Starship Asterisk*

What is in the image (Top right). It looks like a black hole or rather material falling into one?

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

I didn't remember to include link, thank you for doing so

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).

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

Can someone please mark it with an arrow? I don't see a thing you are talking about.

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

http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?ac ... nt=1190555
I believe this is the area in question

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.

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...

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

I don't believe it is a black hole. Something seems to be disturbing the dust there. Maybe a star forming?
Orin

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.

MAKC
Try this
http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?ac ... nt=1191186

Nice view BMAONE23. That's the spot.
Orin

come on, this area resembles a hole not more than a horsehead itself

Yes Makc. That is what the question is about. What is the hole? What caused it?
Orin

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?

Thanks for picture the line drawing next to actual photo put me on the same page as everyone else!

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.

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?

{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.

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

Does anyone know where I can find more photos?

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.