Posted on 10/24/2011 3:41:21 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: What created the Waterfall Nebula? No one knows. The structure seen in the region of NGC 1999 in the Great Orion Molecular Cloud complex is one of the more mysterious structures yet found on the sky. Designated HH-222, the elongated gaseous stream stretches about ten light years and emits an unusual array of colors. One hypothesis is that the gas filament results from the wind from a young star impacting a nearby molecular cloud. That would not explain, however, why the Waterfall and fainter streams all appear to converge on a bright but unusual non thermal radio source located toward the upper left of the curving structure. Another hypothesis is that the unusual radio source originates from a binary system containing a hot white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole, and that the Waterfall is just a jet from this energetic system. Such systems, though, are typically strong X-rays emitters, and no X-rays have been detected. For now, this case remains unsolved. Perhaps well-chosen future observations and clever deductive reasoning will unlock the true origin of this enigmatic wisp in the future. Astronomers: What other "mysterious structures" appear on the sky?
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit: Z. Levay (STScI/AURA/NASA), T.A. Rector (U. Alaska Anchorage) & H. Schweiker (NOAO/AURA/NSF), KPNO, NOAO]
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Thanks, I’d never seen this one before. As to its appearance, I’d say that if viewed from 90 degrees to the right, it might look totally different. jmho
This definitely looks like a waterfall to me... maybe a mystical waterfall. Beautiful!
I have to ask, though ... doesn't it go against the gravity-less, everything is an orb ordiliness of the universe (that I thought I thought) ??
That is what I thought when I first saw it. Just magically beautiful. G-d is quite the artist.
“gravity-less?”
Isn’t most dust like that caused by a super nova which is produced by a star’s gravity finally destroying it when the fuel runs out?
:’)
Beats me ... it’s a lot easier to believe in God and it’s all His creation and plan.
I’ve never seen this one before. Very awesome!
As a former science teacher, there are two things I love about science:
1. Often, like here, it has absolutely no explanation for what is occuring; AND EVEN BETTER...
2. Science is CONSTANTLY disproving its own theories! It’s a never-ending process!
AND YET, we are told that science alone must be believed and accepted as absolute and final truth......just as we were told about the church’s view of the world in the 1500’s.... science now has replaced the church as the unquestionable
reality......”How dare you!?!”
How can there be wind in space? There are no air molecules.
WOW!
I often say things .... well, read my tagline.
The atom amazes me (as taught to me)
A neucleus of more protons than not, cirled by electrons that .. ( plus and minus attract, thus,) should implode ... but does not.as I was taught
Waterfall? I thought it looked like a breeching whale. Eye of the beholder, I guess. Regardless, it is quite beautiful.
Re: science and religion:
“What is scientific fact? An oxymoron. Science does not deal in facts. It deals in hypotheses, which are never fully and finally correct.” -Orson Scott Card
“The less depth a belief system has, the greater the fervency with which its adherents embrace it. The most vociferous, the most fanatical are those whose cobbled faith is founded on the shakiest grounds.” -Dean Koontz.
...Seem to be changing my desktop image every day with these pictures. Thanks Civ...
...That's good enough for me...
Ever hear of the solar wind? Look it up... it’s real.
:’) There’s even an old utility (for Windows) to make that an automatic thing, but A) then what would you need me for, and B) it’s sufficiently old that it might not work on newer versions of the OS.
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