| Hubble Talk

Hubble Discovers a Bubble

What happens when a white dwarf star becomes so massive it explodes? A supernova of course!

What causes the white dwarf (now named supernova: 0509-67.5) to gain enough mass for this to happen… Normally astronomers theorize that this happens when the white dwarf simply gathers enough material from another companion star.

Although, with the sharp discerning eye of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers could not find any trace of such a companion star having had mass siphoned away from 0509-67.5, the white dwarf.

Instead, rather than merely taking material away, they believe that this white dwarf actually collided with another white dwarf, creating an intense supernova. Therefore both stars were destroyed and in the midst of the blast this beautiful strange looking bubble was created as a result; now showing in deep space, no need to arrive late to avoid sitting through previews. You probably won’t need to make a trip to the concession counter and stand in line for popcorn, candy and soda pop, either. Read more about Hubble Discovers a Bubble

Planetary Nebula is One of Hubble's Greatest Discoveries

One of the Hubble telescope’s best discoveries was the planetary nebula. These nebulae form as a result of a dying star no longer being able to hold its contents. While a young star can hold together due to fusion reactions in its center.

The gravity placed upon the materials on the outer part of a star will eventually take their toll on the structure of that star. Thereby forcing the inner materials to heat up and condense. The hot temperatures at the central point of the star will cause fast stellar winds to push the outer materials away. This will occur over the course of a few thousand light years.

The end result is a glowing core with distant gases ignited by its force causing them to take on eerie forms and different colors of iridescence.

A common myth is that planetary nebulae are associated with planets given the name. This is false. Planetary nebulas are directly related to stars. To read more, click here. Read more about Planetary Nebula is One of Hubble's Greatest Discoveries

Oldest Known Galaxies Discovered

It is scientifically impossible for you to miss out on anything, because you are the fabric of the universe.

This is a beautiful quote, but what does it mean?

In order to find the meaning we must define what the universe is. The universe is everything here that exists today. Yet, it is also everything left from yesterday and the day before that. It is you, it is me. It is every planet, galaxy and star. It is also every form of energy and matter. We can trace the universe back to the beginning of time.

Knowing these facts, it’s exciting when the Hubble Space Telescope discovers the earliest galaxies in our known universe. That is exactly what it did. For the first time, the Hubble found a few incredibly condensed, ultra-blue galaxies, read all the details here. Read more about Oldest Known Galaxies Discovered

2 New Planets Discovered In Old Hubble Telescope Data

There's a reason scientists carefully record their data and archive it. One of the reasons is that as scientific techniques and methods change and improve, old data can often be re-examined and new discoveries and insights made. In this case, the new discovery was huge - the discovery of two new planets!

Spooky Black Widow Nebula

In honor of Halloween, National Geographic released ten spooky pictures from space. You can view the images via: a slideshow here.

My favorite was the Black Widow nebula. In Latin, nebula directly translated means: cloud. Nebulae consist of interstellar gases and other matter visible as an extended astronomical object. Before galaxies were discovered by Edwin Hubble, they were commonly referred to as nebulae. Our own Milky Way galaxy was considered a nebula before the early 1920’s.

Nebulae fascinate me to no end. As time goes on they accumulate hydrogen, helium and other ionized gases. Eventually gathering enough matter to create a visible cluster and finally form into an actual star!

Hubblesite.org - all things Hubble!

Fascinated by Hubble? If so, you need to check out Hubblesite.org - they have everything hubble related right at your fingertips - from cool pics to history it is the place to be. Even if you are not really interested in space or the Hubble telescope its still worth a quick peek.

Ancient Nukes on Mars, Earth

Scientists say that 180 million years ago, a naturally occurring nuclear blast may have hit Mars, rendering it the lifeless planet that it is today. They claim that this blast would have left the planet with nothing but dry, red sand—which sounds like it could be plausible. Evidence that supports the theory includes the presence of radioactive materials, such as uranium and thorium, on the planet’s surface, that appear to stem from a hot spot. Read more about Ancient Nukes on Mars, Earth

NGC 2841 - Gorgeous!

It really is something from out of this world - NGC 2841 is one of several new images from the famous Hubble Telescope that has been making headlines. This sparkling galaxy is a cosmic hit - and it's no wonder why, because it is truly beautiful. Read more about NGC 2841 - Gorgeous!

Check Out the Geminid Meteor Shower

It’s actually going on right now—though it will continue until Thursday. The best time to see the shooting stars is between 1 and 3 AM your local time, so bundle up (especially if you’re in my snowy area, or an even colder one!) and go take a peek! The Geminids are the only meteor shower that is not caused by a passing comet, and they are considered slow-moving. You can find out all about them here. Read more about Check Out the Geminid Meteor Shower

Hawking: "It's Time to Leave Earth"

When Stephen Hawking says it’s time to get out, you know it’s time to cut our losses and move to Mars—or whatever planet will have us. According to Hawking, if we don’t leave the Earth within the next 100 years, we will become extinct. “Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill,” he says. Obviously, we’re doing ill on a massive scale—which leads us to an important question. Read more about Hawking: "It's Time to Leave Earth"

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