Cool And Amazing Things

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MadamMack

M e m b e r
Apr 11, 2006
17,958
45,138
UnParked, UnParked U.S.A.
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blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
Astronomy Photographs Of The Year
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“Aurora over a Glacier Lagoon” by James Woodend, UK

The pale-green glow of the aurora comes from oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere, energized by subatomic particles blasted out by the Sun. The particles are funnelled down towards the north and south poles by the Earth’s magnetic field, which is why these spectacular light shows are so often juxtaposed with the frozen scenery of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Here the photographer has skilfully captured the delicate, icy colouration of land, water and sky.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
WindFarmStarTrails.jpg

“Wind Farm Star Trails” by Matt James, Australia

A monochrome composition with striking graphic qualities, this is a picture of movement. It shows the power of the wind together with the apparent motion of the sky: the rotation of the Earth turns the trails into a shower of stars. Like a moment of stillness captured in the otherwise shifting surroundings, one of the wind turbines has remained static. Its sharply defined blades stand out among the dandelion-like shapes of the others.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
Ripples.jpg

“Ripples in a Pond” by Alexandra Hart, UK

The Sun’s boiling surface curves away beneath us in this evocative shot, which powerfully conveys the scale and violence of our parent star. The tortured region of solar activity on the left could swallow up the Earth several times with room to spare. The photographer’s comparison with stones dropped into a pond is an apt one: the Sun’s outer layers do indeed behave like a fluid, but one that is constantly twisted and warped by intense magnetic forces.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
Horsehead.jpg

“Horsehead Nebula (IC 434)” by Bill Snyder, USA

The Horsehead Nebula is one of the most-photographed objects in the night sky, but this astonishing image succeeds in showing it in a brand-new light. Rather than focusing solely on the black silhouette of the horsehead itself, the photographer draws the eye down to the creased and folded landscape of gas and dust at its base, and across to the glowing cavity surrounding a bright star. By pushing the compositional boundaries of astrophotography, this image expands our view and tells a new story about a familiar object.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
ScopeWin.jpg

“NGC 3718” by Mark Hanson, USA

Found in the constellation Ursa Major, NGC 3718 is known as a peculiar barred spiral galaxy. Gravitational interactions with its near neighbour NGC 3729 (the spiral galaxy below and to the left) are the likely reason for the galaxy’s significantly warped spiral arms, while a dark dust lane wraps around the centre.