Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A 212-Hour Exposure of Orion
NASA ^ | November 23, 2015 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 11/22/2015 11:03:29 PM PST by SunkenCiv

Explanation: The constellation of Orion is much more than three stars in a row. It is a direction in space that is rich with impressive nebulas. To better appreciate this well-known swath of sky, an extremely long exposure was taken over many clear nights in 2013 and 2014. After 212 hours of camera time and an additional year of processing, the featured 1400-exposure collage spanning over 40 times the angular diameter of the Moon emerged. Of the many interesting details that have become visible, one that particularly draws the eye is Barnard's Loop, the bright red circular filament arcing down from the middle. The Rosette Nebula is not the giant red nebula near the top of the image -- that is a larger but lesser known nebula known as Lambda Orionis. The Rosette Nebula is visible, though: it is the red and white nebula on the upper left. The bright orange star just above the frame center is Betelgeuse, while the bright blue star on the lower right is Rigel. Other famous nebulas visible include the Witch Head Nebula, the Flame Nebula, the Fox Fur Nebula, and, if you know just where to look, the comparatively small Horsehead Nebula. About those famous three stars that cross the belt of Orion the Hunter -- in this busy frame they can be hard to locate, but a discerning eye will find them just below and to the right of the image center.

November 23, 2015

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; barnardsloop; betelgeuse; flamenebula; foxfurnebula; horseheadnebula; lambdaorionis; nebula; orion; orionthehunter; rigel; rosettenebula; science; witchheadnebula
[Credit and Copyright: Stanislav Volskiy, Rollover Annotation: Judy Schmidt]

1 posted on 11/22/2015 11:03:29 PM PST by SunkenCiv
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...

That's a lot of hours.
The Big One

2 posted on 11/22/2015 11:04:22 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

How in heck do they overlay all those exposures so accurately? The zoom, X-Y rotation, etc. Makes my head hurt.


3 posted on 11/22/2015 11:14:33 PM PST by doorgunner69
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

The mind boggles.


4 posted on 11/22/2015 11:21:32 PM PST by EternalVigilance
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
After 212 hours of camera time and an additional year of processing...

Additional year of processing. Ouch.

Very impressive.

5 posted on 11/22/2015 11:41:41 PM PST by TChad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

What’s amazing also is the star fielding the left half of the picture. If you blow it up to the highest resolution that space looks solid with stars.


6 posted on 11/22/2015 11:53:07 PM PST by aquila48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aquila48

and God knows each one by name


7 posted on 11/23/2015 12:08:22 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true .... I have no proof ... but they're true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

New desktop!


8 posted on 11/23/2015 12:30:27 AM PST by Theophilus (Be as prolific as you are pro-life.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aquila48

fielding = field in


9 posted on 11/23/2015 12:46:14 AM PST by aquila48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Nice.


10 posted on 11/23/2015 1:15:11 AM PST by equaviator (There's nothing like the universe to bring you down to earth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: doorgunner69; EternalVigilance; TChad; aquila48; Theophilus; equaviator

The picture-taker was very, very patient, to say the least!


11 posted on 11/23/2015 1:59:07 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: aquila48

The whole picture is solid with stars in the background. It’s crowded out there.

I always knew those Art Bell commercials promising to name a star after me were scams, not much different than naming a water molecule after me.


12 posted on 11/23/2015 2:32:04 AM PST by BobL (Who cares? He's going to build a wall and stop this invasion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: BobL
I always knew those Art Bell commercials promising to name a star after me were scams, not much different than naming a water molecule after me.

Not a scam but a fully legal 'con job!' All they are promising is to put the name in a copyright book upon payment of a fee! I have said that I am in admiration of this at separating fools from their money!

13 posted on 11/23/2015 3:40:02 AM PST by SES1066 (Quality, Speed or Economical - Any 2 of 3 except in government - 1 at best but never #3!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: SES1066

LOL...smart on their part.


14 posted on 11/23/2015 4:46:31 AM PST by BobL (Who cares? He's going to build a wall and stop this invasion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
At APOD the picture includes an overlay with the names of stars and the lines for Orion.

Helpful to me.

15 posted on 11/23/2015 5:41:44 AM PST by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: texas booster
... but not so great for a spectacular desktop background.

Any way to save the image without the overlay?

16 posted on 11/23/2015 5:44:59 AM PST by glennaro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: texas booster

Got it from “The Big One” link in Post 2


17 posted on 11/23/2015 5:48:11 AM PST by glennaro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Wow! I guess they have a better camera than my old Nikon.


18 posted on 11/23/2015 9:20:33 AM PST by PLMerite (The Revolution...will not be kind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aquila48

That is the Winter Milky Way. It’s some of the closer parts of the Milky Way to us (that’s why it’s not so showy in the night sky compared to the Summer Milky Way).

Monoceros: the Unicorn. Dim constellation, RICH in stars.


19 posted on 11/23/2015 2:01:25 PM PST by Conan the Librarian (The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Trillions more stars in the Heavens than grains of sand on the Earth.

“What hath God wrought,” indeed.

Thank you for the post and ping, Mr. Civilizations.


20 posted on 11/25/2015 7:18:16 PM PST by TheOldLady (I miss the Gipper. Wish we still had someone like him. [cough] Trump and Cruz!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson