http://www.zorg.ch/ zorg.ch RSS Feed - Forum, Events, Gallery and more de-DE Sat, 19 May 2012 16:52:43 http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14207&parent_id=14207#113653 Sat, 19 May 2012 00:00:08 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14207&parent_id=14207#113653 GALEX: The Andromeda Galaxy

Explanation: A mere 2.5 million light-years away, the Andromeda Galaxy really is just next door as large galaxies go. just next door as large galaxies go. So close, and spanning some 260,000 light-years, it took 11 different image fields from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite's telescope to produce this gorgeous portrait of the spiral galaxy in ultraviolet light. While its spiral arms stand out in visible light images of Andromeda (also known as M31), the arms look more like rings in the GALEX ultraviolet view, dominated by hot, young, massive stars. As sites of intense star formation, the rings have been interpreted as evidence Andromeda collided with its smaller neighboring elliptical galaxy M32 more than 200 million years ago. The large Andromeda galaxy and our own Milky Way are the dominant members of the local galaxy group.

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14206&parent_id=14206#113652 Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:09 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14206&parent_id=14206#113652 Herschel's Cygnus X

Explanation: The Herschel Space Observatory's infrared view of Cygnus X spans some 6x2 degrees across one of the closest, massive star formin...]]> Herschel's Cygnus X

Explanation: The Herschel Space Observatory's infrared view of Cygnus X spans some 6x2 degrees across one of the closest, massive star forming regions in the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. In fact, the rich stellar nursery already holds the massive star cluster known as the Cygnus OB2 association. But those stars are more evident by the region cleared by their energetic winds and radiation near the bottom center of this field, and are not detected by Herschel instruments operating at long infrared wavelengths. Herschel does reveal the region's complex filaments of cool gas and dust that lead to dense locations where new massive stars are forming. Cygnus X lies some 4500 light-years away toward the heart of the northern constellation of the Swan. At that distance this picture would be almost 500 light-years wide.

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14205&parent_id=14205#113651 Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:10 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14205&parent_id=14205#113651 Star Formation in the Tarantula Nebula

Explanation: The largest, most violent star forming region known in the whole Local Group of galaxies lies in our neighboring galaxy the Local Group of galaxies lies in our neighboring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Were the Tarantula Nebula at the distance of the Orion Nebula -- a local star forming region -- it would take up fully half the sky. Also called 30 Doradus, the red and pink gas indicates a massive emission nebula, although supernova remnants and dark nebula also exist there. The bright knot of stars left of center is called R136 and contains many of the most massive, hottest, and brightest stars known. The above image is one of the largest mosaics ever created by observations of the Hubble Space Telescope and has revealed unprecedented details of this enigmatic star forming region. The image is being released to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of Hubble's launch. Astronomy Seminar of the Week: The Great Debate, Part I

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14204&parent_id=14204#113650 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:10 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14204&parent_id=14204#113650 All the Water on Planet Earth

Explanation: How much of planet Earth is made of water? Very little, actually. Although oceans of water cover about 70 percent of Earth's surface, these...]]> All the Water on Planet Earth

Explanation: How much of planet Earth is made of water? Very little, actually. Although oceans of water cover about 70 percent of Earth's surface, these oceans are shallow compared to the Earth's radius. The above illustration shows what would happen if all of the water on or near the surface of the Earth were bunched up into a ball. The radius of this ball would be only about 700 kilometers, less than half the radius of the Earth's Moon, but slightly larger than Saturn's moon Rhea which, like many moons in our outer Solar System, is mostly water ice. How even this much water came to be on the Earth and whether any significant amount is trapped far beneath Earth's surface remain topics of research. Poll: Have you seen today's APOD image before?

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14203&parent_id=14203#113649 Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:08 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14203&parent_id=14203#113649 Spiral Galaxy NGC 1672 from Hubble

Explanation: Many spiral galaxies have bars across their centers. Even our own Milky Way Galaxy is thought to have a Milky Way Galaxy is thought to have a modest central bar. Prominently barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672, pictured above, was captured in spectacular detail in image taken by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. Visible are dark filamentary dust lanes, young clusters of bright blue stars, red emission nebulas of glowing hydrogen gas, a long bright bar of stars across the center, and a bright active nucleus that likely houses a supermassive black hole. Light takes about 60 million years to reach us from NGC 1672, which spans about 75,000 light years across. NGC 1672, which appears toward the constellation of the Dolphinfish (Dorado), is being studied to find out how a spiral bar contributes to star formation in a galaxy's central regions. Follow APOD: On Facebook or Google+

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14191&parent_id=14191#113648 Sun, 13 May 2012 03:40:54 IneX http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14191&parent_id=14191#113648 http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14202&parent_id=14202#113647 Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:08 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14202&parent_id=14202#113647 The Hydra Cluster of Galaxies

Explanation: Two stars within our own Milky Way galaxy anchor the foreground of this cosmic snapshot. Beyond them lie ...]]> The Hydra Cluster of Galaxies

Explanation: Two stars within our own Milky Way galaxy anchor the foreground of this cosmic snapshot. Beyond them lie the galaxies of the Hydra Cluster. In fact, while the spiky foreground stars are hundreds of light-years distant, the Hydra Cluster galaxies are over 100 million light-years away. Three large galaxies near the cluster center, two yellow ellipticals (NGC 3311, NGC 3309) and one prominent blue spiral (NGC 3312), are the dominant galaxies, each about 150,000 light-years in diameter. An intriguing overlapping galaxy pair cataloged as NGC 3314 is just above and left of NGC 3312. Also known as Abell 1060, the Hydra galaxy cluster is one of three large galaxy clusters within 200 million light-years of the Milky Way. In the nearby universe, galaxies are gravitationally bound into clusters which themselves are loosely bound into superclusters that in turn are seen to align over even larger scales. At a distance of 100 million light-years this picture would be about 1.3 million light-years across.

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14201&parent_id=14201#113646 Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:08 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14201&parent_id=14201#113646 Sun vs. Super Moon

Explanation: The Super Moon wins, by just a little, when its apparent size is compared to the Sun in thi...]]> Sun vs. Super Moon

Explanation: The Super Moon wins, by just a little, when its apparent size is compared to the Sun in this ingenious composite picture. To make it, the Full Moon on May 6 was photographed with the same camera and telescope used to image the Sun (with a dense solar filter!) on the following day. Of course, on May 6 the Moon was at perigee, the closest point to Earth in its eliptical orbit, making it the largest Full Moon of 2012. Two weeks later, on May 20, the Moon will be near apogee, the most distant point in its orbit, so by then it will be nearly at its smallest apparent size. It will also be a dark New Moon on that date. And for some the New Moon will be surprisingly easy to compare to the Sun, because on May 20 the first solar eclipse of 2012 will be visible from much of Asia, the Pacific, and North America. Along a path 240 to 300 kilometers wide, the eclipse will be annular. Near apogee the smaller silhouetted Moon will fit just inside the bright solar disk.

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14200&parent_id=14200#113645 Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:08 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14200&parent_id=14200#113645 Green Flash and Super Moon

Explanation: It was really not about superheroes as on May 6 the much touted Super Moon, the largest about superheroes as on May 6 the much touted Super Moon, the largest Full Moon of 2012, rose over this otherwise peaceful harbor. And no supervillains were present either as boats gently rocked at their moorings near the checkerboard La Perdrix lighthouse on the coast of Brittany, France. But the rise of the Super Moon was preceded by a Green Flash, captured in the first frame of this timelapse video recorded that night. The cropped image of the frame, a two second long exposure, shows the strongly colored flash left of the lighted buoy near picture center. While the Super Moon was enjoyed at locations all around the world, the circumstances that produced the Green Flash were more restrictive. Green flashes for both Sun and Moon are caused by atmospheric refraction enhanced by long, low, sight lines and strong atmospheric temperature gradients often favored by a sea horizon.

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14199&parent_id=14199#113644 Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:09 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14199&parent_id=14199#113644 Shuttle Enterprise Over New York

Explanation: What's that in the background? Two famous New York City icons stand tall in the above photo taken last week. On the left lo...]]> Shuttle Enterprise Over New York

Explanation: What's that in the background? Two famous New York City icons stand tall in the above photo taken last week. On the left looms the Statue of Liberty, a universal symbol of freedom, while on the right rises the Empire State Building, now the second largest building in the city. What's unique about this once-in-a-lifetime photograph, though, is the third icon that appears to Lady Liberty's left. High in the air and far in the background flies the space shuttle Enterprise -- perched atop a 747 jet -- on the way to its new home. New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple can visit the test space shuttle at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the West Side of Manhattan starting July 19. Neptune & Vulcan Astronomy Seminar of the Week

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14198&parent_id=14198#113643 Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:07 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14198&parent_id=14198#113643 Supermoon Over Paris

Explanation: Did you see that full Moon Saturday night? Dubbed a supermoon, the latest fully illuminated moon appeared slightly larger than usual because it supermoon, the latest fully illuminated moon appeared slightly larger than usual because it occurred unusually near the closest point in its orbit to Earth. Pictured above, the supermoon was captured Saturday night rising behind the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Of course, the angular extent of the moon in comparison to foreground objects can be adjusted just by changing the observer's distance to the foreground object. When compared to nearby objects the moon may appear tiny, but when compared to distant objects -- the moon may appear huge. Next month yet another full moon is expected, this one appearing about one percent smaller. Browse: Supermoon Image Gallery

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=863&parent_id=863#113642 Mon, 07 May 2012 22:15:43 IneX http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=863&parent_id=863#113642 http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14197&parent_id=14197#113641 Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:08 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14197&parent_id=14197#113641 In the Center of the Omega Nebula

Explanation: In the depths of the dark clouds of dust and molecular gas<...]]> In the Center of the Omega Nebula

Explanation: In the depths of the dark clouds of dust and molecular gas known as the Omega Nebula, stars continue to form. The above image from the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys shows exquisite detail in the famous star-forming region. The dark dust filaments that lace the center of Omega Nebula were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars and in the debris from supernova explosions. The red and blue hues arise from glowing gas heated by the radiation of massive nearby stars. The points of light are the young stars themselves, some brighter than 100 Suns. Dark globules mark even younger systems, clouds of gas and dust just now condensing to form stars and planets. The Omega Nebula lies about 5000 light years away toward the constellation of Sagittarius. The region shown spans about 3000 times the diameter of our Solar System. Gallery: Supermoon 2012

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14196&parent_id=14196#113640 Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:08 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14196&parent_id=14196#113640 Full Moonrise

Explanation: Rising as the Sun sets, tonight's Full Moon could be hard to miss. Remarkably, its exact full Rising as the Sun sets, tonight's Full Moon could be hard to miss. Remarkably, its exact full phase (May 6 03:36 UT) will occur less than two minutes after it reaches perigee, the closest point to Earth in the Moon's orbit, making it the largest Full Moon of 2012. The Full Perigee Moon will appear to be some 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a Full Moon near apogee, the most distant point in the elliptical lunar orbit. In comparison, though, it will appear less than 1 percent larger and almost as bright as April's Full Moon, captured in this telephoto image rising over suburban Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. For that lunation, Full Moon and perigee were about 21 hours apart. Of course, if you manage to miss May's Full Perigee Moon, make a note on your calendar. Your next chance to see a Full Moon close to perigee, will be next year on June 23.

Credit & Copyright]]> http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14195&parent_id=14195#113639 Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:10 [z]Barbara Harris http://www.zorg.ch/gallery.php?show=pic&picID=14195&parent_id=14195#113639 Fermi Epicycles: The Vela Pulsar's Path

Explanation: Exploring the cosmos at extreme energies, the Fermi Gamm...]]> Fermi Epicycles: The Vela Pulsar's Path

Explanation: Exploring the cosmos at extreme energies, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope orbits planet Earth every 95 minutes. By design, it rocks to the north and then to the south on alternate orbits in order to survey the sky with its Large Area Telescope (LAT). The spacecraft also rolls so that solar panels are kept pointed at the Sun for power, and the axis of its orbit precesses like a top, making a complete rotation once every 54 days. As a result of these multiple cycles the paths of gamma-ray sources trace out complex patterns from the spacecraft's perspective, like this mesmerising plot of the path of the Vela Pulsar. Centered on the LAT instrument's field of view, the plot spans 180 degrees and follows Vela's position from August 2008 through August 2010. The concentration near the center shows that Vela was in the sensitive region of the LAT field during much of that period. Born in the death explosion of a massive star within our Milky Way galaxy, the Vela Pulsar is a neutron star spinning 11 times a second, seen as the brightest persistent source in the gamma-ray sky.

Credit & Copyright]]>