Comments on: A new old view of an old friend

By: Nebular, Dude! | Atheism From Below

Nebular, Dude! | Atheism From Below — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02:38:15 +0000

[...] in January 2011 Phil Plait, The Bad Astronomer, made a post about the Orion Nebula. I was somewhat confused and wrote him an e-mail regarding the size of the nebula. Well, our [...]

By: Neil Haggath

Neil Haggath — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:39:28 +0000

#5 AndyD:
That Jesus guy gets around a bit, doesn’t he? Just a few years ago, he was in the Eagle Nebula, and now…
Cue God Squad loony headlines about “Mary and Jesus are alive in the Orion Nebula!”…

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:18:27 +0000

Stunning!

By: Charles

Charles — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 05:05:56 +0000

For Ross, or anyone else wanting a 3D visualization: I recommend seeing the recent Imax 3D Space Shuttle movie. It includes a trip to (and into, and through) the Orion Nebula that was constructed in 3D from various Hubble photographs (and some conjecture obviously), and it’s simply stunning.

By: Astro Ash!!

Astro Ash!! — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:47:59 +0000

I’m not atheist, but I think Phil Plait is one of the most magnificant astronomer that ever lived!!! I think you are spectacular just like the picture above! I believe in God, but I know just because someone is atheist does not mean they are a bad person and I just to say thanks for being a good roimodel for me and my great story i am writing. Never give up-Ashlynn

By: Cosmonut

Cosmonut — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:22:44 +0000

Why do these posts always seem to provoke bickering about God?

Our Universe is magnificent and awe-inspiring.
If your appreciation of it is heightened by believing in a Deistic “Something-Beyond-It-All”, great !
If just contemplating the Universe is good enough for you, that’s great too.

Why fight?

By: Crudely Wrott

Crudely Wrott — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:13:28 +0000

@18, Larian, thanks for reminding me that creation stories, like tribes and nomads and fledgling societies and even fairly sophisticated societies that accept them, are pretty much a dime a dozen. From a historical perspective, of course.
While horrific acts that occurred in the past are disturbing and mostly recalled through a veil of retelling and allegory, when they happen now, nearby, they can incite such as we see ourselves presently saddled with. As a result of giving tacit approval to at least one creation story (if more than one then one is considered correct and any others are granted lip service), privilege is extended in an obviously biased way to an unremarkable few in an unconstitutional way.
Not only that, the mere scent of such assumptions should put everyone on guard; it is a familiar spoor.
Keep on truckin’!

@22, The Beer, truth is, the Orion Nebula is practically rubbing elbows with us. Look at the Hubble Deep Field pictures and remind yourself that each of the myriad galaxies you see contain a similar myriad of nebulae . . . that’s the wide view.
To resolve the solar system your field of view is necessarily restricted to a very small portion of what can be seen. I picture it as the difference between looking at the setting sun and feeling part of a larger scheme and then looking down at a spider trying to hide under your foot and feeling like part of a smaller scheme.
Which just makes it deeper.

Thanks, Phil. You really deliver.

By: Ross

Ross — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:47:42 +0000

This is one instance where some 3d visualization would go a long way to helping us non-astronomers comprehend the shapes and features Phil describes.

By: QuietDesperation

QuietDesperation — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:31:11 +0000

Has anyone ever rendered an image of what it would look like inside one of these nebulae? I know we get fooled by the long exposures of pictures like this, and the nebula would be very diffuse up close, but it would still be interesting to see a scientifically accurate rendering instead of the blinding, glowy technicolor clouds we see in the moovies.

By: CameronSS

CameronSS — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:36:11 +0000

Phil: Thanks, I should actually try clicking links sometime. Still requires cropping, though, because I need widescreen and widerscreen. I guess I’ll just have to suck it up and chop something off.