
Pillars of creation obliterated
- TrevorDurity
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- Red Giant
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Pillars of creation obliterated was created by TrevorDurity
They think that the famous "pillars of creation" in the Eagle Nebula have been obliterated by a previously unknown supernova.
We still have 1000 years to image it before the light from the event reaches us though :wink:
Not all the scientists are convinced, however.
space.newscientist.com/article/dn10925-p...ed-by-supernova.html
Trev
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- dave_lillis
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- Super Giant
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Replied by dave_lillis on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
I wonder how fast will the pillars be disintegrated, will it be over a few months or a few years, not that we'll be around to see it

Chairman. Shannonside Astronomy Club (Limerick)
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me,
but what a way to go.

+ 12"LX200, MK67, Meade2045, 4"refractor
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- JohnMurphy
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- Super Giant
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Replied by JohnMurphy on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
Not all the scientists are convinced, however.
I'm in the sceptics camp. The X-radiation from this region should be a lot more noticeable to fit in with the suggested scenario. Until more data is forthcoming or if it already exists then made available, then I'm inclined to reserve judgement. Still should be a fascinating area to keep an eye on. If it does turn out to be an expanding shockwave from a SN then it could present observable results anytime in the future, we may not necessarily have to wait 1000 years to see evidence. Still I'm not staying up that late, someone else can switch off the lights.
John Murphy
Irish Astronomical Society
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- pmgisme
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Replied by pmgisme on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
I am looking forward to seeing them disintegrate when I reach 1000.
Peter.
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- Frank Ryan
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Replied by Frank Ryan on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
They think that the famous "pillars of creation" in the Eagle Nebula have been obliterated by a previously unknown supernova.
If you believe in a big bang big crunch type universe(s) then maybe:
insted of the end bieng 'nigh' the end happend millions of years ago?
we just cant see the effects yet.
How far 'back in time' did Hubble see in that famous deep space shot?
and how the hell would we know what to look for anyway?
Shannonside Astronomy Club __________________________________________
Meade ETX-125PE, Bresser 10 x 50 Binos & Me Peepers
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- pmgisme
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Replied by pmgisme on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
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- JohnMurphy
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- Super Giant
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Replied by JohnMurphy on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
The speed of light equals the speed of time.
Thats one way of putting it, what you really mean is time = rate of change. What is time? Is it just the rate of change? Change in velocity, molecular disintegration, etc. etc. ? If theres no change does time stand still? Tick tock, tick tock..................?
For instance in a black hole at the singularity where the curvature of spacetime is extreme, time ceases to exist (it dilates infinately) which means there is no change. However it could take an eternity to reach the singularity as time progressively dilates. It therfore is obvious that time is relative to the mass that is present in one's locale (remember that space and time are inseperable), and mass affects the curvature (warping) of spacetime. Time is not fixed, one of the only fixtures we can depend on is the speed of light, therefore the speed of light (a constant) does not equal the speed of time (a variable depending on the mass and distance (inverse squared) from). Hope that clarifies it.

Time is an illusion that we use to make sense of what we see, without a change (in anything) we cannot make any sense of time.
What has happened is happening and will happen.............. :wink:
John Murphy
Irish Astronomical Society
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- pmgisme
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Replied by pmgisme on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
If you accelerate one twin towards the speed of light they will both age at different rates.
At the speed of light the clock stops altogether.
A photon is frozen in time.
If the sun disappeared now we would feel it's gravity for eight minutes more.
Peter.
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- JohnMurphy
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- Super Giant
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Replied by JohnMurphy on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
What I said still stands. The speed of light is a fixed constant. Time is variable depending on your reference frame. Therefore the speed of light and "speed of time" (whatever that means) cannot equal.
John Murphy
Irish Astronomical Society
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- pmgisme
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Replied by pmgisme on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
Mass varys as well as time.
As does length.(Fitzgerald-Lorentz Contraction)
(George FitzGerald was Irish incidentally.)
Strange world.
Richard Feynmann reckoned that a Positron is an Electron going backwards in time! (In his book QED.)
Mind boggling stuff indeed.
Peter.
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- JohnMurphy
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- Super Giant
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Replied by JohnMurphy on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
Richard Feynmann reckoned that a Positron is an Electron going backwards in time!
As a matter of fact all antiparticles can be said to be their respective particles going backwards in time. Feynman was genius personified, I highly recommend James Gleick's book Genius: The life and science of Richard Feynman.
John Murphy
Irish Astronomical Society
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- fguihen
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Replied by fguihen on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
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- pmgisme
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Replied by pmgisme on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
A vehicle which travels at 750,000 times the speed of light Fguihen?
Sure that's too simple altogether!
Can't you think of something a bit more ambitious Fguihen?
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- ciderman
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Replied by ciderman on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
Spooky action at a distance.
And the whole geometry of the universe could mean that if you could travel far and fast enough not only could you arrive back at your starting point but also have your left and right reversed, all points translated into a perfect mirror image of the old you!
And I concur with the 1000 year old people thing, although it will result in some creative social upheavals, hmm, make long term investments intriguing. Although probably only the rich will aford them and you'll end up with some scifi dystopia with flying cars, facist police and talking kangaroos!
Park in it Man!
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- fguihen
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Replied by fguihen on topic Re: Pillars of creation obliterated
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