Boomerang Nebula - Scale of Universe (APOD 28 Dec 2007)

[Jon Mon]

Well, 5000 LY isn't really the "distant universe." In fact it would qualify as the outskirts of the "local neighborhood" (not to be confused with the local group), a region about 10000 LY in diameter and 3000 LY deep, centered on the sun, but well within the confines of the Milky Way - our home galaxy.

[orin stepanek]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071228.html

http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/Messier/more/mw.html
Actually the Milky Way is about 100,000 LY in diameter with between 200 billion stars to 400 billion stars in it; so it is indeed pretty large. though smaller than neighboring Andromeda.
Orin

[kovil]

"If we aren't falling off a cliff often, we're being too conservative." DARPA


Explanation: This symmetric cloud dubbed the Boomerang Nebula was created by a high-speed wind of gas and dust blowing from an aging central star at speeds of nearly 600,000 kilometers per hour. The rapid expansion has cooled molecules in the nebular gas to about one degree above absolute zero - colder than even the cosmic background radiation - making it the coldest known region in the distant Universe. Shining with light from the central star reflected by dust, the frigid Boomerang Nebula is believed to be a star or stellar system evolving toward the planetary nebula phase. This Hubble image was recorded using polarizing filters (analogous to polariod sunglasses) and color coded by the angle associated with the polarized light. The gorgeous result traces the small dust particles responsible for polarizing and scattering the light. The Boomerang Nebula spans about one light year and lies about 5,000 light years away toward the constellation Centaurus.


Explanation: This symmetric arrangement called the Z-Pinch Nebula was created by an intense magnetic field which resulted from interstellar electrical currents focusing on the star at the vortex of the symmetry. The glowing plasma isn’t exactly moving rapidly, it is fluorescing from the currents. Why the current is flowing into the star is not fully understood yet, but is theorized to happen due to the intense gravity creating an anode + electrical potential in the star, which then attracts interstellar electrons. The resulting massive current flow makes the surrounding plasma glow and then also develops a magnetic field which gathers the plasma into the shape we see. The surrounding electric field also drives + ions away from the star simultaneously in a stellar wind effect. By using polarizing lens filters the individual preponderances of light scattering particles, or wave function interaction nodes, becomes apparent by angular resolution. At a width of one light year, this is a very large scale structure for one star to produce. At a distance of 5,000 light years it is reasonably close. Eta Carinae is 7,500 light years distant and in a somewhat similar state of development. The Z-Pinch effect is strongly present there as well, tho Eta is experiencing puff-off ‘s of material, and is likely either more massive or more developed through a longer time period.

Peer reviewed papers for footnote references to be supplied later thru blue highlighted words, when I’ve had the time to figure out how to do that. Where’s a person to accumulate a stable of university students to do a lot of the work?

[bystander]

This symmetric cloud dubbed the Boomerang Nebula .... lies about 5,000 light years away toward the constellation Centaurus.

Kovil, you quoted the text from the apod so well, why didn't you copy their links, too.

Orin, I think you misunderstood Jon. I think he was merely pointing out that the Boomerang Nebula lies within the local neighborhood of our Sun and probably shouldn't be considered the distant universe.

[orin stepanek]

This symmetric cloud dubbed the Boomerang Nebula .... lies about 5,000 light years away toward the constellation Centaurus.

Kovil, you quoted the text from the apod so well, why didn't you copy their links, too.

Orin, I think you misunderstood Jon. I think he was merely pointing out that the Boomerang Nebula lies within the local neighborhood of our Sun and probably shouldn't be considered the distant universe.

Your probably right; It's true that 5000 years is in the local area!
Orin

[BMAONE23]

KOVIL,
Blue Highlighted hypertext is easy use this ?formula?

desired text

[Jon Mon]

Yes, Bystander, you are correct - I meant that the description would more accurately read that the boomerang nebula is "the coldest known region in the local neighborhood." The Milky Way dimensions that Orin mentions bear that out. The "distant universe" seemed synonomous with "5000 LY" in the original description.

The Boomerang may be the coldest region of the known universe - does anyone know?

[orin stepanek]

Hi Jon; and by the way welcome. I got to looking around the area and this is what may be in the area's neighborhood. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Arm not a vast region of space at all.
Orin