Posted on 08/19/2011 3:12:26 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: In this remarkable infrared skyscape of interstellar clouds adrift in the high flying constellation Cygnus, the eye is drawn to the Cocoon Nebula. Also known as IC5146, the dusty star forming region is shown in blue hues in the Herschel Space Observatory false color image, at wavelengths more than 100 times longer than visible red light. And while visible light images show the Cocoon nebula at the end of long dark nebula Barnard 168, Hershel's infrared view finds the cosmic Cocoon punctuating a trail of filamentary clouds of glowing dust. The dusty filaments have widths that suggest they are formed as shockwaves from exploding stars travel through the medium, sweeping up and compressing the interstellar dust and gas. Herschel data also indicate stars are forming along the dusty filaments. The Cocoon Nebula itself is about 15 light-years wide and 4,000 light-years away.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit: ESA, SPIRE & PACS Consortia, Doris Arzoumanian (CEA Saclay), et al.]
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Distance loses its ability to inform when it is measured in light years. A solar cloud more vast than our galaxy is something more than a cloud. My clouds are white and fluffy and fly across the land. These are beyond all measure.
Interesting that you posted that. As I looked at the photo I was thinking about how deceptive it was and how much massive violence and raw power is going on in that photo....yet it looks beautiful and peaceful.
On the other hand, the “raw violence” is relative to size.
Think of a hammer. On an atomic scale, pounding a nail leaves the atoms pretty much unaffected despite the energies involved.
Mordor falls down! :-)
Well, to me it’s just perty!
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen the title of these threads and for a moment think it says “Anatomy Picture of the Day”. Maybe I should start my own recurring thread...
You will run out of anatomy pictures, but astronomy pictures? Not for a very, very long time.
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