11 pm

Ah! Target shooting, and we're supposed to hit the bulls eye. haha, so far I'm shooting blanks.

stephen63 · Post by **stephen63** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:30 pm

So it's not the Pistol Star?
It's even a blue hypergiant!

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:31 pm

Try again, Beyond! I'll post another clue in a while, but not just yet.

Moonlady, thanks a lot for the video!

Ann

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:34 pm

stephen63 wrote:So it's not the Pistol Star?
It's even a blue hypergiant!

WHAAAT???

You got it already, stephen63! It IS the Pistol star!!!

Of course, now you have to figure out the *, too!

Ann

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:58 pm

Do you need another clue?

Okay, the * has a

- or it is a

Ann

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 2:49 pm

Pistol Star

I'm discovering that my ignorance is larger than i thought

In that case, the * next to it, must be an ejected case from The Pistol Star fireing, or whatever the astronomical equivalent is.

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:10 pm

Could have been, Beyond, but like I said, the * is a bigger gun than the gun! It's a bigger gun than the Pistol star, which is itself a hypergiant star.

The * has got a black heart. (Or maybe it is a black heart.) In any case, it's famous! Everyone who is the least bit interested in astronomy has probably heard at least something about it, although few people would recognize the * designation of it. But I'm not lying about it.

Ann

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:56 pm

So... we're not talking about a galaxy then, but something more like a Humongus free-roaming black hole

Or am i off on a woodchuck trail instead of the right wabbit trail

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:26 pm

Well, you are perhaps on the wrong wabbit track, Beyond. Try to think of, well, a portion of a galaxy. What galaxy? Well... how about googling the Pistol Star and see what galaxy it is in?

Here's another clue. Contrary to what you might believe, the color of the object on the left is of no importance for my puzzle (other than that I liked it

), but please note that the "center" of it is interestingly black...

Ann

*

stephen63 · Post by **stephen63** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:32 pm

The heart of the Milky Way
A super massive black hole!

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:36 pm

Maybe the bar of the Milky Way that the black hole is in

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:38 pm

stephen63 wrote:The heart of the Milky Way
A super massive black hole!

EXACTLY!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A* wrote:
Sagittarius A* (pronounced "Sagittarius A-star", standard abbreviation Sgr A*) is a bright and very compact astronomical radio source at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, near the border of the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius. It is part of a larger astronomical feature known as Sagittarius A.

Sagittarius A* is believed to be the location of a supermassive black hole,[5] such as those that are now generally accepted to be at the centers of most spiral and elliptical galaxies.

Observations of the star S2 in orbit around Sagittarius A* have been used to show the presence of, and produce data about, the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, and have led to the conclusion that Sagittarius A* is the site of that black hole.[6]

And the Pistol Star is not far away!

Ann

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:41 pm

Beyond wrote:Maybe the bar of the Milky Way that the black hole is in

I think that can be described as correct, Beyond, at least as far as the nucleus of the Milky Way is thought of as residing in the bar of our galaxy.

Ann

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:50 pm

I think it's your turn to post a puzzle, stephen63!

If you don't want to, that's okay, but I would appreciate it if you do. Personally I have no more ideas right now.

Ann

stephen63 · Post by **stephen63** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 5:24 pm

Alright, Ann

Let me come up with something and I'll post

stephen63 · Post by **stephen63** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 6:20 pm

If it had an informal name, it would be this!

: none3.jpg (70.97 KiB) Viewed 798 times

+

: none 2.jpg (54.68 KiB) Viewed 798 times

Starship Asterisk*

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