Topic: Space Pictures This Week: Ring of Fire, Rare Moon, More

[sam]

The moon nearly blots out the sun on January 4 during an annular eclipse captured here by Japan's Hinode satellite. During an annular eclipse, the moon is slightly farther from Earth than usual and so appears smaller than during a total eclipse—leaving the edges of the sun visible.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/photogalleries/110114-best-space-pictures-sun-solar-eclipse-moon-nebula-science-saturn-127/

[Simon]

Wow!  That's awesome!

[Rik]

Great picture, for us plebs.

[Clive]

My fave is num 4.  That Triangulum galaxy (M33) is a member of the local cluster which includes the Magellanic Clouds, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and a number of smaller galaxies.  M33 is quite easy to find in binoculars and is a surprisingly large object considering how far away it is.  That photo showing all those UV sources is quite incredible.  The galaxy must contain a tremendous number of ultra hot giant stars. 

[Rik]

Er, quite.

[Clive]

We are talking about whole galaxies here, just like our Milky Way, each of which contains hundreds of billions of stars.  There is a vast distance between the stars but galaxies, even in clusters, are even farther apart relatively speaking.  To be able to see an object which lies 3 million light years away with just a pair of binoculars tells you how intrinsically bright it must be.  Awesome!   

[sam]

you capture that perfectly there clive:

Awesome!