Tag Archives: interstellar medium

Keeping in the loop

Posted on November 24, 2012 by

I was rather gratified the other day, to learn that I’m not boring for being a fan of Orion. Apparently, several other people pick Orion as their favourite constellation, ever vigilant in the skies from almost anywhere on the planet. … Continue reading →

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Posted in astronomy | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Now leaving the Solar System…?

Posted on October 7, 2012 by

There was an interesting tweet from the UK Space Agency yesterday… I have to agree. While it’s difficult to say exactly where the boundary of the solar system lies, it’s certainly true that the cosmic rays which Voyager’s reading seem … Continue reading →

Posted in space, Tech | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Black holes singing in space

Posted on August 14, 2012 by

One of the things which particularly caught my eye in this week’s Carnival of Space was that article from the quite marvellous Science in a Can about a singing black hole! This black hole is about 250 million light years away … Continue reading →

Posted in physics | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Mr Oogie Boogie

Posted on July 12, 2012 by

This has got to be one of the most gorgeous images I’ve seen in quite some time! Taken by Russian ace astrophotographer Yuriy Toropin, this is an image of LDN1622, which he’s dubbed the Boogie Man nebula. And really, you can see why, can’t … Continue reading →

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Astrotropes: Space Clouds

Posted on July 2, 2012 by

Have you ever watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? If not, you probably should. Whether or not you’re a fan of Star Trek generally, it was probably one of the best sci fi movies ever made. Fast paced … Continue reading →

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Interstellar Sleuths

Posted on June 6, 2012 by

“Of course, this identification is simply wrong.” That one remark caused a subdued but audible commotion in the audience, and a handful of shocked responses to be posted on twitter. The remark in question had been made by Jacek Krełowski, … Continue reading →

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Waltzing behemoths

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

A supermassive black hole is rather like a gravitational version of the Incredible Hulk. Massive, mean, able to take on anything thrown at it, and virtually unstoppable. While the smaller black holes may form when a massive but otherwise normal … Continue reading →

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Bleach Clouds

Posted on May 12, 2012 by

An interesting thing happens to you if you study a particular field of astronomy for long enough. Certain things become familiar to you. Catalogue numbers like HD 44179 or IRC+10216° become commonplace, and the strings of numbers and letters which, … Continue reading →

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This nebula. I like it. Another!

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

For all those who’ve been to seen the Avengers movie in the cinemas, here’s a geeky little tribute — This is Thor’s Helmet! Around 15000 light years away, and spanning 30 light years in size, Thor’s Helmet (or NGC 2359 … Continue reading →

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Stellar Swirl

Posted on May 6, 2012 by

I love stars. I’ve heard galactic astronomers say in the past, how stars are boring, and once you’ve seen one star you’ve seen them all. Personally, I couldn’t possibly disagree more. I could list a hundred reasons why stars are … Continue reading →

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