Valentines in Space

I've used some images from Phil Plait's blog Bad Astronomy in the past, and they are great.  So here goes again for 2016:

Image credit Bad Astronomy

Make sure you make your loved ones feel special tomorrow.

Note: the link above is to Phil's post as it originally appeared.  His current blog address is here, and you really should hop over there at least once a week.  You'll be glad you did.

Valentines in Space

I can't improve upon this post from a year ago, so here you go again.

Sure, Valentine's Day has become a crass commercial holiday, but even so, I think it's better NOT to boycott.  Just enjoy the day, and remember to make your loved ones feel special today. 

Credit to Phil Plait over at Bad Astronomy, which never disappoints and should be on your blogroll:

Happy Valentine's Day from Spitzer Space Telescope! This image is of a region called W5, part of a bigger complex of gas and dust shining 6000 light years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The resemblance to a Valentine is remarkable!

What you're actually seeing here is an enormous star-forming factory 150 light years across. Deep in its (haha) heart, massive, hot, and bright stars are being born. When they switch on for the first time, they blast out a flood of ultraviolet light as well as a fierce wind of subatomic particles. These eat away at the cloud from the inside-out, forming an enormous cavity. It's the edges of this cavity that form the cosmic valentine.

 

Valentine's Day...in Space

Credit to Phil Plait over at Bad Astronomy, which never disappoints and should be on your blogroll:

Happy Valentine's Day from Spitzer Space Telescope! This image is of a region called W5, part of a bigger complex of gas and dust shining 6000 light years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The resemblance to a Valentine is remarkable!

What you're actually seeing here is an enormous star-forming factory 150 light years across. Deep in its (haha) heart massive, hot, and bright stars are being born. When they switch on for the first time, they blast out a flood of ultraviolet light as well as a fierce wind of subatomic particles. These eat away at the cloud from the inside-out, forming an enormous cavity. It's the edges of this cavity that form the cosmic valentine.