Aquila Constellation
Aquila is a constellation that lies just a few degrees North of the celestial equator. It is best seen in the summer because of its apparent location along the line of our galaxy. This is why many clusters and nebulae are found within its borders. It was one of the 48 constellations described by Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Aquila had also been earlier mentioned by Eudoxus in the 4th century BC and Aratus in the 3rd century BC. It is now one of the 88 constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Its name is Latin for “eagle” and it is commonly represented as such. The constellation…
A Pulsar With Planets
A pulsar is probably the deadliest object in the Universe. Despite their beauty, you wouldn’t want to get close to one of them! They are a type of neutron star that emits a highly focused beam of electromagnetic radiation from both magnetic poles. This radiation, deadly to any form of life, can only be visible when one of the two beams is turned to face towards the observer (which is hopefully not anywhere close). The radiation is so strong that it would disintegrate the molecular bonds holding together DNA strands, killing any life in the process. Pulsars rotate in an extremely regular period. It’s this rotation that makes them pulse,…
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Distant Nebula
This nebula, designated as N 49 or DEM L 190, looks like puffs of smoke or sparks from a fireworks display. It is one of the most distant nebulae ever observed, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. The nebula is the result of a large supernova, whose light should have reached Earth a few thousand years ago. Eventually, new stars will be formed inside the filaments of this huge nebula, or perhaps they already have, but their light has yet to reach us. Image Credit: NASA.
Astronomy Picture of the Week – M27 Or Dumbbell Nebula
This greenish nebula was discovered by Charles Messier, a French astronomer of the 18th century. Originally he did not know what the object was, except that it was neither a star nor a comet. Now we know that it is a planetary nebula. It was formed by the explosion of a sun-like star (nova). It is officially designated as Messier Object 27 (or M27), while it is commonly known as the Dumbbell Nebula. This beautiful nebula is located over 1,200 light-years away in the Vulpecula constellation. Image Credits: ESO, the European Southern Observatory.
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Nebula NGC 7009
This odd greenish nebula, called NGC 7009 or the Saturn Nebula, is the result of a star similar to our sun going nova. Since then, a bright new star was born from the gases of its predecessor. It can be seen in the center of the nebula, inside the bluish sphere of gas. The nebula is located 1,400 light-years away in the constellation of Aquarius. The picture was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. Image Credits: NASA and Hubble Space Telescope
