Hubble Captures 'Perfect Storm' In Space

Ananova ^ | 4-25-2003

[blam]

Hubble captures 'perfect storm' in space

Astronomers say images of a perfect storm have been captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

A storm - a region of turbulent gas and radiation which resembles a raging sea - has been discovered far out in space.

The image is being released to commemorate the 13th anniversary of Hubble's launch, and shows a small area within a hotbed of star formation called M17.

Also known as the Omega or Swan Nebula, it is located about 5,500 light years away, in the constellation of Sagittarius.

Within the nebula, glowing gas is sculpted into furious looking waves by a torrent of ultraviolet radiation from young, massive stars.

The UV light is carving and heating the surfaces of cold hydrogen gas clouds, which in the Hubble image glow orange and red.

Intense heat and pressure cause some material to stream away from the surfaces, creating a luminous veil of even hotter greenish gas that masks background structures.

The image is roughly three light-years across - almost the distance from the Earth to the nearest star.

Different colours are generated by different gases. Red represents sulphur, green hydrogen, and blue oxygen.

Story filed: 15:40 Friday 25th April 2003

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Wow, that's pretty wild!

[MinuteGal]

Duck for incoming ink-blot sightings!

Like Abraham Lincoln, a tit-mouse with bat-like wings, and a clenched fist.

I hate when I do this.

Leni

[MinuteGal]

Oh, my, I also see a running man, a pig-like face with beady eyes and a snout, and a jet-propelled angel.

I really must stop doing this.

Leni

[NormsRevenge]

Cool! .. in the constellation of Sagittarius.

The Horsehead Nebula in the Orion constellation is pretty intense as well

[KillTime]

For NASA's pic of the day, check out the link below. 25 APR is the one with this outstanding storm.

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

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[King David]

OMG! It's about to capsize the Andrea Gale! They never should have gone that far out to the Outer Banks for those fish!!

[strela]

Uhhh, doesn't Hubble have to be serviced every few years? With the Shuttle fleet grounded, I can only hope that nothing out-of-the-ordinary happens to Hubble until the next servicing mission. It would be a crime not to get to see pictures like this one any more.

[freedumb2003]

OMG! It's about to capsize the Andrea Gale! They never should have gone that far out to the Outer Banks for those fish!!

Hey, watch out. The captain's widow will sue you for suggesting her dead husband screwed up (anyone know what ever happened with that lawsuit?)

;)

[Luna]

That is sooooooo cool.

[Duke Nukum]

I see the bat, but Abe Lincoln looks more like the Mad Hatter to me. And the fist looks more like a discolored heart to me.

[ErnBatavia]

I see the statue of Saddam toppling...

[EternalVigilance]

Unequaled art...direct from the Master's Hand...

[Bahbah]

I see the pig, I see the pig.

[rudypoot]

I see dead people.

[Glenn]

I see dead people.

Lucky you. I only hear them. Always whining about something or another.

[MinuteGal]

Not only the pig, but a Pontiac hood ornament right above Henry Waxman's left nostril.

(slow news night, isn't it?)

Leni

[tet68]

Kinda reminds me of the Sistine chapel ceiling,
imagine finding that painted in a prehistoric cave somewhere.

[RightWhale]

This is the APOD which is one of the few bump lists that always has something great on it.