Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/08/14 - NGC 2170

NGC 2170 is a spectacular nebular region located in the constellation Monoceros. Part of this beauty lies in the fact that it is a region bearing many different types of nebulae. We have a reflection nebula that is surrounded by other blueish reflection nebulae, black absorption nebulae and a red emission region. Areas such as this tend to be hot beds for star formation activity, which gives us plenty of eye candy to look at.

Speaking of star formation activity; this region lies on the edge of a molecular cloud, which is known as Mon R2. It can be found close in the sky to the Orion nebula, but it is currently estimated to be almost twice as far away (making it around 2,400 light-years from Earth).

NGC 2170 is thought to span about 80 light-years across. Just to give you a sense of how incredibly large this is, our solar system is sometimes estimated to be about 15 light-hours across (one light year extends 9.5 trillion kilometers [or about 6 trillion miles]) The distance that separates our solar system from our closest neighbor (in the Alpha Centauri star system) is about 4.37 light-years. That number only says how long it would take a photon traveling from the sun at the speed of light to reach it, not a space ship or one of the voyager probes (it would take thousands of years to journey to the closest star, Proxima Centauri, going at top speed). In this stellar nebula, it takes light 80 YEARS to travel from one side to the other. Very large indeed!

Sources & Further Reading: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-ngc-2170/

Image Credit: Adam Block, Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, U. Arizona

Spray-on Clothing: It’s Headed Your Way…

n one of the coolest (but least life-changing) developments over the last year or so, scientists at Imperial College London have created a revolutionary technology: Spray-on Clothing. In this case, I suppose that the “scientists” can also be referred to as “fashion designers,” especially as the concoction was created by one of each. The scientist is chemical engineer and professor of particle technology, Paul Luckham, and the fashion designer is concept creator and founder of the company “Fabrican,” Manuel Torres.

The “spray-on” part might make the process sound a little messy, but it is actually relatively tidy.

To find out how they are made, see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/spray-on-clothing/

Image Credit: Manel Torres

Know Your Scientist: Alan Turing

Alan Turing – a brilliant British mathematician and one of the leading scientific geniuses of the 20th century, is regarded as the father of modern computer science and artificial intelligence. Although his name wasn’t widely known outside scientific circles during his lifetime, (his most crucial work was classified top secret until the late 1970s), he became the center of media attention when he was posthumously granted a Royal pardon on December 23, 2013, by Queen Elizabeth II.

Turing cracked the unbreakable German Enigma codes during World War II, shortening the duration of the war and "saving countless lives," according to British Prime Minister David Cameron. Turing was arrested in 1952 for homosexuality, and tried and convicted of" "gross indecency." Homosexuality was a crime in Britain in the 1950s, and Turing was given a choice between prison and chemical castration. The latter involved a series of estrogen injections for one year. He chose chemical castration, received "treatment" for his "disorder," but two years later, he was found dead of an apparent suicide. He was 41 years old.

Read more about this incredible visionary here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/know-your-scientist-alan-turing/

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/05/14 - IC 4678

This magnificent image has several areas of interest: First and foremost, we have the Lagoon nebula, one of the most photographed star forming regions in our galaxy. Pictured close-by is IC 4678, an emission nebula comprised of glowing red gas, surrounded by intricate filaments of material. Moving onward, we see a small reflection nebula (the small blue area containing two bright stars). Lastly, we have a dark absorption nebula, which contains so much opaque dust, the activity going on inside of the area is obscured from sight.

IC 4678 (and its respective regions) can be found more than 5,000 light-years away in the Sagittarius constellation. Overall, the area spans more than 25 light-years across.

Sources & Further Reading: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-ic-4678/

Image Credit: Ken Siarkiewicz & Adam Block, NOAO, AURA, NSF

A Message from the Vitruvian Man:

In the summer of 2011, in the remote area of the Arctic Ocean, between Greenland and Norway’s Svalbard Islands, a huge piece of ice was used as a canvas by John Quigley, an artist form Los Angeles. He and his volunteer assistants traveled to the Fram Strait on board the Greenpeace icebreaker Arctic Sunrise to construct a giant copy of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous drawing – the “Vitruvian Man.”

The “Melting Vitruvian Man”, as it was called by the artist, half submerged in the warming waters of the Arctic Ocean, resembled a drowning man slowly disappearing into the depths of the ocean. The installation, covering an area the size of four Olympic swimming pools, was created with recycled copper strips, and was on display only for a day. The goal of the project was to deliver an urgent message to the world. “We came here to create the “Melting Vitruvian Man” after Da Vinci’s famous sketch of the human body, because climate change is literally eating into the body of our civilization,” explained Quigley.

See the entirety of his message, here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/a-message-from-the-vitruvian-man/

Image Credit: Nick Cobbing/Greenpeace

Standard Candles - Measuring Cosmic Distances:

Among the various questions we are often asked about, the one that comes to the forefront of the mind deals with how we accurately estimate how distant objects truly are from us. It"s a difficult task all together since humans are inherently incapable of truly grasping how large the distance that separates the sun from Pluto or the Oort cloud is (not to mention our crappy depth perception) -- let alone trying to wrap your mind around the 4.37 light-year gap separating our solar system and its closest neighbors in the Alpha Centauri system. Then, we must contemplate the vastness of the universe outside of our peripheral view.. like, all of the planetary systems across our galaxy at large and of our local group -- a region of space containing more than 54 galaxies. We know that much more exists beyond our local group, which brings us to the point of this article... how exactly are distances measured? Lets take a look:

First up, Cepheid variable stars: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/measuring-cosmic-distances/

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cal-tech

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/04/14 - The Fireworks Galaxy

To start off 2014 right, this is the Fireworks Galaxy, aptly named given its brilliance. NGC 6946, as it is formally known as, lies about 10 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of Cepheus. When it was originally discovered by Sir William Herschel, the galaxy was widely believed to be a member of our local group, which is made up of over 50 galaxies, including several other dwarf-galaxies. It wasn"t until years later that astronomers discovered that the reddening seen enveloping the galaxy was from interstellar dust grains, obscuring our view (instead of red-shift).

Speaking of red, the applicable areas are star forming regions, teeming with new-life -- while the blue bits are actually celestial members of our own galaxy, which are obstructing our view of NGC 6946. Interestingly, several new supernova remnants have been discovered each year for the last 60 lurking within NGC 6946"s spiral arms. This is very unusual, as it is normal to only witness one supernova blast every 30 years in galaxies similar to our own.

References & Further Reading: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-fireworks-galaxy/

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (U. of Ariz./Inst. of Astr., U. of Cambridge) and the SINGS Team

Hubble Variable 1: The Star That Changed the Universe

Today we know that the Universe is filled with billions upon billions of galaxies, but in the early 1900s, it was widely accepted that the Milky Way was a single collection of stars with nothing beyond it. Andromeda, and other galaxies, were believed to just be ‘spiral nebulae’ lying within the Milky Way. However, there were telltale clues that astronomers could use to determine the distance between Andromeda and Earth, one of which is Cepheid variable stars. Stars of this type have very predictable patterns of brightness, which we can derive a light curve from -- thus making variable stars reliable distance markers.

This gave way to the discovery of many of the most fundamental concepts in modern astronomy.

Learn about how one star was able to revolutionize how we saw the universe, at
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/hubble-variable-1-the-star-that-changed-the-universe/

Image Credit: S. Beckwith & the HUDF Working Group (STScI), HST, ESA, NASA

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 12/30/13 - A Cosmic Superbubble

This striking "cosmic superbubble" lies near the star cluster known as NGC 1929, which is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud -- one of the small satellite galaxies of the Milky Way.

Taken using the European Space Observatory"s "Very Large Telescope," here, you can see the many regions in the nebula, officially known as LHA 120-N 44, that are actively producing new stars. Said young stars are beaming intense rays of ultraviolet radiation into the surrounding expanse of space, causing the gas present to glow this brilliant shade of red.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, this region of space is inhabited by a super-bubble. Cosmic phenomena that shape this kind of structure do not actually form conventional bubbles. Instead, they are vast shells of material (such as gas and dust) that are shaped by the destructive forces of the UV radiation emanating from the central stars.

N 44 (the bubble"s formal classification) is actually very large. Its dimensions are estimated to be about 325 light-years by 250 LY. For instance, WASP-10b is a planetary system located about 300 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Pegasus. While our nearest galactic neighbors lie a little more than 4 light-years from Earth in the Alpha Centauri system. This bubble is so large, it could encase all three planetary systems!

Sources & Additional References: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-a-cosmic-superbubble/

Image Credit: Manu Mejias/ESO

Your Particle Physics Guide (1/2)

Here at From Quarks To Quasars, we like to cover particle physics topics regularly. The content is abstract and difficult enough to comprehend as it is. But what can further compound the problem for the average science enthusiast is the array of jargon we sometimes use, that is, the unique expressions typically associated with the field of science. Ultimately, showing someone the standard model and then expecting them to understand particle physics is a bit like someone watching a documentary on the pyramids of Giza and then being expected to decipher the cryptic hieroglyphics lining the walls on the inside. Both are things that will take years of study to fully understand (and even then, there is a lot we don"t get).

That being said, we have compiled a beginner"s guide to the basics of the Standard Model terminology, and included some very common misconceptions and descriptions of the more abstract workings.

See the article here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/your-particle-physics-guide-p1/

Unedited Image (Original Source Unknown): http://ow.ly/s7D7r

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 12/29/13 - PKS 0745-19

Located in a galaxy far, far away in the constellation known as Puppis, lies some of the most massive black holes discovered to date. Some of which, weigh any where from ten to four billion solar masses, effectively reaffirming the long held notion that black holes are strange objects indeed, and there is still much that we don"t understand about them.

PKS 0745 is an elliptical galaxy located approximately 1.3 BILLION light-years from Earth, and it is the central galaxy from a cluster of galaxies known as PKS 0745-19. A survey was conducted with eighteen of the supermassive black holes from PKS 0745, including the black hole at PKS 0745"s galactic center. What they found, is that some of these "ultramassive" black holes are over ten times more massive than previously thought. Interestingly, each "ultramassive" black hole currently discovered lurking at the heart of a galaxy contains an abnormally large quantity of hot gas, which produces diffuse x-ray emissions (pictured here in purple). When these black holes munch on stellar material, cavities are created within the surrounding gas, prohibiting the gas from cooling and collapsing to form new stars.

Optical data (yellow) was provided by the Hubble Space Telescope, with x-rays (purple) coming from the Chandra x-ray observatory. Also used in this composite is radio data from the NSF"s "Very Large Array "(JVLA) and the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). Infrared data came from the 2 Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS).

References & Further Reading: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-pks-0745/

Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Stanford/Hlavacek-Larrondo, J. et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA

Making the Moon Habitable

Being the brightest and most prominent feature of the night sky, Earth"s Moon has long been the source of relaxation, inspiration and wonderment. Romanticized through poetry and demonized through Science-Fiction likenesses, it still leaves modern society in awe as much as it did in the primitive stages of human culture as Anthropology study has revealed.

Furthering this fascination, ever since the late Neil Armstrong laid his footprints in the electrically charged and abrasive dust on the lunar surface, humanity has had the desire and ambition to further itself - to be a multi-planetary species. Through very popular movies, such as Aliens, Red Planet and Total Recall, we have the idea of terraformation - that is, turning extraterrestrial worlds into suitable planets for humanity to thrive upon.

But how does the moon fit into the equation? See: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/making-the-moon-habitable/

Larger Image: http://www.infiniteunknown.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/earth_and_moon.jpg

The Sun"s Magnetic Field is Expected to Flip Soon. The End of Earth?

According to NASA, over the course of the next few months, the sun"s magnetic field will flip -- just as it does every 11 years (like clockwork). This event will not be catastrophic but it does sound kind of daunting, so what exactly happens when the sun"s magnetic field flips?

Find out here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-suns-magnetic-field-is-expected-to-flip-soon-the-end-of-earth/

Image Credit: Karen Teramura [UH IfA]

Lake Vostok: Life in one of the most Inhospitable Places on Earth:

Located on the seemingly inhospitable continent of Antarctica (a place with the lowest recorded temperature on the Earth at -89 degrees Celsius), lies a subglacial lake that is 160 miles wide and 30 miles across. This lake has been dubbed Lake Vostok. It is believed that the lake formed some 20 million years ago. Isolated from the rest of the world for at LEAST 100 000 years, Lake Vostok was one of the last untouched places on this globe.

The lake presents itself as an analog for the study of both extremophilic microbial life (and possibly larger organisms) and evolutionary isolation. This inhospitable environment parallels some environments that we think might exist elsewhere in the solar system – either in the subsurface of Mars or on icy moons like Enceladus or even Europa. Ultimately, the search for life on other planets could start here on Earth at Lake Vostok.

Find out how here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/lake-vostok-life-in-one-of-the-most-inhospitable-places-on-earth/

Image Credit: Nicolle Rager-Fuller / NSF

Astronomy Photo of the Day: 12/28/2013 - The Little Ghost Nebula

This eerie image is of vdB 141, otherwise known as “the Ghost Nebula.” The grasping figures that are stretching out of the dust cloud seem oddly reminiscent of the ghostly terrors that plague people in horror stories. Unsurprisingly, these figures are responsible for giving this structuring its title.

Learn about this amazing structure at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-the-little-ghost-nebula/

Image:
NASA

How and Why did Newton Develop Such a Complicated Math?

To many people, there’s a certain four letter word that strikes great fear into their hearts: math. Mathematics has a reputation for being a subject of the elite--a terrible, confusing, jumbled mess of illogical expressions and rules, which many people just give up trying to decipher at some point. Nevertheless, many students of mathematics (formal and informal), persevere through years of algebra and arithmetic to find themselves facing a very different beast – Calculus.



In truth, mathematics IS complicated and advanced, and it took hundreds of years to develop this language--the language that can accurately describe the universe we live in. Initially, math arose to solve problems and predict outcomes in everyday life, and as humans became more interested in how the world worked, they were faced with limitations of their current mathematical theories – which is why many people throughout history worked to create new and better models of nature, leading to advanced mathematics – here is how Newton (among others) created some of the most dreaded mathematical equations that we know today.

Find out how here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/how-and-why-did-newton-develop-such-a-complicated-math/

IC 1101 - The Largest Galaxy Ever Found

Galaxies. The Universe is littered with them. They have speckled the vast darkness of intergalactic space with points of light for 13-billion years now, giving birth to numerous twinkly stars and fleeting planets along the way.

Galaxies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are large, some are small, some are inconceivably bright, while others fade into the background.

But one galaxy stands apart from the pack: IC 1101

Find out more about the largest galaxy in the universe, here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/ic-1101-the-largest-galaxy-ever-found/

Image Credit: NASA

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 12/26/13 - The Celestial Snow Angel

In this awesome image, captured by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, we see a stellar nursery. But this isn"t just any nursery; it seems that these stellar babies are guarded by a colossal celestial angel. Talk about a mind-blowing case of pareidolia, right?

The region, dubbed Sharpless 2-106 (otherwise known as Sh2-106 or S106), is located more than 2,000 light-years away in the constellation of Cygnus. One massive star is responsible for the bulk of the properties seen in the area. The angel shape was created by twin lobes of superheated gas expanding in two separate directions from the central region (where the star remains).

Inside the wings of our angel, we can see the stark contrast between the heat and the motion of the gas, projected with a much colder medium. Through interactions between the gas, dust, and the interstellar medium, we get the hour-glass shape seen surrounding the central star.

Sources & Additional Resources: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/apod-sharples-2-106/

Image Credit: NASA/ESA

Know Your Scientist: Nikola Tesla

Once in a century a genius of Nikola Tesla’s magnitude is born who ushers in a new age of consciousness, imagination, and creativity. Sometimes humanity is ready for such genius. Other times it is incapable of absorbing the paradigm shift—the new ideas that appear to be out of sync with established scientific truths.

So, why exactly is Tesla regarded as a trailblazer in science? Find out: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/know-your-scientist-nikola-tesla/

Unedited Image Source: http://wallpapersmap.com/nikola-tesla-hd-wallpaper.html

New Research Suggests Our Sun Won"t Form a Planetary Nebula

You have probably heard that the Sun will turn into a red giant in about 5 billion years. And you probably know that this will result in not-so-fun times for any being still on planet Earth. As it transitions from a main sequence star into a red giant, the outer layers of the Sun will expand across the solar system. When this happens, our life-giving star will turn into an object of utter destruction. The Sun will expand beyond Mercury. It will expand beyond Venus. It will sweep across the entirety of the inner solar system in a mere 5 million years. When it finally stops its expansion, the searing tips of the solar surface will rest beyond the bounds of Earth’s orbit. In short: if we aren’t knocked out of the solar system as the Sun expands, or moved into a larger orbit as it loses mass...we will be consumed.

But what happens to the Sun after it becomes a red giant? We have a pretty good handle on the fate of our own world...but what about the Sun itself?

We once thought it would turn into a planetary nebula, but we might be wrong on that one.

Read More: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/new-research-suggests-our-sun-wont-form-a-planetary-nebula/

Image Credit: ESO/S. Steinhöfel