Starship Asterisk*

Beyond wrote:Barney Fife & a 3-jet roll. Barnard's something? I'll go cheat and peek under bystander's spoiler.

The XA region of the Cygnus Loop is a complex zone of radiative and nonradiatve shocks interacting with interstellar clouds. We combine five far ultraviolet spectral observations from the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), a grid of 24 IUE spectra, and a high-resolution long-slit Hα spectrum to study the spatial emission line variations across the region. These spectral data are placed in context using ground-based optical emission-line images of the region and a far-UV image obtained by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT). The presence of high-ionization species (O VI, N V, and C IV) indicates a shock velocity near 170 km s-1 while other diagnostics indicate vsh ≈ 140 km s-1. It is likely that a large range of shock velocities may exist at a spatial scale smaller than we are able to resolve. By comparing C IV λ1550, C III λ977, and C III] λ1909, we explore resonance scattering across the region. We find that a significant column depth is present at all positions, including those not near bright optical or UV filaments. Analysis of the O VI doublet ratio suggests an average optical depth of about unity in that ion, while flux measurements of [Si VIII] λ1443 suggest a hot component in the region at just below 106 K. Given the brightness of the O VI emission and the age of the interaction, we rule out the mixing-layer interpretation of the UV emission. Furthermore, we formulate a picture of the XA region as that of an encounter of the blast wave with a finger of dense gas protruding inward from the pre-supernova cavity.

Ann wrote:stephen63, where are you? We need the answer to your question (although I really do think bystander got the right answer).

But since there has been no other puzzle posted, I'll contribute something. To me, this one is really quite easy!

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Noctilucent clouds.
Photo: Lonnie Jackson.

We are Portuguese! This is our flag:

We have something in common with noctilucent clouds.

There are two of us!

Ann

Beyond wrote:Thanks Margarita, now the clues make sense.

Ann wrote:Margarita, you got it!

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I award you a jacaranda tree in bloom!

Ann

Wow!! That is bee-yoo-ti-ful! Thank you

Beyond wrote:Gads You two were made for each other. You both have so much 'stuff' that you can put together with just about everything. You two would seem to be the Asterisk* version of the Gemini Twins. Like Double-mint gum, we have to 'chew' your clues. ((at least me, anyway. But I'm usually still trying to chew after someone has solved your puzzles))

Ann wrote:Thanks, Margarita, I love the idea of being sisters with you!

But your puzzle, hmmm! That's too hard. I have found one lunar crater that could be named after a warlike person, or at least after someone who was a soldier in a war. (Actually, he was a commander.) The crater is Plinius, but you English-speaking people use the word Pliny to describe the man who was - or so I think anyway - the man whose name was given to the crater.

Okay, my guess is Pliny! (Surely you don't mean the crater named Picard, do you?)

Ann

Ann wrote:Oh! I just discovered that there is a Tycho Brahe crater on Mars! So there is a lunar Tycho crater for loony people and a Martian (martial?) Tycho Brahe crater for warlike people!

Ann

While studying at University of Rostock[12] in Germany, on 29 December 1566 Tycho lost part of his nose in a sword duel against fellow Danish nobleman (and his third cousin), Manderup Parsberg.[13][14] Tycho had earlier quarrelled with Parsbjerg over the legitimacy of a mathematic formula, at a wedding dance at professor Lucas Bachmeister's house on the 10th, and again on the 27th. Since neither had the resources to prove the other wrong, they ended up resolving the issue with a duel.[15] Though the two later reconciled, the duel two days later (in the dark) resulted in Tycho losing the bridge of his nose.
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The crater Tycho on the Moon is named after him, as is the crater Tycho Brahe on Mars.