Starship Asterisk*

I found the Eagles nebula!

Onestar Sevenskies wrote:I think the pink dots in the sky may be " the Antennae" Galaxies.
Eta Carinae is the the right of rings of SN1987A and Horsehead Nebula is next to Cartwheel Galaxy.

The Antennae Galaxies, particularly the brighter of them, NGC 4038, is indeed in the picture, as are the rings of SN 1987A.

But I can't spot Eta Carina. Maybe you are thinking of the Ant Nebula?


The Cartwheel Galaxy is in the picture, but the tall brown shape next to it is likely the tallest of the famous "Pillars of Creation" in the Eagle Nebula, as others have pointed out. Note the pink star next to it, which can be seen in the APOD.

Ann

There is also an Aurora - right through the lower center of the picture

Has anyone pointed out the Sombrero Galaxy? It is immediately to the right of the top of the tall tree in the APOD.

But a couple of things baffle me.

1) What is that large orange blob at top left?

2) What is that pale green round thing with a vertical green line inside it? It is immediately to the left of NGC 4038.

3) What is that pink blob between NGC 4038 and the large yellow-and-orange eclipsed Moon? It looks a little bit like the core of galaxy M94, but it's not a perfect match by any means.

4) What is that little white "star" that seems to be flying out of the picture at top right, to the right of the eclipsed Moon?

5) Where is that darn open cluster?

Ann

There are 2 faces to the right of Waldo, plus a figure that looks like a yellow cat. You have to zoom way in to see them.

I have found the Pleiades, on a hillside at 3:00 from the Einstein Cross and halfway across the picture from it. It is on the more distant hill and next to the top of a closer hill. Well hidden and hard to see unless you are looking for it. ... And of course its being lights on a hill instead of in the sky helps to disguise them.

the two lines of trees with the hills in the background (lower right tending upward and left) are reminiscent of the rover tire tracks with martian hills in the background.

I see the Southern Cross atop the steeple.

Ann wrote:Has anyone pointed out the Sombrero Galaxy? It is immediately to the right of the top of the tall tree in the APOD.

But a couple of things baffle me.

1) What is that large orange blob at top left?

2) What is that pale green round thing with a vertical green line inside it? It is immediately to the left of NGC 4038.

3) What is that pink blob between NGC 4038 and the large yellow-and-orange eclipsed Moon? It looks a little bit like the core of galaxy M94, but it's not a perfect match by any means.

4) What is that little white "star" that seems to be flying out of the picture at top right, to the right of the eclipsed Moon?

5) Where is that darn open cluster?

Ann

#1... I cannot ID that, yet.

#2... I think that is the Spirograph Nebula.

#3... I think that is the Rosette Nebula

#4... I cannot ID that, yet

#5... Still looking for that, too.

1. The orb (with bright blue colour inside), that touches the left side of the tree looks like the Supernova Remnant to me.
2. There are two comets in the picture.
3. The Southern Cross (with the Coalsack on the otherside) can also be discerned below the Sombrero, left of "pale green round thing with a vertical green line inside " as mentioned by Ann.

Ann wrote:Has anyone pointed out the Sombrero Galaxy? It is immediately to the right of the top of the tall tree in the APOD.

Ann

Are you referring to the blob with the bluish center and reddish brown shell above the Eskimo at the very top of the APOD?

I don't see that as the Sombrero. I think it is The Ring Nebula M57 http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130605.html

On the left side of the APOD, directly above Thor's Helmet and just left of the Crab...
I believe that this object is the Northern Owl Nebula M97 http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100506.html

Directly above this is that swooshing white blob. I am not sure what that is, but it appears akin to
the Cone Nebula http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140528.html
or the Pillars in the Trifid nebula http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071226.html

Although it is not a very good match as there are features missing.

El Gordo wrote:

Ann wrote:Has anyone pointed out the Sombrero Galaxy? It is immediately to the right of the top of the tall tree in the APOD.

Ann

Are you referring to the blob with the bluish center and reddish brown shell above the Eskimo at the very top of the APOD?

I don't see that as the Sombrero. I think it is The Ring Nebula M57 http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130605.html

I see your point, but note that the Sombrero galaxy is obviously very elongated, whereas the Ring Nebula is roundish. The blue center of the small blob seems very elongated to me.

But surely the Sombrero galaxy isn't blue? It most certainly isn't, but mapped color can do wonders for you.

So what is the orange ring that surrounds the elongated blue (or rather, cyan) shape? I have no idea. If the small elongated cyan thing is indeed the Sombrero, then Ronnie Warner must have added that orange ring himself.

Or not. Check out van Gogh's original painting here (in a 600 KB reproduction). Note that van Gogh's original blob is in fact relatively orange. Maybe Ronnie Warner just kept a bit of van Gog's own orange blob, and made it frame the Sombrero.


Ann

El Gordo wrote:On the left side of the APOD, directly above Thor's Helmet and just left of the Crab...
I believe that this object is the Northern Owl Nebula M97 http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100506.html

Directly above this is that swooshing white blob. I am not sure what that is, but it appears akin to
the Cone Nebula http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140528.html
or the Pillars in the Trifid nebula http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071226.html

Although it is not a very good match as there are features missing.

That is Comet Hale-Bopp, although in the APOD it has been "turned the wrong way".

Ann

The object directly above the spiral galaxy and below the comet... I am going to guess at the answer on this one to be:

The Saturn Nebula NGC7009 http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap971230.html

That's the closest thing I can find that remotely resembles the image. At least the color is right.

Ann wrote:

Click to view full size image

That is Comet Hale-Bopp, although in the APOD it has been "turned the wrong way".

Ann

OH! It didn't look much like a comet to me. I only saw the other one. So is the other one Halley's Comet? Or other?

Ann wrote:

El Gordo wrote:

Ann wrote:Has anyone pointed out the Sombrero Galaxy? It is immediately to the right of the top of the tall tree in the APOD.

Ann

Are you referring to the blob with the bluish center and reddish brown shell above the Eskimo at the very top of the APOD?

I don't see that as the Sombrero. I think it is The Ring Nebula M57 http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130605.html

Click to view full size image

The Sombrero Galaxy. Spitzer (infrared): NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt
(University of Arizona, and the SINGS Team, Hubble (visible): NASA/Hubble

I see your point, but note that the Sombrero galaxy is obviously very elongated, whereas the Ring Nebula is roundish. The blue center of the small blob seems very elongated to me.

But surely the Sombrero galaxy isn't blue? It most certainly isn't, but mapped color can do wonders for you.

So what is the orange ring that surrounds the elongated blue (or rather, cyan) shape? I have no idea. If the small elongated cyan thing is indeed the Sombrero, then Ronnie Warner must have added that orange ring himself.

Or not. Check out van Gogh's original painting here (in a 600 KB reproduction). Note that van Gogh's original blob is in fact relatively orange. Maybe Ronnie Warner just kept a bit of van Gog's own orange blob, and made it frame the Sombrero.


Ann

I just realized that I can ZOOM in! I can see things much better now and that definitely is the Sombrero! The orange-ish ring also through me, so that is why, coupled with the smaller, zoomed out-image, it made it look like the Ring Nebula to my eyes.

El Gordo wrote:The object directly above the spiral galaxy and below the comet... I am going to guess at the answer on this one to be:

The Saturn Nebula NGC7009 http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap971230.html

That's the closest thing I can find that remotely resembles the image. At least the color is right.

It's not a bad resemblance, but it isn't the same object, if you ask me.
Okay. I'm reaching.

Take a look at the NICMOS image of the Egg Nebula. There are four "protrusions", or you might say that it looks like a propeller with four blades. Whatever.

Now look at the top right protrusion. Compare it with the elongated green thing in the APOD. The color is absolutely wrong, but the shape is... OK, if you turn it around. Also, the white thing that the elongated green thing sits inside could be thought of as an egg... and this is the inner part of the Egg Nebula.

Well, this is my best guess. I give up, at least for now!

Ann

Ann wrote:

Onestar Sevenskies wrote:I think the pink dots in the sky may be " the Antennae" Galaxies.
Eta Carinae is the the right of rings of SN1987A and Horsehead Nebula is next to Cartwheel Galaxy.

The Antennae Galaxies, particularly the brighter of them, NGC 4038, is indeed in the picture, as are the rings of SN 1987A.

But I can't spot Eta Carina. Maybe you are thinking of the Ant Nebula?


The Cartwheel Galaxy is in the picture, but the tall brown shape next to it is likely the tallest of the famous "Pillars of Creation" in the Eagle Nebula, as others have pointed out. Note the pink star next to it, which can be seen in the APOD.

Ann

Yes you're right. It seems that I have mistaken Ant Nebula with Eta Carinae.

Ann wrote:

El Gordo wrote:The object directly above the spiral galaxy and below the comet... I am going to guess at the answer on this one to be:

The Saturn Nebula NGC7009 http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap971230.html

That's the closest thing I can find that remotely resembles the image. At least the color is right.

It's not a bad resemblance, but it isn't the same object, if you ask me.

Click to view full size image

The Egg Nebula.

Okay. I'm reaching.

Take a look at the NICMOS image of the Egg Nebula. There are four "protrusions", or you might say that it looks like a propeller with four blades. Whatever.

Now look at the top right protrusion. Compare it with the elongated green thing in the APOD. The color is absolutely wrong, but the shape is... OK, if you turn it around. Also, the white thing that the elongated green thing sits inside could be thought of as an egg... and this is the inner part of the Egg Nebula.

Well, this is my best guess. I give up, at least for now!

Ann

Ann,

I find this one very difficult to ID! It's appearance is so unique, one would think it would be easy to match it to a well known object, but this does not appear to be the case for me. I do see your impression from the "Egg Nebula", but most objects in the APOD are turning out to be quite literal representations of the real deal, so I think both of us may be missing it entirely.

On to other celestial bodies...

Over by the moon, directly to its left, there is the object that I believed was the Rosette Nebula. Once I realized that I could ZOOM IN and provide a better view, I saw something different. Now I see this: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111227.html The Dumbbell Nebula M27

And, to top this all off... Where is that darn open star cluster?

I think I found it! (NGC 2244) The object in the upper-left corner, what is that? THAT may be the Rosette Nebula... Read the comments in this classic APOD: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap980214.html

If I am right, then "Woohoo!"

The Rosette Nebula! You got it!

And there is an open cluster inside the Rosette Nebula, too! In fact, NGC 2244 is the cluster inside the Rosette.

I don't think the pink blob really looks like the Dumbbell Nebula, though.

Ann
Edit: I think I have found a better match for that "vertical elongated green thing in side an egg" than the Egg Nebula itself. It's the core of galaxy NGC 4261. Don't ask me why it isn't green, though, or why the APOD is green, if it is the same object. A problem is that I can't spot the small bright nucleus of the galaxy in the APOD.


The pink blob to the left of the eclipsed Moon is driving me crazy, though. I can't understand what it is at all. Let's consider some of its features:

1) It has a bright ring of what looks like star clusters, like one of those nuclear-ring galaxies.

2) The interior part, inside the ring, is generally fainter than the ring. OK. That happens, as can be seen in the ring part of Mayall's Object.

3) Its innermost part is the faintest and darkest part of the whole object! Come on! That never happens in galaxies, certainly not in nuclear ring galaxies. All right, all right! I just found this galaxy, Zwicky II 28. Amazing object. It's more or less the right color for the APOD blob, too. But I don't think its shape makes for a very good fit.

4) Unlike Zwicky II 28, the interior of the pink blob in the APOD is not empty. Instead, it sports an inner spiral shape of a kind that you almost never see anywhere else than in spiral galaxies. You don't see these inner spirals in planetary nebulas or in supernova remnants, and I can't think of an ordinary emission nebula with an inner spiral like that. Maybe possibly maybe you can see them in some early phase of star formation, but I can't remember seeing a picture of one. So I can't help thinking that this is a spiral galaxy, maybe similar to the innermost part of barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300.

What do you think?

Ann

Ann,

I think you have it correct with the Egg Nebula. I found another APOD of this object and it certainly looks right on, see this:

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030409.html

El Gordo wrote:Ann,

I think you have it correct with the Egg Nebula. I found another APOD of this object and it certainly looks right on, see this:

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030409.html

It could be. I'm still uncertain.

But that green thing inside a white egg shape does look like a planetary nebula, I'll say that much.

Unless it is a big fat protoplanetary disk inside a well-lit nebula. That would be a possibility.

Ann

It is difficult to ID the "egg" looking object. There are several APODs from the past that looks similar, but
they are not quite right in one way or another.

I still feel that the object just to the left of the moon is the Dumbbell Nebula M27. Also, the white object to
the upper right of the moon might be the Pleiades. That is nearly the proper positioning during the eclipse
on Sept 20 or 21.

Guess what? I knew this was a repeat, so I mailed Geck, who graciously found me the original Starry Night Scavenger Hunt. You can find the thread here.

But I don't think they tell us about that pink blob and that green bar!

Ann