Archive for the 'Space' Category

Three Great Space Photos

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on June 10, 2009
in Space
. 2 Comments

Hello and welcome to RayFowler.org. If you are new here, be sure to subscribe by email or feed reader so that you don't miss any future posts. You can also check out the Top Posts page to get a feel for the site. Thanks for visiting!

Triple Galaxy

Arp 274 Triple Galaxy Group | Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope took a closer look at this triple galaxy group on April 1 and 2 after 140,000 people around the world voted on six potential targets. The areas have previously only been photographed by ground-based telescopes. The Arp 274 galaxy group won the competition with more than 67,000 votes …

The galaxies to the right and left show blueish lights, evidence of rapid star formation. Older stars are more yellow. The group is located in the constellation Virgo, 400 million light years away from Earth. The two bright stars at the right of the image are actually located in our own galaxy. (HT: Wired Science)

The Milky Way and Jupiter

Milky Way and Jupiter | False Kiva

This picture was taken in Eastern Utah. Details: The America Southwest is home to thousands of caves that were once home for millenniums of various Indian cliff dwellers. Few are as hauntingly beautiful as “False Kiva”, given it’s name for the round stone circle that normally would have a room below, but in this case does not. This hidden cave sits half way down a mesa cliff and has a stunning “room with a view” of the Monument Valley like rock formations in eastern Utah. One can only imagine the thousands of times individuals through the ages saw this same view of Jupiter and the Milky Way parade across the heavens from their very own back yard. (HT: AstroPics.com)

Eye in the Sky

Helix Nebula

A spectacular “cosmic eye” has been photographed in space by a telescope in Chile, showing a distant nebula in which Sunlike stars are burning themselves out.

The image of the Helix nebula, which lies 700 light years in the constellation Aquarius, was captured with the Wide Field Imager instrument at the European La Silla Observatory.

The Helix is a planetary nebula – a kind of stellar old people’s home, in which stars at the end of their lives shed clouds of gas, often creating intricate patterns that shine with great beauty. The Helix nebula is one of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth but it is hard to see visually because its light is spread thinly over a large area of sky, a quarter of the size of the full Moon. In this image a rich background of distant galaxies can also be seen.

The main ring of the Helix nebula is about two light years across, or half the distance between the Sun and the nearest star. Around the inside of the ring, it is possible to see small blobs that resemble droplets of water, known as “cometary knots”, which have faint tails that extend away from the central star. (HT: Times Online)

Click here for more Space related posts and photos.

Time-Lapse Video of the Milky Way Rising

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on May 19, 2009
in Space and Video
. 2 Comments

William Castleman captured this stunning time-lapse video of the Milky Way rising over a Texas Star Party in April. This is absolutely gorgeous. (It takes just a minute to load, but it is well worth the wait.)

(Video length: 0:48)

Details:
- Texas Star Party; Night Sky Time-Lapse Video
- 9:20 PM to 6:43 AM CDT; April 21-22, 2009
- Canon EOS-5D (modified) and EF 15mm Fisheye Lens @ f/2.8
- Camera on Tripod facing East South East
- 20 second exposure each minute per frame; 15 frames per second

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)

Click here for more Space related posts.

What Was the Star of Bethlehem?

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on December 10, 2008
in Christmas and Space
. 10 Comments

Star of Bethlehem

What was the Star of Bethlehem? There have been many attempts over the years to identify this star. Here are the four most common explanations:

  1. A comet: The early church father Origen was the first to suggest that the star may really have been a comet. Halley’s Comet made an appearance in 12 B.C., but that is much too early for Christ’s birth. Another comet appeared for about seventy days in March and April of 5 B.C. That is closer to the time frame of Christ’s birth, but it does not explain the miraculous movement of the star toward Bethlehem. Also, comets were generally considered bad omens rather than bearers of good news.
  2. A conjunction of planets: Others suggest that the star was a conjunction of planets. Johannes Kepler, one of the fathers of modern astronomy, pointed to the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 B.C. (later joined by Mars in February of 6 B.C.). However, the timing is still not right, nor does it explain the movement of the star. Also, planetary conjunctions are relatively brief events, lasting at the most for several nights and in their most compact configurations for only a few hours.

    3. Planetary Conjunction | Star of Bethlehem | Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn as they would have appeared over the western horizon in the constellation Pisces during Feburary of 6 B.C.
    (Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn as they would have appeared over the western horizon in the constellation Pisces during Feburary of 6 B.C.)

  3. A supernova: Kepler preferred a different explanation – that the Magi saw a star that had gone supernova. A supernova is basically an exploding star. It is a spectacular event as the star suddenly flares up in brilliance and maintains that brilliance over a period of time due to a series of internal explosions. The last supernova that occurred in our own Milky Way galaxy took place in 1604. The star was so bright you could see it in the daytime. The ancients sometimes got comets and novas confused. They often called novas “comets without a tail.” There are reports of a tailless comet in the year 4 B.C. which may actually have been a nova. The timing is close, but once again it does not account for the movement of the star.
  4. A manifestation of God’s glory: Some suggest that the star was a manifestation of God’s glory, similar to the shining cloud that led the Israelites through the wilderness, except higher in the sky. The advantage of this suggestion is that the cloud in the desert is an actual example from the Bible of a shining object that moved and stopped and guided those who followed. This is a good possibility, but then you have to wonder why the Magi called it a star. Perhaps that was the only word they had available to describe what they were seeing.

We cannot really explain the Star of Bethlehem, but when all is said and done, we have something better than an explanation. We have a mystery. We have a miracle. And the miracle of the Star of Bethlehem is one of the many wonders of the Christmas story that draws our hearts to worship the Lord each Christmas season. What do you think about the Star of Bethlehem?

This post was adapted from part of a sermon on the Star of Bethlehem.
Related post: God’s Purpose for the Star of Bethlehem
Click here for more Christmas related posts.
Click here for more Space related posts.

____________________________________________________________

Did you enjoy this post? Click to subscribe by email or feed reader so that you don’t miss any future posts.

Smiley Face in the Sky

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on December 2, 2008
in Space
. 5 Comments

Jupiter, Venus and the Crescent Moon | Photo: Martin Cooper

Did you see it last night? I saw it here in Massachusetts, and it was stunningly beautiful — right after sunset, Jupiter and Venus hanging low over the horizon in the southwestern sky with the crescent moon hovering just above. Jupiter and Venus are in conjunction right now, just two degrees apart, and the moon is a waxing crescent. In Australia and other southern latitudes the three celestial objects formed a great big happy face in the heavens, but here in North America it was more of an upside-down frown. Either way, it was a pretty neat display in the sky.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. (Genesis 1:14-15)

Click here for more Space related posts.

Star Wars Pumpkins

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on October 31, 2008
in Fun and Space
. 0 Comments

Check out these neat Star Wars pumpkins. Now that’s some fancy carving. I like the Death Star one the best. (Click on the image for a larger picture.)

Stormtrooper Pumpkin   Yoda Pumpkin   Darth Vader Pumpkin   Death Star Pumpkin

Do you need a lightsaber to carve a pumpkin like that? Visit Wired.com to see more Star Wars pumpkins, including R2-D2, C-3PO, General Grievous and Chewbacca! (HT: Verum Serum)

Related posts:

Sun Animation

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on October 17, 2008
in Space
. 0 Comments

Here is a neat animation of the sun from The Big Picture. Depending on your connection speed, it might take a minute to load and start spinning for you.

Animation of the Sun | The Big Picture

“An animation of the sun, seen by NASA’s Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) over the course of 6 days, starting June 27, 2005.” (Courtesy of SOHO/EIT consortium)

“In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.” (Psalm 19:4-6)

Visit The Big Picture for more amazing pictures of the Sun.

Related post: The Size of the Earth Compared to Other Objects in Space

Jupiter Over Ephesus

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on July 23, 2008
in Space
. 0 Comments

Here is a beautiful picture of Jupiter over the city of Ephesus.

Jupiter over Ephesus | Hadrianus Center

Astronomy Picture of the Day – July 18, 2008

Explanation:  Recorded late last month, this moving skyscape features Jupiter above the southeastern horizon and the marbled streets of the ancient port city of Ephesus, located in modern day Turkey. At the left is a temple dedicated to the Roman emperor Hadrian. The beautiful night sky also includes the arc of the northern summer Milky Way. Lights on the horizon are from the nearby town of Selçuk.

Endeavour Space Walk Pictures

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on July 2, 2008
in Space
. 2 Comments

Here are some great space walk pictures from the space shuttle Endeavour’s TST-118 mission in August 2007. (Click on the picture for a larger image.)

Space Shuttle Endeavour (Endeavor) | Mission TST-118 | August 2007

Space Shuttle Endeavour (Endeavor) | Mission TST-118 | August 2007

Can you imagine looking down on our planet from such a height? Just beautiful.

Click here for more International Space Station photos.
Click here for more Space related posts.

Solstice Moon Illusion

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on June 17, 2008
in Space
. 3 Comments

Do you want to see a giant moon? Step outside after sunset Wednesday night and look to the horizon on the east. You will see a huge moon rising into the sky.

Solstice Moon | Manchester, MD

The full Moon of June 18th is a “solstice moon”, coming only two days before the beginning of northern summer. This is significant because the sun and full Moon are like kids on a see-saw; when one is high, the other is low. This week’s high solstice sun gives us a low, horizon-hugging Moon and a strong Moon Illusion.

Sky watchers have known for thousands of years that low-hanging moons look unnaturally big. At first, astronomers thought the atmosphere must be magnifying the Moon near the horizon, but cameras showed that is not the case. Moons on film are the same size regardless of elevation … Apparently, only human beings see giant moons.

Are we crazy?

After all these years, scientists still aren’t sure. When you look at the Moon, rays of moonlight converge and form an image about 0.15 mm wide on the retina in the back of your eye. High moons and low moons make the same sized spot, yet the brain insists one is bigger than the other.

To learn more about the Solstice Moon Illusion, visit the Science & Nasa page.

Click links below for more Moon related posts:

Click here for more Space related posts.

Cassini Photos of Saturn

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on June 13, 2008
in Space
. 0 Comments

Here is a picture of Saturn backlit by the sun taken by the Cassini Spacecraft. Cassini is scheduled to complete its four-year prime mission on June 30th and will then enter its extended mission.

Saturn Backlit by the Sun | Cassini
                        (Click on the picture for larger version.)

Visit The Big Picture for eleven more stunning photographs of Saturn taken by the Cassini Spacecraft.

Powers of 10 Video

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on May 26, 2008
in Science and Space
. 2 Comments

Here is a great video showing the relative sizes of things in the universe, first zooming out by powers of ten beyond the borders of our galaxy, and then zooming in by powers of ten right down to the quantum level. This short film was produced in the 1970’s by Charles and Ray Eames for IBM.

Video length: (9:02)

Related posts:

Anatomy of a Black Hole

Published
by
Ray Fowler
on April 3, 2008
in Space
. 0 Comments

Anatomy of a Black Hole

Check out this very neat and educational flash animation explaining the anatomy of a black hole. You can click through the presentation at your own pace. (HT: Presurfer)

Click here for more Space related posts.