Comments on: The Dust of Magellan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:21:36 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Bertrum http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/comment-page-1/#comment-20274 Bertrum Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:24:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/#comment-20274 Any one else see the space monkey just above the centre of the image? Any one else see the space monkey just above the centre of the image?

]]> By: MLP I; “The dust of Magellan” « The Ironism http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/comment-page-1/#comment-20254 MLP I; “The dust of Magellan” « The Ironism Thu, 07 Sep 2006 21:21:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/#comment-20254 [...] This is seriously cool stuff!   [...] [...] This is seriously cool stuff!   [...]

]]> By: Irishman http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/comment-page-1/#comment-20255 Irishman Thu, 07 Sep 2006 15:26:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/#comment-20255 Zavatar said: >If te image is seven degrees across, does that mean that the Magellan Cloud is actually 7 degrees across in the night sky? Yes, that is what is meant. The combination of the size of the Megallanic Cloud and the distance away gives a size that covers 7 degrees of the sky. Eh Nonymous said: >Why do you assume it’s a carve-out, a bubble, rather than being dust? You wrote, ” fuzziness appears to be cleared out in a circular shape (with a little uvula thingy hanging down). Why? I’m not sure. Maybe a bunch of stars blew up around the same time and cleared that region out. ” >Um, it’s a nebula… there’s intervening dust, which absorbs and then re-radiates… hm… which might show up in IR, or might not, depending… Besides the answer Phil already gave, look at the image. See all those bright spots in the black background? Distant stars or even more distant galaxies. If it were intervening dust that somehow wasn't hot enough to glow in the IR image, then it would be black with no stars visible. Zavatar said:
>If te image is seven degrees across, does that mean that the Magellan Cloud is actually 7 degrees across in the night sky?

Yes, that is what is meant. The combination of the size of the Megallanic Cloud and the distance away gives a size that covers 7 degrees of the sky.

Eh Nonymous said:
>Why do you assume it’s a carve-out, a bubble, rather than being dust? You wrote, ” fuzziness appears to be cleared out in a circular shape (with a little uvula thingy hanging down). Why? I’m not sure. Maybe a bunch of stars blew up around the same time and cleared that region out. ”

>Um, it’s a nebula… there’s intervening dust, which absorbs and then re-radiates… hm… which might show up in IR, or might not, depending…

Besides the answer Phil already gave, look at the image. See all those bright spots in the black background? Distant stars or even more distant galaxies. If it were intervening dust that somehow wasn’t hot enough to glow in the IR image, then it would be black with no stars visible.

]]> By: icemith http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/comment-page-1/#comment-20256 icemith Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:45:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/#comment-20256 Make that triple. My head is full of questions, just can't help it. Re the stereoscopic view, would the starry background be sufficiently separated from the main subject, the LMC, (or any other subject for that matter), to resolve that subject much more clearly, as it should stand out somewhat. I'm guessing that anyway. It may even show which stars, galaxies - well, star systems anyway, and whispy clouds of dust or whatever, is in reality, in front. And what's with the small dark, I hesitate to say *black*, voids amidst the carpet of blue? They could be resolved as unlit opaque dust , or actually holes right through to nothingness. any other ideas? Ivan. Make that triple. My head is full of questions, just can’t help it.

Re the stereoscopic view, would the starry background be sufficiently separated from the main subject, the LMC, (or any other subject for that matter), to resolve that subject much more clearly, as it should stand out somewhat. I’m guessing that anyway.

It may even show which stars, galaxies – well, star systems anyway, and whispy clouds of dust or whatever, is in reality, in front. And what’s with the small dark, I hesitate to say *black*, voids amidst the carpet of blue? They could be resolved as unlit opaque dust , or actually holes right through to nothingness. any other ideas?

Ivan.

]]> By: icemith http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/comment-page-1/#comment-20258 icemith Thu, 07 Sep 2006 12:11:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/#comment-20258 Double post I know, but would a *stereo* shot in the infra-red spectrum, yield any useful information? Or even a meaningful image? I do not recall any IR shots that are not normally fuzzy and indistinct. Maybe on the scale that the LMC shot is processed, that may not apply. Ivan. Double post I know, but would a *stereo* shot in the infra-red spectrum, yield any useful information? Or even a meaningful image? I do not recall any IR shots that are not normally fuzzy and indistinct. Maybe on the scale that the LMC shot is processed, that may not apply.

Ivan.

]]> By: icemith http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/comment-page-1/#comment-20257 icemith Thu, 07 Sep 2006 12:00:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/#comment-20257 Beautiful photo. I'm waiting now for the Left photo to make up the stereo pair! Can someone get that taken from Pluto. I know it's another 300000 shots, but it would make a good baseline. Even better, get another lot in 120 years time when Pluto is on the other side of the Sun. Now that would be a decent stereo shot! Ivan. Beautiful photo.

I’m waiting now for the Left photo to make up the stereo pair!

Can someone get that taken from Pluto. I know it’s another 300000 shots, but it would make a good baseline. Even better, get another lot in 120 years time when Pluto is on the other side of the Sun. Now that would be a decent stereo shot!

Ivan.

]]> By: Mendeli http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/comment-page-1/#comment-20259 Mendeli Thu, 07 Sep 2006 11:32:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/06/the-dust-of-magellan/#comment-20259 I was thinking about using that picture as a background image for a spaceship action game. I think it will probably be okay since its going to be a free game anyways. That picture will be just perfect for background graphics, I think. I'll ditch my crappy photoshop star dust thingie :) I was thinking about using that picture as a background image for a spaceship action game. I think it will probably be okay since its going to be a free game anyways. That picture will be just perfect for background graphics, I think. I’ll ditch my crappy photoshop star dust thingie :)

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