Google Earth Exploring the Sky - Essay Example

First Last Dr. TeacherFirst TeacherLast 17 April Google Earth – Exploring the Sky Location and Time Information Location: 22117 Pebble Brook Lane, Parker, CO 80138 Date: April 16, 2010 Time: 3 pm PART 1 1. Constellations above location: Picture 1: Constellations Auriga, Perseus, Taurus, Triangulum and others are visible 2. Messier zoom-in above location Picture 2: Messier object M34 visible above location 3. M42 - Orion Nebula Picture 3: M42 (Orion Nebula) in Google Earth 4. Horsehead Nebula – two views Picture 4a: Horsehead Nebula Picture 4b: Horsehead Nebula: Rotated view (note wheel in top right of picture) 5. Horsehead Nebula in Orion Picture 5: Horsehead Nebula shown in constellation Orion 6. Andromeda Galaxy Picture: Andromeda Galaxy, a spiral galaxy also called M31 (Reddy) 7. Hubble Showcase selection – Andromeda’s Halo Picture 7: Hubble Space Telescope’s picture of stars in Andromeda Galaxy’s Halo Andromeda Galaxy’s Halo, a part of the galaxy itself, is a large group of stars placed spherically around it. The Hubble Telescope’s picture made it possible to separately focus on approximately 300,000 stars. Aging studies conducted for these stars revealed that a sizable number of them, nearly one third, were aged about 5 billion years younger than those in the Halo of Milky Way. This has led to clues about the genesis of our galaxies and the universe. In addition, it has opened the avenue for further studies and raised questions such as whether these stars were created as a result of collisions of Andromeda with other galaxies or collisions within itself or even destroyed another galaxy during collision whose stars are now strewn in the Halo. (Savage, Villard and Brown). 8. Owl nebula – Life of a star The Owl nebula is a planetary nebula formed by a dying sun-like star. It is located about 2600 light years away in the Ursa Major constellation. Planetary nebulae like the Owl nebula now bear no relation to creation of planetary systems as previously believed. These dying stars, unlike bigger stars, are unable to generate energy through fusion of helium into carbon once their hydrogen fuel has burnt out. As a result their core turns into a “white dwarf” and only radiates the energy resulting from its collapse. The outer layer is pushed outwards and is energized by ionization by the core. However, such nebulae are short lived and cool down after approximately 10,000 years. Picture 8a: Owl Nebula as pictured in Google Earth The picture of Owl nebula in this version of Google Earth looks like a blue spherical shape with green clouds at its periphery. However, upon searching elsewhere, other pictures were found which, when used with certain filters, show two large eyes similar to an owl’s inside the nebula. A sample is given below. Picture 8b: Picture of Owl Nebula (Quattrocchi) 9 Messier Object – M1 Crab Nebula Picture 9: Messier Object M1, the Crab Nebula The first Messier Object recorded in Charles Messier’s catalog, M1 or the Crab Nebula, is a supernova remnant that is said to be expanding at 1500 kilometers per second. At its centre, spinning thirty times per second, there is a “pulsar” which sends out strong gamma and radio waves. The orange outer filaments are composed of hydrogen and are the remains of the star. The inner blue glow is created by electron clouds rotating in the magnetic fields created by the pulsar. (Hester et al). 10. Galaxy – Whirlpool galaxy Picture 10: Whirlpool Galaxy The Whirlpool Galaxy is one of the brightest galaxies visible using amateur telescopes or binoculars. It is a spiral galaxy conspicuous by its two large spiral arms. Scientists believe the formation of these spirals and the birth of stars within them are related to gravitational pull from a nearby galaxy. This galaxy, the NGC 5195, is visible as bright spot near the tail of one of the spirals (NASA, ESA, Heshlik, and Hubble Team). PART 2 1. Coma Berenices Picture 2.1: Coma Berenices constellation Coma Berenices lies between Virgo, Bootes, Leo and Leo Minor constellations. Its significance lies in the large number of galaxies (Crossen, and Rhemann 234) that are in its vicinity. Its southern end, near the Virgo constellation, is particularly dense with 16 galaxies visible through binoculars (Crossen, and Rhemann 279). The constellation itself is not very bright and is named after Queen Berenice II of Egypt. 2. Helix Nebula Picture 2.2: Helix Nebula Helix Nebula is a small, difficult to observe planetary nebula in the Aquarius constellation. Shaped like an eye, its central star is only about 1/100th the luminescence of the Sun and is considered very near to complete electron degeneration (Crossen, and Rhemann 26). Its diameter is estimated to be 1.7 light years but its angular size is barely half the size of the moon (Clark 235). 3. Double Double in Lyra Picture 2.3: Double Double in Lyra The “Double Double” star, named Lyr, is the fifth brightest star in the constellation Lyra. Lyr is actually a quadruple star with two pairs of stars appearing near to each other. The pairs are called Epsilon 1 and Epsilon 2 respectively. Each pair orbits each other at a distance of 0.16 light years and complete an orbit in hundreds of thousands of years. The component stars of Epsilon 1 and Epsilon 2 also orbit each other within the pairs with Epsilon 1 completing the orbit in 1200 years and Epsilon 2 completing the orbit in 585 years (Epsilon Lyrae). 4. Double Cluster in Perseus Picture 2.4: Double Cluster in Perseus Visible through the naked eye on a dark night, these clusters of stars are only about hundreds of light years apart while being about 7000 light years away from earth. These open clusters are designated as NGC 869 and NGC 884. (Davis) 5. M45 Pleiades Cluster Picture 2.5 M45 Pleiades Pleiades cluster is the most easily visible cluster in the sky even with the naked eye. It is also known as the “Seven Sisters” for its brighter seven stars, although now only six are easily visible. The cluster is said to have about 3000 stars. One of the peculiarities of Pleiades is that its stars have a blue hazy shine around them. This shine is caused by reflection of the stars’ light on the gases and dust around them (“Pleiades” 313). 6. M44 Beehive Cluster The Beehive Cluster is also called Praesepe. The modern name of “Beehive Cluster” was given because of the appearance of a swarm of bees this cluster gives seen through a telescope or binoculars. The cluster is located in the Cancer constellation and is very close to the earth being only 525 light years away. Along with Hyades, this cluster is said to originate approximately 6000 million years ago (Crossen, and Rhemann 122). 7. M13 Hercules Cluster Located in the constellation Hercules, M13, or the Hercules Cluster, is a spectacular globular cluster. It is over 12 billion years old and contains over 100,000 stars (Russell). 8. M15 Glubular Cluster The globular cluster M15 is located about 35,000 light years near the constellation Pegasus. It contains over 100,000 stars including a large number of pulsars. M15 orbits the Milky Way’s center (Cohn). Easily visible through binoculars, the cluster looks like an “out of focus” star (“Pegasus” 301). 9. M27 Dumbbell Nebula The M27 planetary nebula actually pairs with the M76 planetary nebula to form the Dumbbell Nebula. Both are approximately within 1 light year distance of each other. Their characteristic glow is caused by their outer layers thrust out by their core dying stars (López). 10, M20 Trifid Nebula The Trifid Nebula is near the Sagittarius constellation and is visible through reasonably powered binoculars or telescope. Star formations and dust and debris clouds remaining from supernova explosions add colors to the nebula (Block). Works Cited Reddy, Francis. “Swift Makes Best-ever Ultraviolet Portrait of Andromeda Galaxy”. 16 September, 2009. NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center. 16 April, 2010. Savage, Don, Ray Villard, and Tom Brown. “Deepest View of Space Yields Young Stars in Andromeda Halo”. 7 May, 2003. Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). 16 April, 2010. Quattrocchi, Keith. “Astronomy Picture of the Day”. 15 May, 2009. NASA. 16 April, 2010. Hester, Jeff et al. “A Giant Hubble Mosaic of the Crab Nebula”. 1 December, 2005. Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). 16 April, 2010. < http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2005/37/image/a/ > NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith, The Hubble Heritage Team. “Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images”. 25 April, 2005. Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). 16 April, 2010. < http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2005/12/image/a/> Crossen, Craig, and Gerald Rhemann. Sky vistas: astronomy for binoculars and richest-field telescopes. New York: Springer, 2004. Print. Clark, Roger N. Visual astronomy of the deep sky. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Print. “Epsilon Lyrae”. Internet Encyclopedia of Science. 17 April, 2010. Davis, Thomas V. “Astronomy Picture of the Day”. 11 October, 2005. NASA. 17 April, 2010. < http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap051011.html> "Pleiades" Philip’s Astronomy Encyclopedia. Ed. Patrick Moore. London: Octopus Publishing Group, 2002. Russell, Danny L. “Astronomy Picture of the Day”. 17 June, 2009. NASA. 17 April, 2010. Cohn, Halden et al. “Astronomy Picture of the Day”. 10 December, 2001. NASA. 17 April, 2010. < http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011210.html> "Pegasus" Philip’s Astronomy Encyclopedia. Ed. Patrick Moore. London: Octopus Publishing Group, 2002. López, Daniel. “Astronomy Picture of the Day”. 17 December, 2008. NASA. 17 April, 2010. < http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081217.html > Block, Adam. “Astronomy Picture of the Day”. 7 July, 2009. NASA. 17 April, 2010. < http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap090707.html> Read More