Behold M57, aka, the Ring nebula – about one light-year across and 2,500 light-years away – the most famous celestial circle outside the rings of Saturn.
Its classic appearance is understood to be due to our own perspective, though. The recent mapping of the expanding nebula’s 3-D structure, based in part on this clear Hubble image, indicates that the nebula is a relatively dense, donut-like ring wrapped around the middle of a (American) football-shaped cloud of glowing gas. The view from planet Earth looks down the long axis of the football, face-on to the ring. Of course, in this well-studied example of a planetary nebula, the glowing material does not come from planets. Instead, the gaseous shroud represents outer layers expelled from the dying, once sun-like star, now a tiny pinprick of light seen at the nebula’s centre. Intense ultraviolet light from the hot central star ionises atoms in the gas.
(Image: NASA, ESA, Hubble Legacy Archive; Processing: Judy Schmidt)
They’re watching us.
and laughing ?
Without a doubt.
Oh dear God, I posted on a Covid thread, what do I do?
Will Sauvignon Blanc work as well as hydroxychloroquine?
CHOMPSKY SEZ: Don’t worry Lush. You’re safe here.
Ironically my consumption of Pouilly Fumé has jumped up since the pandemic started, and I’ve not had it. So, you are perhaps onto something…
Thank you for the confirmation.
Thanks Chompsky.
I’ve learnt my lesson and shall stick to posts about Carlos’s dogs, astronomy and Nick’s competitions.