Comments on: The delicate aftermath of cosmic violence http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/ 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. Fri, 25 May 2012 07:33:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tammy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-382887 Tammy Fri, 13 May 2011 03:06:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-382887 I just posted a sonnet about this on http://zongrik.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/sonnet-xxxi/ I just posted a sonnet about this on http://zongrik.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/sonnet-xxxi/

]]> By: J. Rich http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381447 J. Rich Fri, 06 May 2011 01:53:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381447 @15 That is almost certainly an image artifact (or satellite?), it is incredibly linear and extends the length of the field. Compare DSS images and the lovely color image in the article and you do not see the same structure. http://archive.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_form?target=AM0738-692&resolver=SIMBAD @15 That is almost certainly an image artifact (or satellite?), it is incredibly linear and extends the length of the field. Compare DSS images and the lovely color image in the article and you do not see the same structure.

http://archive.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_form?target=AM0738-692&resolver=SIMBAD

]]> By: Sion http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381319 Sion Thu, 05 May 2011 14:57:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381319 I have a somewhat related question...looking at the radio survey image in the report you linked (http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/555/1/232/fg2.h.gif) there is a diagonal, dotted line going out both directions from AM0738-692. What would this be? I see nothing like that in any of the other galaxies in the image and it doesn't look like an artifact of processing. If this was the galaxy that interacted with NGC 2442, is this some sort of emission resulting from that? I have a somewhat related question…looking at the radio survey image in the report you linked (http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/555/1/232/fg2.h.gif) there is a diagonal, dotted line going out both directions from AM0738-692.

What would this be? I see nothing like that in any of the other galaxies in the image and it doesn’t look like an artifact of processing. If this was the galaxy that interacted with NGC 2442, is this some sort of emission resulting from that?

]]> By: Messier Tidy Upper http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381301 Messier Tidy Upper Thu, 05 May 2011 13:45:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381301 Reminds me also of these : http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/02/17/the-milquetoasty-way/ An ordinary entirely normal spiral NGC 2841 by way of contrast esp. with the lower image. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/02/04/a-galaxy-thats-all-hat-and-no-head/ Bulge-less but beautiful NGC 3621. & http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/06/21/gravitys-galactic-brushstrokes/ an “aerial fly over” view of spiral galaxy Messier 66. Which is my personal all-time favourite astronomical image. :-) Reminds me also of these :

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/02/17/the-milquetoasty-way/

An ordinary entirely normal spiral NGC 2841 by way of contrast esp. with the lower image.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/02/04/a-galaxy-thats-all-hat-and-no-head/

Bulge-less but beautiful NGC 3621.

&

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/06/21/gravitys-galactic-brushstrokes/

an “aerial fly over” view of spiral galaxy Messier 66. Which is my personal all-time favourite astronomical image. :-)

]]> By: Messier Tidy Upper http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381281 Messier Tidy Upper Thu, 05 May 2011 11:55:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381281 @ ^ J. Rich : Thanks - interesting comment and links there. Appreciated. :-) Superluminous (beyond just brilliant) galaxy images here - that Meathook galaxy has to be one of the best and most distinctive one's I've seen on this blog which is saying a lot! ;-) 8) @ ^ J. Rich : Thanks – interesting comment and links there. Appreciated. :-)

Superluminous (beyond just brilliant) galaxy images here – that Meathook galaxy has to be one of the best and most distinctive one’s I’ve seen on this blog which is saying a lot! ;-) 8)

]]> By: J. Rich http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381211 J. Rich Thu, 05 May 2011 02:13:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381211 Mihos & Bothun have an older paper modelling the interaction of NGC 2442. Their work suggests a recent strong interaction with the little guy you guessed (AM 0738-692) over the bigger neighbor: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?1997ApJ...481..741M Because it's a little guy it didn't perturb NGC 2442 as much as a lower mass-ratio interaction would have and NGC 2442 consequently doesn't show as significant a kinematic disturbance or increase in star formation. A list of folks in the neighborhood for the curious: http://leda.univ-lyon1.fr/fG.cgi?n=0&c=o&p=B073633.0-692501&f=20&ob=ra http://tinyurl.com/3t5snao The larger elliptical to the NW (upper right) is NGC 2434: http://tinyurl.com/3dwn52c The smaller fellow to the NE (upper left) is AM 0738-692 http://tinyurl.com/4557szn And further off is (way to the right and a little up, towards the edge) is NGC 2397 http://tinyurl.com/3v2c7t6 Mihos & Bothun have an older paper modelling the interaction of NGC 2442. Their work suggests a recent strong interaction with the little guy you guessed (AM 0738-692) over the bigger neighbor:

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?1997ApJ…481..741M

Because it’s a little guy it didn’t perturb NGC 2442 as much as a lower mass-ratio interaction would have and NGC 2442 consequently doesn’t show as significant a kinematic disturbance or increase in star formation.

A list of folks in the neighborhood for the curious:

http://leda.univ-lyon1.fr/fG.cgi?n=0&c=o&p=B073633.0-692501&f=20&ob=ra
http://tinyurl.com/3t5snao

The larger elliptical to the NW (upper right) is NGC 2434:
http://tinyurl.com/3dwn52c

The smaller fellow to the NE (upper left) is AM 0738-692
http://tinyurl.com/4557szn

And further off is (way to the right and a little up, towards the edge) is NGC 2397
http://tinyurl.com/3v2c7t6

]]> By: Nick Kunka http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381185 Nick Kunka Wed, 04 May 2011 22:56:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381185 @Arthur: Thanks! So...if we could get up close enough to it, the colors would be true right? Nothing has been color enhanced artificially to turn a bunch of white stuff or stuff outside the visible spectrum visible or colorful for us? @Arthur: Thanks! So…if we could get up close enough to it, the colors would be true right? Nothing has been color enhanced artificially to turn a bunch of white stuff or stuff outside the visible spectrum visible or colorful for us?

]]> By: Meet the Meathook Galaxy | Phathom http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381181 Meet the Meathook Galaxy | Phathom Wed, 04 May 2011 22:27:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381181 [...] here to learn more about NGC 2442. And click here to befriend it on Facebook! Share Categories: [...] [...] here to learn more about NGC 2442. And click here to befriend it on Facebook! Share Categories: [...]

]]> By: Keith Bowden http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381150 Keith Bowden Wed, 04 May 2011 18:26:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381150 Speaking of stars warring and Star Wars Day... http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQAMlTZtjZQ/TcFeki7p3gI/AAAAAAAAATo/tByMU3wm4Uk/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BRocks%2521%2BAwesome%2BPoster-Wallpaper.jpg Speaking of stars warring and Star Wars Day…

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQAMlTZtjZQ/TcFeki7p3gI/AAAAAAAAATo/tByMU3wm4Uk/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BRocks%2521%2BAwesome%2BPoster-Wallpaper.jpg

]]> By: Arthur Maruyama http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381141 Arthur Maruyama Wed, 04 May 2011 17:27:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381141 @ Nick Kunka (#7): The short answer: unfortunately, no. If you ignore the foreground stars of the Milky Way and the background galaxies in the first picture, the view we are seeing in the first picture may be somewhat equivalent to our view of the Andromeda Galaxy. You can see the Andromeda Galaxy yourself IF you have clear, dark skies away from city lights and are in the northern hemisphere, but it more-or-less appears as a fuzzy star (which is basically the core). If you cheat a bit and use binoculars or even a largish (up to 10-inch in diameter) telescope, most of what you can see with your eyes will be a greenish-white haze surrounding the whiter core. Much of the details that you can get via astrophotography is more due to long exposure rather than magnification. These pictures from ESO and Hubble are further enhanced by the use of light filters to help bring out details of scientific interest such as the star-forming regions. Still purdy. And I agree with Tom (#4): you have to rotate the ESO picture roughly 90 degree clockwise rotation to get the Hubble view. @ Nick Kunka (#7):

The short answer: unfortunately, no.

If you ignore the foreground stars of the Milky Way and the background galaxies in the first picture, the view we are seeing in the first picture may be somewhat equivalent to our view of the Andromeda Galaxy. You can see the Andromeda Galaxy yourself IF you have clear, dark skies away from city lights and are in the northern hemisphere, but it more-or-less appears as a fuzzy star (which is basically the core). If you cheat a bit and use binoculars or even a largish (up to 10-inch in diameter) telescope, most of what you can see with your eyes will be a greenish-white haze surrounding the whiter core. Much of the details that you can get via astrophotography is more due to long exposure rather than magnification. These pictures from ESO and Hubble are further enhanced by the use of light filters to help bring out details of scientific interest such as the star-forming regions.

Still purdy.

And I agree with Tom (#4): you have to rotate the ESO picture roughly 90 degree clockwise rotation to get the Hubble view.

]]> By: Nick Kunka http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381122 Nick Kunka Wed, 04 May 2011 15:31:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381122 Dr. Plait, As usual, awesome images and awesome posts. I've always been curious though; are the images from Hubble and some of the larger telescopes like the Chilean one that gave us the first image color corrected or manipulated in any way to give us these beautiful images or is this a faithful image of what the universe and our galactic neighbors look like to the naked eye, but extremely magnified? Thanks! Dr. Plait,

As usual, awesome images and awesome posts. I’ve always been curious though; are the images from Hubble and some of the larger telescopes like the Chilean one that gave us the first image color corrected or manipulated in any way to give us these beautiful images or is this a faithful image of what the universe and our galactic neighbors look like to the naked eye, but extremely magnified? Thanks!

]]> By: David Draper http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381121 David Draper Wed, 04 May 2011 15:29:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381121 Simply gorgeous. Thanks for sharing again and again, Phil. By the way ... Happy Thtar Warth Day. ... May the 4th be with you. :D Simply gorgeous. Thanks for sharing again and again, Phil.

By the way …

Happy Thtar Warth Day. … May the 4th be with you.
:D

]]> By: Larian LeQuella http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381119 Larian LeQuella Wed, 04 May 2011 15:03:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381119 @Alex (#2): *GROAN* Okay, I wish I had thought of it actually, and I am just jealous. :D @Alex (#2): *GROAN*

Okay, I wish I had thought of it actually, and I am just jealous. :D

]]> By: Tom http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381117 Tom Wed, 04 May 2011 14:57:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381117 A 180 degree rotation doesn't make sense... the long axis of the galaxy would still be at a mismatched viewing orientation compared to the first image. If I'm seeing this right, I'd say the Hubble image is rotated ~90 degrees clockwise from the first. A 180 degree rotation doesn’t make sense… the long axis of the galaxy would still be at a mismatched viewing orientation compared to the first image. If I’m seeing this right, I’d say the Hubble image is rotated ~90 degrees clockwise from the first.

]]> By: Charles http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381111 Charles Wed, 04 May 2011 14:27:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381111 Sam, they might be individual stars in our galaxy. look past them, and you see this galaxy. Sam,

they might be individual stars in our galaxy. look past them, and you see this galaxy.

]]> By: Alex Whiteside http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381109 Alex Whiteside Wed, 04 May 2011 14:12:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381109 I hear that Dr. Plait talks about spiral galaxies so much that his pub had him barred. I hear that Dr. Plait talks about spiral galaxies so much that his pub had him barred.

]]> By: Sam H http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/04/the-delicate-aftermath-of-cosmic-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-381104 Sam H Wed, 04 May 2011 13:39:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=31888#comment-381104 So beautiful...what gets me is how that edge on spiral in the distance is visible through the thicker core regions as if it's just a dirty window. I know it appears yellow because of the higher populations of red giants, older stars and the like toward the core (as it is with most galaxies of this type), but even here the stars must still be very spaced out (lol bad pun :)) from each other. Question: in images like this, I've always suspected that the objects that appear to be individual stars in these galaxies at these distances are not actually individual stars, but clusters. Would this suspicion be true at all? So beautiful…what gets me is how that edge on spiral in the distance is visible through the thicker core regions as if it’s just a dirty window. I know it appears yellow because of the higher populations of red giants, older stars and the like toward the core (as it is with most galaxies of this type), but even here the stars must still be very spaced out (lol bad pun :) ) from each other.
Question: in images like this, I’ve always suspected that the objects that appear to be individual stars in these galaxies at these distances are not actually individual stars, but clusters. Would this suspicion be true at all?

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