APOD: NGC 6814: Grand Design Spiral Galaxy... (2016 Jun 21)

[Fred the Cat]

The same way they automatically breathe. It's not hard! Down the rabbit hole of non-free will, we go.

Exactly how we know to carry out certain functions is up in the air. Pheromones? But when and how we breathe seems less uncertain. When I can't it's usually because I'm apneathetic.

[geckzilla]

But it's enough to say that all the important things got their own little patterns to follow because it just so happened to work, whatever pathway it takes.

[Fred the Cat]

But it's enough to say that all the important things got their own little patterns to follow because it just so happened to work, whatever pathway it takes.

I think I see what you are saying. Just because we don't know "why" is no reason to jump to conclusions?

[Evermore]

The same way they automatically breathe. It's not hard! Down the rabbit hole of non-free will, we go.

They don't automatically breathe if their mouths and noses aren't cleared of mucus etc.

[geckzilla]

The same way they automatically breathe. It's not hard! Down the rabbit hole of non-free will, we go.

They don't automatically breathe if their mouths and noses aren't cleared of mucus etc.

Your point?

[starsurfer]

this beauty and beast are cataloged as NGC 6814

Click to view full size image

[blucat]

What I love about this picture, and a lot of the new very hi resolution pictures, is the 3D effect. You can actually see (or is it just me?) that the centre is 'lower' or further away than the outside. I looks like the thing is really whirl-pooling 'down'. I just love it. I first noticed it when Cassini took pictures of Jupiter. The Voyager pictures just didn't show it, they looked 2D. So to see the outside of the massive storms or 'hurricanes' much higher than the centre really impressed me. Here is the first one I saw like this:

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA07783.jpg

This image is too big for this page, but you need that to see the detail. Zoom into the top middle part of the image, there are two storms beside each other, one with a white centre and one red. You can really see the outside of the storms is much higher.

Well, maybe I'm easily impressed!! :-)

[Chris Peterson]

What I love about this picture, and a lot of the new very hi resolution pictures, is the 3D effect. You can actually see (or is it just me?) that the centre is 'lower' or further away than the outside. I looks like the thing is really whirl-pooling 'down'.

It's just you. The center is actually closer than the outside. A spiral galaxy has a large, somewhat spherical central region surrounded by a large flat disc. So the central region is bulging out towards us. The illusion of a whirlpool is also just that- an illusion. Nothing is falling in towards the center.

[Evermore]

The same way they automatically breathe. It's not hard! Down the rabbit hole of non-free will, we go.

They don't automatically breathe if their mouths and noses aren't cleared of mucus etc.

Your point?

Automatic is not always automatic.

[geckzilla]

They don't automatically breathe if their mouths and noses aren't cleared of mucus etc.

Your point?

Automatic is not always automatic.

It's still automatic. The cells still communicate... and they are waiting for the airway to clear.