Astronomt Picture for Today

nasa ^ | 01/26/2006 | DG

[HOTTIEBOY]

Light Echoes from V838 Mon
Credit: NASA and the Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI)

Explanation: What caused this outburst of V838 Mon? For reasons unknown, star V838 Mon's outer surface suddenly greatly expanded with the result that it became the brightest star in the entire Milky Way Galaxy in January 2002. Then, just as suddenly, it faded. A stellar flash like this has never been seen before -- supernovas and novas expel matter out into space. Although the V838 Mon flash appears to expel material into space, what is seen in the above image from the Hubble Space Telescope is actually an outwardly moving light echo of the bright flash. In a light echo, light from the flash is reflected by successively more distant rings in the complex array of ambient interstellar dust that already surrounded the star. V838 Mon lies about 20,000 light years away toward the constellation of the unicorn (Monoceros), while the light echo above spans about six light years in diameter.

[HOTTIEBOY]

Something that incomprehensibly huge makes the light echo appear to be standing still. Actually this one is moving about 670 million miles per hour or 186,000 miles per second.

[martin_fierro]

A propos of nothing:

OK, back to work here.

[Appalled but Not Surprised]

186,000 miles per second.>>

Not just a good idea--it's the LAW!

[thoughtomator]

in before the ping!

[RockinRight]

What's "Astronomt?"

[HOTTIEBOY]

PING

[Woman on Caroline Street]

Lovely as always, HB. I really enjoy your daily ping!

(Oh no. Now I have another Monty Python scene in my brain...."And this is the machine that goes PING!")

[PaulaB]

Put me on that ping list

pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[HOTTIEBOY]

Too fast for me....no fair. I got a phone call right after the post.

RockinRight,
The typo came from a big bandage on my middle finger. Wanna see it? LOL
Maybe the mods can fix it for me.

[HOTTIEBOY]

You said it and it shall be done.

[Maximus of Texas]

Careful. She's got some unbelievable powers.

[PaulaB]

[HOTTIEBOY]

I will be.

And see if you can help her get that "e" key fixed.

[Maximus of Texas]

Tried but can't. She won't let go of her TRS-80 computer.

[PaulaB]

And see if you can help her get that "e" key fixed.

Someone want to let me in on the joke?

I just know "e" stands for exceptional

[HOTTIEBOY]

I was googling for a Commodore 64 when I found this site.
Pretty interesting.

[Maximus of Texas]

See your post #8.

[HOTTIEBOY]

Usually if you tap the key a few times it will free up. Otherwise you has to pry it up with something.

[countorlock]

Astronomy potd really needs to discover that there are other telescopes than the hubble.

[countorlock]

But I appreciate you posting them.