- Here are 2 views of galaxies and stars using X-rays and Radio waves converted to light waves.
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----------------- - 1731 - Using more of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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- This Review shares two beautiful astronomical pictures. These two images would not be beautiful in visible light looking out the window of your spaceship. They would be grey and fuzzy. But, by enhancing the visible image using all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum much more science can be learned.
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----------------------- Cygnus A
- This is the galaxy Cygnus A. Its image uses the X-ray spectrum ( blue ) from the Chandra Observatory. Radio emissions ( red) extend the image to either side of the galaxy by 300,000 lightyears ( The Milky Way Galaxy is 106,000 lightyears across.)
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- Cygnus A is 600,000,000 lightyears away and the closest powerful “radio” galaxy. The yellow hues in the picture are the only visible wavelengths provided by the Hubble Space Telescope. The surrounding view of stars is provided by the Digital Sky Survey.
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- The red radio emissions are created by jets of particles emanating the poles of a Blackhole at the center of the galaxy. The charged particles impact cool interstellar material and generate radio wavelength emissions.
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--------------------- Eta Carinae
- The second picture is Eta Carinae. It is the most luminous and massive system within 10,000 lightyears of Earth. The distance of Earth to the center of the Milky Way is 27,400 lightyears.
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- The image from Hubble shows shells of ionized gas racing away from the largest star at a million miles per hour. The shells indicate the Eta Carinae’s past eruptions.
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- Eta Carinae is 7,500 lightyears away. It is 2 massive stars in eccentric orbits of each other. Their orbits being the closest together every 5.5 years. Both stars produce powerful gaseous outflows of stellar winds.
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- The brighter, cooler primary star is 90 Solar Mass, and 5 million Solar Luminosity. The smaller, hotter companion star is about 30 Solar Mass and 1 million Solar Luminosity.
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- At their closest approach the stars are 140 million miles apart The Earth-Sun distance is 93 million miles. The Mars-Sun distance is 140 million miles.
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- The Solar Wind of the larger star is traveling at 1 million miles per hour. The smaller star has a Solar Wind 100 times less but it is traveling 6 million miles per hour.
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- Astronomers have been closely monitoring Eta Carinae for the past 11 years. One observation monitors a single wavelength of blue-light emitted by helium atoms that have lost a single electron ( neutral helium has 2 protons and 2 electrons so this atom has a single positive charge). This particular wavelength is used to track the solar wind.
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- A second observation tracks a blue light wavelength emitted by iron atoms that have lost 2 electrons. This wavelength reveals the gas set aglow by ultraviolet light from the companion star. X-rays reveal the solar wind collision zone with the interstellar medium. The colliding winds create shockwaves that heat the gas to hundreds of mullions of degrees.
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- Both of these stars may one day end their lives in supernova explosions. The next closes encounter of the two stars occurs in February, 2020. For stars, mass determines their destiny. They are loosing mass through solar winds. But, the are burning fuel rapidly due to their enormous mass and gravity. When they run out of fuel they explode as supernova. Astronomers can not predict when this will occur, But, research continues, Stay tuned.
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- (1) The Milky Way is 5 *10^20 meters radius. There are 9.4605 * 10^15 meters per lightyear. Therefore 53,000 lightyears radius, or 106,000 lightyears diameter.
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- (2) Other Reviews available on the subject:
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- #1347 The biggest supernova every recorded happened in 2006. 250,000,000 lightyears away. Eta Carinae is ready to blow and it is only 8,000 lightyears away.
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- #832 When Eta goes supernova it will be so bright you coud see it during the day.
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- #775 Eta’s nebula is nitrogen and helium rich which indicates the star has already burned up its hydrogen fuel.
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- #49 Between 1835 and 1855 Eta was the brightest star in our galaxy. Its 20 year eruption ejected 2 Solar Mass. Its solar winds are equivalent to ejecting 2 Earth Mass each day. Learn to calculate the temperature of the star using Wien’s law.
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----- 707-536-3272 ---------------------- Monday, January 26, 2015 -----
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