Anatomy of the Orion Nebula – Imaging and imagining 3-D Gas Bodies

Anatomy of the Orion Nebula – Imaging and imagining 3-D Gas Bodies

It is easy to forget that our 2-D images are actually representations of 3-D gas bodies, that are acting according to 4-D dynamics. In day to day life, we have many clues that we can rely upon including parallax views, perspective rules, lights and shadows, and actual physical interaction that we can use to assess the nature of objects in 3-D and 3+1 space. Unfortunately many of these clues are absent or confusing in our deep space objects. In this post, we analyze a 2-D image of the Great Orion Nebula and stellar nursery including its shape and orientation in 3-D space. Along the way, we will present an understanding of the three principle gas types in deep space photography

Thermodynamic Cloud Collapse & Me vs Gravity & Grok

Thermodynamic Cloud Collapse & Me vs Gravity & Grok

Since I began working on this website, I have been using AI to fetch equations, data, and history.  In general, I don’t bother discussing things much with AI, because typically AI relies on authority – number of journal articles, citations, simulations, status indicators, and other non-scientific bases to form its opinions.  Me, on the other hand, I take the Richard Feynman philosophy that “Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts“.  If AI believes you are straying from its narrative, it tries to “correct” you and actually let you know that what you are asking for is wrong.  It finds something it agrees with, and then, tries to interject that it was at least somewhat right all along.   It

Video Post – How Friction Creates a Galaxy’s Spirals

Video Post – How Friction Creates a Galaxy’s Spirals

The videos presented here represent a culmination of my analysis of spiral galactic structure.  The conventional explanations of how spiral work try to shoe-horn the partial differential equations of Navier-Stokes and Maxwell, into the ordinary ones of astro-physicist’s simulations and this leads to gross misrepresentations.  It is like an illness in the popular scientific community that is directly related, although less political, to the climate simulators and their ODE simulations of our dynamic, convective atmosphere.  “Unicorn” constructs, such as gravity density waves are really how the ODE solutions are tricked into giving realistic results.   Shortcuts to PDEs, such as “Ram Pressure”, are elevated to the position of real explanations.   There videos take a overview look at how spiral galaxies really

Globular Clusters: The Chaotic Square Dance of the Stars

Globular Clusters: The Chaotic Square Dance of the Stars

Globular clusters (GCs) are fascinating cosmic entities that challenge our understanding of chaos and order in the universe. These ancient collections of stars, some over 13 billion years old, exhibit a dynamic system that thrives amidst unpredictability. As we explore the intricate dance of stars within these clusters, we uncover the secrets of their longevity and stability. From the mesmerizing beauty of M5 and M13 to the complex gravitational interactions that govern their behavior, join us on a journey through the chaotic square dance of the stars and discover the mysteries that lie within these stellar marvels.

Abell 39: A planetary nebula and the most perfect sphere in the night sky

Abell 39: A planetary nebula and the most perfect sphere in the night sky

Discover the mesmerizing beauty of Abell 39, a planetary nebula renowned for its stunning spherical shape. While many nebulae are complex and chaotic, Abell 39 stands out as a rare gem in the night sky. This article delves into the fascinating evolution of stars, from their fiery beginnings as main sequence stars to their transformation into white dwarfs and the breathtaking nebulae they leave behind. Join us on a journey through the cosmos, exploring the intricate processes that create these celestial wonders and the vital role they play in the universe’s grand tapestry.

The Sunflower Galaxy and Dynamic Complexities

The Sunflower Galaxy and Dynamic Complexities

At first glance, Messier 63 (M63 for short or aka “the Sunflower Galaxy”) appears to be a break from the traditional spiral structure of galaxies and represent a new type of galaxy termed a “flocculent” class.  It was thought that the stars formed clumpy clouds gathered together as clumps, like strands of wool form clumps of wool – even on the sheep.    In chemical engineering, we often use agents that make particles suspended in a fluid clump together to form larger particles ,so that gravity can overcome the suspension and separate the particles from the fluid.   I like to thing that the word flocculate (or its sorter “floc”) comes from the word “flock”, as in a flock of sheep,

The Anatomy of a Stellar Nursery

The Anatomy of a Stellar Nursery

Introducing the Rosette Nebula / Stellar Nursery When I first started to image stellar nurseries, I really didn’t know anything about them.  I was told that stars are being born there – that is pretty awesome, but I was curious what was it about these light generating molecular clouds (MCs) that made them prolific star builders.   Sure, stars are also created in turbulent dark molecular clouds, but stellar nurseries really churn out the stars at a much higher level – often creating whole open clusters of stars.   Many of the stellar nurseries get very large and can even be mapped from their Halpha light signal in other galaxies.   Ok, so my interest was piqued – I had to figure out