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Environs of Horsehead Nebula (APOD 21 Feb 2006)
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 1:38 pm
by Martin
What is in the image (Top right). It looks like a black hole or rather material falling into one?
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 12:06 am
by orin stepanek
Welcome Martin! Here is link to your post.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060221.html
It does indeed look like some thing is pulling in material there. Just what it is I can't tell you. I wonder if there is a name for that area.
Orin
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:32 pm
by Martin
I didn't remember to include link, thank you for doing so
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:03 pm
by Pete
That looks like part of the Orion Nebula. Here's a wider field view:
http://www.earthandskyphoto.com/images/ ... ebulae.JPG
To put the region into perspective:
http://www.seds.org/messier/Pics/More/obelt_kc.jpg
You can just make out the Horsehead Nebula, which is tilted sideways when viewing Orion right side up, and 'hangs' off the leftmost belt star (Alnitak).
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:08 pm
by orin stepanek
The APOD is on the dust around the Horses Head Nebula in Orion. The question is on what looks like a hole in the dust clouds on the right of the APOD photo.
Orin
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:42 am
by makc
Can someone please mark it with an arrow? I don't see a thing you are talking about.
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:53 pm
by orin stepanek
Makc; In the pink area at about 2:00 near the end of the page; there is a dark spot that looks like a hole. The clouds look kind of doughnut shaped around it. I'd mark it if I could.
Orin
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:04 pm
by BMAONE23
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:31 pm
by Martin
It also helps if u enlarge the picture on your screen.
I don't think there has ever been an actual photograph of material being pulled into a gravity well. However, I do know there are photos of stars whose movements suggest the presence of one. As well as, a recent effort to identify light that is being distorted as it passes objects of immense gravitational force.
It appears that something at the edge of this picture is having an effect on the material surrounding it. I think this is clearly SOMETHING of interest. If anyone can help identify this, please do so.
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:03 pm
by makc
BMA123, I still do not see anything. This is "right" area, fine, but what's so special about it? I do not see any doughnuts nor bh polar jets...
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:00 pm
by BMAONE23
Unfortunately I cannot seem to get the annotated image to post. It seems to be too big of a file. If someone else can, great otherwise I'll try again later
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:36 pm
by orin stepanek
I don't believe it is a black hole. Something seems to be disturbing the dust there. Maybe a star forming?
Orin
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:41 pm
by Martin
I believe you would only see jets from a gravity well when specific conditions are met. I think there are multiple conditions that expose it's presence.
Anyone who can view APOD on this date can left click on image to view it at its highest resolution. You can then slide your cursor over the image and press the button that appears on the image so it expands to its maximum size. Then scroll all the way to the right and there it is "the object (or lack of) we are discussing". You can still see it under the normal view but it is easy to overlook.
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:09 pm
by BMAONE23
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:47 am
by orin stepanek
Nice view BMAONE23. That's the spot.
Orin
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 7:26 am
by makc
come on, this area resembles a hole not more than a horsehead itself
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 2:02 pm
by orin stepanek
Yes Makc. That is what the question is about. What is the hole? What caused it?
Orin
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 2:59 pm
by BMAONE23
I guess it all depends upon how you look at it.
If you look at the darker material as receeding into the brighter foreground gas, it resembles a hole.
If you look at the darker material as a dust cloud in front of the brighter gas cloud then it wouldn't.
Does the darker material actually exist in front of the brighter cloud, or does it in fact receed into it?
Picture
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:27 pm
by lurker623
Thanks for picture the line drawing next to actual photo put me on the same page as everyone else!
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 9:07 pm
by Martin
I was away for the weekend but it doesn't look like anyone could add some input. The view may be relative but certainly this could be worth passing the question on to someone.
Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:21 am
by harry
Wow! is the word that comes to mind
Thank you Hawk Eyes.
I would never have picked it.
What is causing this?
Maybe a star forming area.
Is the matter going in or going out?
Spending the facts of my life like small change on strangers
Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:17 pm
by kovil
{Perhaps this post should be titled; Walking On The Moon}
or actually, I'm Looking At The Moon, but I'm Seeing Bumps not Dips;
or Dips not Bumps. Well, before I trip on my own two musings:
The "hole' in question is an optical illusion.
Like looking at the moon and seeing a crater looking like a saucer turned upside down, my eye does not resolve correctly the lighting.
The 'hole' is actually a dust cloud in front of the bright area, and a peninsula, or promintory, of opaque dust is in the shape of the 'hole', and in front of the bright background area.
My clue is, there is a long thin slightly wavy line, if you will, running vertically along the edge of that promintory up and down from it, and it looks like an edge of something in front of the bright area in the background. It is, I believe, the edge of a cloud overlapping that bright area, but to our eye it looks like a drain hole.
Maybe turning the photo upside down or 90 degrees will resolve it better.
Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:50 pm
by Martin
Thanks Kovil & Harry for adding some more input.
However, the more I manipulate this image the more it looks like something is pulling in material. I can see the wavy line you are referring to but from my perspective(s) it looks as if that wavy line is an additional mass of cloud that is in front of the "hole in question". It is obstructing the view but it looks as if it is separate and not part of the background cloud. Of course like Harry suggested maybe it’s a new star clearing material outward. I would love to look at some other images of this area for comparison.
I still don't think that the "hole" is a dark dust cloud in front of the background cloud. I do think that this requires additional images before I stick my neck out any further though –lol
Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:33 pm
by Martin
Does anyone know where I can find more photos?
Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:58 pm
by BMAONE23
Try Googoling "Orion nebula" and you will find many other photos of this area. Keep in mind though that this one is the best resolution image that I have seen. I don't know if there are any unpublished Hubble images of this area that are available for public consumption. Most other images are at a lesser resolution and appear smaller in the image. The area in question is of the smaller of the nebula pair.