Happy Valentine's Day ... from interstellar distances

[Lsbcal]

Here is a nice Valentine to all of you. See my next post for some astronomical details.

 

[ls99]

 

[Lsbcal]

This is from the Nasa site on Feb 14th and shows the Rosetta Nebula: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

I am always amazed at the distances and physical phenomena in our universe. Helps to give me a sense of wonder and push out the negativity we are all surrounded with in the news cycle and such.

I asked myself: So if it is such a low density vacuum out there why do we see these beautiful nebulae? I think the answer is basically that we are looking at a deep column of gases rather then at just a surface. The answer is probably a bit more complicated then that.
-------------------------------------------------------
Here is what ChatGPT said:

Nebulae indeed have very low densities—often only a few atoms per cubic centimeter—but they extend over enormous distances. Here’s how that works:

1. Large Volumes and Long Lines of Sight:
   Even though the density is low, nebulae span vast distances. When we observe them, we're looking through a long column of gas, and the integrated light from all those atoms can add up to produce a detectable signal.
2. Emission from Ionized Gas:
   Many nebulae emit light because nearby stars emit intense ultraviolet radiation that ionizes the gas. When the electrons recombine with atoms (like hydrogen or oxygen), they emit light at specific wavelengths (for example, the hydrogen-alpha line, which is red). This process can produce very bright and distinct colors.
3. Image Processing and False Colors:
   The images you see from Hubble are often composite images made using different filters. These images may use false-color techniques to highlight various elements or physical processes, making the colors appear even more vivid than they might to the naked eye.
4. Contrast Enhancement:
   Long-exposure photography and image processing techniques are used to enhance the contrast and detail, which brings out the brightness and colors even in regions that are extremely tenuous.

So, while each individual region of gas is very diffuse, the enormous scale of nebulae and the physics of emission lines (combined with the way the images are processed) create the beautiful, bright images we see from telescopes like Hubble.

 

[rembrandt]

 

[aja8888]

View attachment 54320

Fasten your seat belts!

 

[ls99]

View attachment 54320

That is better than me winning the gazillion $ lottery price.

 

[Koolau]

This is from the Nasa site on Feb 14th and shows the Rosetta Nebula: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

I am always amazed at the distances and physical phenomena in our universe. Helps to give me a sense of wonder and push out the negativity we are all surrounded with in the news cycle and such.

I asked myself: So if it is such a low density vacuum out there why do we see these beautiful nebulae? I think the answer is basically that we are looking at a deep column of gases rather then at just a surface. The answer is probably a bit more complicated then that.
-------------------------------------------------------
Here is what ChatGPT said:

Nebulae indeed have very low densities—often only a few atoms per cubic centimeter—but they extend over enormous distances. Here’s how that works:

1. Large Volumes and Long Lines of Sight:
   Even though the density is low, nebulae span vast distances. When we observe them, we're looking through a long column of gas, and the integrated light from all those atoms can add up to produce a detectable signal.
2. Emission from Ionized Gas:
   Many nebulae emit light because nearby stars emit intense ultraviolet radiation that ionizes the gas. When the electrons recombine with atoms (like hydrogen or oxygen), they emit light at specific wavelengths (for example, the hydrogen-alpha line, which is red). This process can produce very bright and distinct colors.
3. Image Processing and False Colors:
   The images you see from Hubble are often composite images made using different filters. These images may use false-color techniques to highlight various elements or physical processes, making the colors appear even more vivid than they might to the naked eye.
4. Contrast Enhancement:
   Long-exposure photography and image processing techniques are used to enhance the contrast and detail, which brings out the brightness and colors even in regions that are extremely tenuous.

So, while each individual region of gas is very diffuse, the enormous scale of nebulae and the physics of emission lines (combined with the way the images are processed) create the beautiful, bright images we see from telescopes like Hubble.

I like this perspective of the universe.

Scale of the Universe: Discover the vast ranges of our visible and invisible world.

Scale of Universe is an interactive experience to inspire people to learn about the vast ranges of the visible and invisible world.

scaleofuniverse.com