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Posted on 10/29/2009 8:03:26 AM PDT by GL of Sector 2814
PARIS (AFP) – It took 13 billion years to reach Earth, but astronomers have seen the light of an exploding mega-star that is the most distant object ever detected, two studies published Thursday reported.
The stunning gamma-ray burst (GRB) was observed by two teams of researchers in April, and opens a window onto a poorly known period when the Universe was in its infancy.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Holy flipping cow that is stunning. Simply stunning.
Do you have more of these online somewhere?
Thanks!
I’m almost done processing M1, a massive supernova explosion remnant in the constellation of Taurus which was first seen by the Chinese in ancient times, around 1054.
When I’m done I’ll put it up.
BTW, I sent you a pm.
How do they form? It’s all about the infall. You get enough gas and dust crammed in there fast enough, you get an absolutely massive star. The problem is that there are believed to be theoretical limits on how much mass you can squash in there, before the stuff at the bottom of the pile ignites and blows off the rest.
There’s quite a bit we don’t know about stellar formation.
Because of the time scales involved, it's a bit like trying to work out the life cycle of trees by taking a single snapshot of a forest. You can do it, but it's tricky.
Yeah, and considering we have a star right next to this planet, keeping us alive, you'd think we'd know a lot more about their formations. I find stars to be some of the most bizarre objects we humans can see. Few other things can match their size, age and enormous, almost supernatural power.
Well it’s two things. One, it’s a very short process, and two, it’s difficult to observe the process. Stars are very dim when they are first forming.
Speaking of stars forming...I took this shot a few months back of Orion Nebula, M-42...The central core of the nebula is a region where over 700 new stars in various stages are being formed. This nebula is often referred to as a stellar nursery.
19x65second exposures, ISO800-Canon 40D-SC 10" w/a 6.3 focal reducer.
Bump for both.
God made a beautiful universe.
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