Thursday, September 12, 2013

Wondering about planetary nebula.

I should explain to those who don't know, what a planetary nebula is.  First of all, it is not a planet, but a lot of them look like planets and back in the old days were mistaken as such.  Yep, you guessed it, that is where the name came from.  What they are is stars at the end of their lives.

The way it dies depends on the size of the star.  The largest stars end life with really big bang!!  They explode sending dust and gas and stuff out through the universe.  Some just puff up at the end, consuming and searing any planets that may be orbiting it.  Most probably that is the way our sun will die and it should grow to the size of Earth's orbit.  Yep, it will either burn us up or kick us out of the solar system.  Not a happy time for ole Mother Earth.

Stars seem to put on a beautiful show as they die.  Some leave behind what we call planetary nebulae.  I am going to give you a little test.  Below, I will post some pictures.  They will all be of planetary nebulae except for one.  That one will be a galaxy.  See if you can pick out the real galaxy.


 

 

 

 

Good luck on my little spaced out test but do enjoy the beauty of our universe and have your self a very great day, you hear?
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9 comments:

  1. GypsySeptember 12, 2013 at 10:27 AM

    Hey, when are you going to give us the answer? I thought I could figure it out, but I can't!

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    1. Dizzy-DickSeptember 12, 2013 at 10:44 AM

      Don't tell anyone yet, but it is the second picture, which is of an unusual galaxy. The others are all remnants of exploding stars. I love the third one down, the "string of pearls".

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    2. GypsySeptember 12, 2013 at 12:14 PM

      Believe it or not I first picked the 2nd one, then looked them all over again and got confused.

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  2. The Odd EssaySeptember 12, 2013 at 1:41 PM

    They all look like fireworks to me... beautiful no matter what they are called!

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    1. Dizzy-DickSeptember 12, 2013 at 5:17 PM

      I am itching to get my 16" diameter scope out. I can't see all the stuff I showed above but it is amazing what I can see. The trouble is finding what you want to see. My big scope is not a "go to" scope but a "push and pull" scope. It is a Dobsonian.

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  3. CarolynSeptember 12, 2013 at 4:46 PM

    The second one because it has a definite center and all the other stuff is orbiting around it, right?

    The others are just well as Sharon said .. like fireworks! I love astronomy ... I used to really love astronomy. You make me want to pick up that love again. seriously.

    Do posts on black holes and the Bermuda Triangle.

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    1. Dizzy-DickSeptember 12, 2013 at 5:20 PM

      You are right, it is the second one. But, all planetary nebula have a central star that has shed the gas as it puffed off its outer layers. And of course, they are a lot smaller than galaxies.

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  4. klahanieSeptember 12, 2013 at 7:21 PM

    Hey Dizzy-Dick,

    I love all things spaced-out. A passion you never tire of seeing or reading about.

    Of course, the answer has been revealed. So, with that, I always marvel at realising that when we see out into the universe, we are looking into the past.

    Take care, good sir.

    Gary

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    1. Dizzy-DickSeptember 12, 2013 at 8:06 PM

      Since light travels at a finite speed, everything we see is in the past. Some, only a fraction of a second and some millions of years. I always wondered what it looks like way out there NOW!?!?!

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