Comments on: Hubble Telescope, back on the air! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/ 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. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:34:35 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Arp 147 - A pair of interacting galaxies | Maathiyoose http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-131043 Arp 147 - A pair of interacting galaxies | Maathiyoose Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:55:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/#comment-131043 [...] Source: link [...] [...] Source: link [...]

]]> By: RickJ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-130736 RickJ Sun, 02 Nov 2008 07:33:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/#comment-130736 No way this is due to gravitational lensing. These galaxies are only 400 million light years away. To have lensing you'd need a very massive galaxy between us that the lensed galaxy. Since the proposed lensed galaxy is a ring the lensing massive lensing galaxy would have to be within the ring. Such a galaxy would be very obvious even in a small amateur telescope and would dominate this image. Gravitational lensing distorts not just the galaxy that is lensed but also distorts the individual parts of the galaxy. Same as a fun house mirror would distort all parts of your image. The massive star clusters seen in this galaxy are not distorted at all. Without a collision they are very hard to explain as well. Such a number of these massive clusters is seen only in the case of a collision or near collision. Also the rings formed in both of these galaxies fits computer modeling of direct hit galaxy collisions very well. All lensed galaxies that I know of are at least magnitude 22 and dimmer. This makes them very difficult targets for amateur astronomers to image. I've only managed a couple. Arp 147 is literally hundreds times bigger in angular size in the sky and brighter, thus a rather easy target for amateurs. See my post above. So on four counts this is very certainly not a case of gravitational lensing. There are other arguments against lensing but this should be enough to dispel that idea. No way this is due to gravitational lensing. These galaxies are only 400 million light years away. To have lensing you’d need a very massive galaxy between us that the lensed galaxy. Since the proposed lensed galaxy is a ring the lensing massive lensing galaxy would have to be within the ring. Such a galaxy would be very obvious even in a small amateur telescope and would dominate this image.

Gravitational lensing distorts not just the galaxy that is lensed but also distorts the individual parts of the galaxy. Same as a fun house mirror would distort all parts of your image. The massive star clusters seen in this galaxy are not distorted at all. Without a collision they are very hard to explain as well. Such a number of these massive clusters is seen only in the case of a collision or near collision.

Also the rings formed in both of these galaxies fits computer modeling of direct hit galaxy collisions very well.

All lensed galaxies that I know of are at least magnitude 22 and dimmer. This makes them very difficult targets for amateur astronomers to image. I’ve only managed a couple. Arp 147 is literally hundreds times bigger in angular size in the sky and brighter, thus a rather easy target for amateurs. See my post above.

So on four counts this is very certainly not a case of gravitational lensing. There are other arguments against lensing but this should be enough to dispel that idea.

]]> By: The Proc(r)astinator http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-130531 The Proc(r)astinator Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:31:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/#comment-130531 Absolutely awesome. It's incredible how we (the humankind in general, NASA and HST guys in particular) could manage in that way an instrument as the HST. Good job! Absolutely awesome. It’s incredible how we (the humankind in general, NASA and HST guys in particular) could manage in that way an instrument as the HST. Good job!

]]> By: JediBear http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-130386 JediBear Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:56:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/#comment-130386 One word for this: Cool. One word for this: Cool.

]]> By: John http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-130306 John Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:50:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/#comment-130306 Has gravitational lensing been ruled out? The galaxy on the left looks kind of like some photos of lensing I've seen... Has gravitational lensing been ruled out? The galaxy on the left looks kind of like some photos of lensing I’ve seen…

]]> By: Hubble is back with a perfect 10: Arp 147 - The WebZappr http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-130236 Hubble is back with a perfect 10: Arp 147 - The WebZappr Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:11:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/#comment-130236 [...] with a perfect 10: Arp 147 clipped by: JohnWatermanclipper’s remarks: Wow Clip Source: blogs.discovermagazine.com The Hubble Space Telescope is up and kickin’ once again, and just to prove it, check this puppy [...] [...] with a perfect 10: Arp 147 clipped by: JohnWatermanclipper’s remarks: Wow Clip Source: blogs.discovermagazine.com The Hubble Space Telescope is up and kickin’ once again, and just to prove it, check this puppy [...]

]]> By: RickJ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-130216 RickJ Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:55:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/30/hubble-telescope-back-on-the-air/#comment-130216 Hey, no fair Hubble. I took that image the same time you did but without a backlog of images to process you got yours in all the major papers, mine is just on the baut forum. Mine is even more of "A Perfect .10" as one poster suggested as the star is more dominant after getting bloated by our atmosphere. But I picked up three galaxies over a billion light years away that are around it that Hubble missed! http://www.bautforum.com/astrophotography/80691-perfect-10-a.html Rick Hey, no fair Hubble. I took that image the same time you did but without a backlog of images to process you got yours in all the major papers, mine is just on the baut forum. Mine is even more of “A Perfect .10″ as one poster suggested as the star is more dominant after getting bloated by our atmosphere. But I picked up three galaxies over a billion light years away that are around it that Hubble missed!

http://www.bautforum.com/astrophotography/80691-perfect-10-a.html

Rick

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