Spectacular Galaxy Collision Visualization

Cosmiverse ^ | April 9, 2002 08:30 CST

[Texaggie79]

Spectacular Galaxy Collision Visualization
April 9, 2002 08:30 CST

Someday our Milky Way Galaxy and the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy may come crashing together in a horrendous collision that will twist and distort their shapes beyond recognition. Of course, to see that, you'll have to wait several billion years. But thanks to a combination of research science, Hollywood computer graphics, and large-scale, "immersive" visualization, visitors to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, can witness such an event today.

Left image: This image is a sample frame from the galaxy collision scientific visualization for the Einstein Planetarium at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. It is a fisheye projection of the three-dimensional hemispherical dome into a two-dimensional flat image. The image shows part of the aftermath of a galaxy collision. The tidal forces of gravity have strongly distorted the galaxies' shapes, creating long plumes of material called 'tidal tails'. Click image to enlarge.

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, MD, the scientific home of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, is extending its tradition of stunning imagery by creating a spectacular scientific visualization of two galaxies colliding. This incredibly detailed and immersive, full-dome video sequence will be a highlight of "Infinity Express: A 20-Minute Tour of the Universe," the inaugural show in the National Air and Space Museum's newly renovated Einstein Planetarium, opening Saturday, April 13.

Right image: This image is a still frame from a standard video presentation (i.e., for television instead of a planetarium dome) of the galaxy collision scientific visualization. The two galaxies are being pulled together by their mutual gravity. Their shapes stay pretty much the same right up until they collide. Click image to enlarge.

The scientific visualization by Dr. Frank Summers, an astrophysicist in STScI's Office of Public Outreach, depicts a tremendous collision of two spiral galaxies. Because such events take hundreds of millions of years to occur, researchers use supercomputer simulations to study how galaxies are transformed and merge together. Dr. Summers has taken research data provided by Dr. Chris Mihos (Case Western Reserve University) and Dr. Lars Hernquist (Harvard University), and visualized it using the same software that Hollywood uses to produce blockbuster visual effects.

The result brings astrophysics out of the academic setting and presents a scientifically correct, yet compellingly beautiful animation directly to the planetarium audience. "By combining research simulations with Hollywood visualization techniques, we can create animations that are both accurate and artistic, while visually communicating complex astronomical events and ideas to the public," says Dr. Summers.

Left image: This image is a still frame from a standard video presentation (i.e., for television instead of a planetarium dome) of the galaxy collision scientific visualization. After a head-on collision, the galaxies' shapes are strongly disrupted. The tidal forces of gravity have created long plumes of material called 'tidal tails'. The central regions will relatively quickly fall back together and merge into a single remnant galaxy. Such a collision may occur for our Milky Way Galaxy and the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy in about five billion years. Click image to enlarge.

This contribution to the National Air and Space Museum marks the first release of scientific visualizations for full-dome video planetariums from the Informal Science Education Group at STScI. While Hubble images are a mainstay of planetarium shows, full- dome scientific visualizations represent a new level of astronomy outreach.

"NASA imagery will greatly benefit this emerging planetarium technology, and we can provide high-quality, dynamic content backed by the expertise of Hubble astronomers," says John Stoke, manager of Informal Science Education at STScI. Going forward, his group will distribute this galaxy collision sequence and other full dome scientific visualizations, free of charge, to planetariums and show producers across the country and around the world.

Left image: This architectural rendering shows a cut-away view of the renovated Einstein Planetarium at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air & Space Museum. Part of the planetarium dome has been removed to show the interior layout and the galaxy collision scientific visualization projected onto the dome. The acompanying sample frame is shown as it would be projected for the planetarium audience. The galaxy collision stretches across the dome and surrounds the viewer in the experience. Click image to enlarge.

Planetariums have entered a new era of full-dome digital video that immerses the viewer in the dynamic wonders of the universe. The video, projected across the entire hemisphere of a planetarium dome, has up to 23 times the resolution of a standard television and is wrapped 360 degrees around the audience, surrounding them in the experience.

While such systems are generally only in the larger planetariums today, technological advances are bringing the capability for full-dome video to thousands of smaller planetariums in the next couple of years. Worldwide, 100 million people visit planetariums every year.

This work is partially supported by the National Science Foundation through the National Computational Science Alliance and the Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure. The National Air and Space Museum is owned and operated by the Smithsonian Institution.

Source: STScI; NASA and F. Summers (Space Telescope Science Institute), C. Mihos (Case Western Reserve University), L. Hernquist (Harvard University)

[Nebullis]

New York Times version:

Documents show Bush intended to use galaxy collision to give wealthy more money.

Poor and middle class working wage earners were expected to contribute to a large shelter built for the wealthiest top 1%. Senator Daschle, in a reasoned and responsible speech, critized the Bush administration, charging that "gouging the crippled and the poor to aid Enron friends is comparable to abuses by Roman Catholic priests".

[VadeRetro]

Very nice! Mine wasn't particularly original.

The Democratic Underground version:

"Bush and Cheney caused the galaxy collision! That was done to discredit the left in this country and increase their own control . . ."

[Nebullis]

...Cheney, in his secret hideaway, has been using periscopes and laserbeams to deflect galaxies from their original path, hoping that a catastrophic collision would wipe out a disproportionate number of poor Democrats.

[PatrickHenry]

Arafat, starving and isolated in his blacked-out office compound, charged in an exclussive CNN interview that the United States and Israel have conspired to cause the galaxies to collide, in an effort to permanently deprive Arabs of their rightful homeland.

[VadeRetro]

Al Sharpton's Presidential Express today charged that the galaxy collision was a Republican plot to destabilize the 2004 presidential elections.

[PatrickHenry]

Senators Ted Kennedy (D. Mass) and Hillary Clinton (D. NY) said in a press conference that the Republicans should stop "playing politics" with the galaxy collision and should pass their minimum wage bill immediately, "before it's too late to help those in greatest need."

[Teacher317]

He needs to be pinged, too! =^)

[PatrickHenry]

Pat Buchanan demands beefing up US borders to prevent the inevitable flood of illegal aliens from the invading galaxy.

Union officials demand higher tariffs to protect US workers from expected flood of illegal dumping from the invading galaxy.

Rep. Gephardt (D. Mo.) demands higher payroll taxes to protect seniors who depend on Social Security and are expected to be disadvantaged by the invading galaxy.

[VadeRetro]

"The galaxy collision proves that the earth once orbited Saturn. It is occurring because the electrical forces that once predominated over gravity in the universe are re-emerging and causing the galaxies to draw together. We can expect giant disharges to dig trenches all over the earth. These trenches will have no ejecta or igneous signatures because all the removed material will be perfectly vaporized."

[<1/1,000,000th%]

We are currently in a galactic collision. Don't you hear the metal screeching?

[PatrickHenry]

Warning from the Surgeon General:
Unprotected interpenetration of galaxies may result in serious hazzards to your health.
No galaxy should collide with another without benefit of a Galactic Condom (tm).

[Saturnalia]

But we all know galaxies are held together by electrostatic forces emited by quark stars.
BUT THE SCIENTISTS WANT TO REPRESS THE INFORMATION!
FIGHT THE POWER!

/end medved