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Hovering happy face smiles down on us from space
New Scientist ^
| 13:47 10 February 2015
| by Jacob Aron
Posted on 02/10/2015 11:50:21 PM PST by Swordmaker
(Image: NASA & ESA)
This smiley face hovering in space looks like it was beamed into the heavens by a celestial keyboard. Captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, it was in fact created by a quirk of general relativity known as gravitational lensing.
The glowing eyes are bright galaxies that are part of a galaxy cluster known as SDSS J1038+4849. The massive structure warps space-time, bending light like a lens to create a stretched image of distant galaxies, called an Einstein ring. The well-positioned circular shape creates the outline of the face and the wry grin.
The happy face was uncovered by amateur astronomer Judy Schmidt in a similar image while hunting for submissions for the Hubble's Hidden Treasures competition. Contestants were asked to search through the space telescope's vast archives for overlooked discoveries.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: pareidolia; smileyface
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Proof that God has a wonderful sense of humor. . .
To: 1FreeAmerican; A. Patriot; AndrewC; antonia; aristotleman; Boogieman; Carilisa; Churchjack; ...
Proof that God has a wonderful sense of humor. . . Hubble Space Telescope surprise Happy Face. . . Einstein Ring? Naw! Just God poking fun at us.
Electric Universe PING!
2
posted on
02/10/2015 11:54:06 PM PST
by
Swordmaker
(This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users contnue...)
To: Swordmaker
3
posted on
02/10/2015 11:58:19 PM PST
by
BunnySlippers
(I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
To: SunkenCiv
4
posted on
02/11/2015 12:00:46 AM PST
by
shibumi
("Walk through the fire - Fly through the smoke")
To: Swordmaker
Right back at ya from a distant corner of the Milky May......LOL
5
posted on
02/11/2015 12:10:06 AM PST
by
Viking2002
(Buy a generator and alert the power company - next Christmas, I go Full Griswold.)
To: Swordmaker
The human brain is hard-wired to recognize faces, even space-time warped ones..."billions upon billions" of light years away.
Johnny Carson parody clip 1980.
6
posted on
02/11/2015 12:23:57 AM PST
by
BobP
(The piss-stream media - Never to be watched again in my house)
To: Viking2002
7
posted on
02/11/2015 12:32:20 AM PST
by
Pajamajan
( Pray for our nation. Thank the Lord for everything you have. Don't wait. Do it today.)
To: Swordmaker; Slings and Arrows; MeshugeMikey
8
posted on
02/11/2015 12:45:01 AM PST
by
a fool in paradise
(Shickl-Gruber's Big Lie gave us Hussein's Un-Affordable Care act (HUAC).)
To: Viking2002
9
posted on
02/11/2015 12:46:01 AM PST
by
a fool in paradise
(Shickl-Gruber's Big Lie gave us Hussein's Un-Affordable Care act (HUAC).)
To: a fool in paradise
To: Swordmaker
Somewhat like looking through a soap bubble.
11
posted on
02/11/2015 1:23:11 AM PST
by
Pontiac
(The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
To: BobP
“The human brain is hard-wired to recognize faces...”
A lot better to see a face and run away and later get razed by your cave-men buddies that it was only a stump than to not see the face of the lion.
I think this space thing looks more like Felix the Cat. Which would make it perhaps the celestial creator of “ceiling cat”.
12
posted on
02/11/2015 1:36:04 AM PST
by
21twelve
(http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185147/posts 2013 is 1933 REBORN)
To: 21twelve
13
posted on
02/11/2015 1:39:44 AM PST
by
21twelve
(http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185147/posts 2013 is 1933 REBORN)
To: a fool in paradise
14
posted on
02/11/2015 2:01:08 AM PST
by
Slings and Arrows
("Ragnarok" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L5nD7-qsEw)
To: Swordmaker
Or, He should have used a coaster.
15
posted on
02/11/2015 2:14:34 AM PST
by
outofsalt
( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
To: Swordmaker
Swordmaker this is great!
16
posted on
02/11/2015 2:16:27 AM PST
by
dayglored
(Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is...sounding pretty good about now.)
To: Swordmaker
17
posted on
02/11/2015 3:37:04 AM PST
by
b4its2late
(A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
To: Swordmaker
Or the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man really is coming to destroy all life in the universe. Of course, that would also confirm your theorem.
18
posted on
02/11/2015 3:40:08 AM PST
by
katana
(Just my opinions)
To: Slings and Arrows
19
posted on
02/11/2015 4:18:00 AM PST
by
a fool in paradise
(Shickl-Gruber's Big Lie gave us Hussein's Un-Affordable Care act (HUAC).)
To: shibumi; Swordmaker; brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; ...
20
posted on
02/11/2015 4:42:02 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary men)
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