Breathtaking 2.5 GIGApixel image of the galaxy

Originally posted by VonDoomen
reply to post by Majestic RNA

Wouldn't that be amazing? Imagine the math involved in determining the best distance and the angle of width the camera would be for an optimal view!
some pretty big numbers.

When you think about it, its very possible. As it stands we can already PING the moon using the Apollo 11 lunar laser ranging retroreflector array (Link to lunar laser).

The CAPANINA Project (PDF Document-Proof) uses lasers for broadband. So, if you could intergrate the CAPANINA Project and the Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflector Array (LLRRA), and merge it with the same technology that's going to be used to build the EUCLID probe, then I can't see why we cant do this. The technology and resources exist.

EDIT: ...Just make sure the camera is HD with a wide angle lens

[edit on 3/12/2009 by the_denv]

Thank you for posting the link to the photos and news. Fascinating stuff for us to look, ponder, and dream.

reply to post by Enrikez


Right click and choose "Save Link As..." or "Save Target As...."

High Resolution images approach 30MB.

thats awesome that it is actually a picture of our own galaxy.
its amazing to see.
i still have to keep the pinwheel galaxy as my computer backround though. something awesome seeing one head on.

wow my background has never looked better!! Thanks for the links to the pics! They really are so amazing!

[edit on 4-12-2009 by MordanECU]

Originally posted by Majestic RNA
I know, 'VonDoomen' the mind boggles.
But I would say this, if we (the Earth) are on the edge of a spiral arm as is suggested, the direction to go would be up out of our solar system, then head out towards the centre of the galaxy always heading up and away towards the galaxy Andromeda, if you think about it we have a great vantage point hear on Earth to view Andromeda, so it would make sense the same would be true if they were viewing us... so to go in between Andromeda and the Earth would seem to be the best vantage point,…. and hey, it's all pie in the sky stuff, the amount of time it would take to get out of our own galaxy is phenomenal, but we can dream

Where we live

Not to pick on your post or anything, but that galactic representation is bunk. If the center of the galaxy was that big and bright, we'd see it. Big. Bright.

I am curious as to whether we even know if our 'galaxy' looks the same as the objects we are seeing out in space. I just don't see how it's possible to say things like that -- out of complete speculation -- and not know by evidence.

For example... have you ever had a cat that thought it was a dog? My grandpa did. That cat -knew- it was a dog. It hated all other cats, but man, dogs were chill.

I'm wondering if we're the cat that thinks we're a dog? I mean, there isn't a giant mirror anywhere showing us what we are. And for that matter, all galactic representations I see make no sense. If the center of the galaxy was that bright - if all that stuff was that bright and that big, there is no way that we'd only see the little bits that we see with our naked eye.

The sun pales in comparison to the supposed size of the center of our galaxy. I'm sorry, but I doubt it all.

Originally posted by VonDoomen
There's definitely not enough room in those pictures for more life!

Yeah, especially when you realize that the Hubble, Kepler, and other systems have detected roughly 400 planets within less than 1,000 Light Years from us (That is JUST in our small portion of the Orion Spur/Arm of the Milky Way, or in other words, our own neighborhood).

Originally posted by TarzanBeta

Originally posted by Majestic RNA


Where we live

Not to pick on your post or anything, but that galactic representation is bunk. If the center of the galaxy was that big and bright, we'd see it. Big. Bright.

I am curious as to whether we even know if our 'galaxy' looks the same as the objects we are seeing out in space. I just don't see how it's possible to say things like that -- out of complete speculation -- and not know by evidence.

For example... have you ever had a cat that thought it was a dog? My grandpa did. That cat -knew- it was a dog. It hated all other cats, but man, dogs were chill.

....

The sun pales in comparison to the supposed size of the center of our galaxy. I'm sorry, but I doubt it all.

Have you ever been in a truly Dark Sky environment? The entire Milky Way IS in fact "Bright", and it is impossible to not notice it. The center of our Galaxy is well established to the naked eye in the appropriate Dark Sky environment, and the only reason that it does not appear brighter, is due to the fact that there are countless bands & clouds of thick dust between us & it. Also, you must realize the fact that it is at a distance of roughly 30,000 Light Years away from us (The entire Milky Way Galaxy is about 127,000 Light Years Across).

reply to post by Nematode


probably because up until recently no one could see the true splendor that is out there just beyond our reach.

Its kind of sad to think about how many people have looked up at the sky with wonder and never could even partially fathom what they were looking at.

Originally posted by TarzanBeta

Originally posted by Majestic RNA
I know, 'VonDoomen' the mind boggles.
But I would say this, if we (the Earth) are on the edge of a spiral arm as is suggested, the direction to go would be up out of our solar system, then head out towards the centre of the galaxy always heading up and away towards the galaxy Andromeda, if you think about it we have a great vantage point hear on Earth to view Andromeda, so it would make sense the same would be true if they were viewing us... so to go in between Andromeda and the Earth would seem to be the best vantage point,…. and hey, it's all pie in the sky stuff, the amount of time it would take to get out of our own galaxy is phenomenal, but we can dream

Where we live

Not to pick on your post or anything, but that galactic representation is bunk. If the center of the galaxy was that big and bright, we'd see it. Big. Bright.

I am curious as to whether we even know if our 'galaxy' looks the same as the objects we are seeing out in space. I just don't see how it's possible to say things like that -- out of complete speculation -- and not know by evidence.

For example... have you ever had a cat that thought it was a dog? My grandpa did. That cat -knew- it was a dog. It hated all other cats, but man, dogs were chill.

I'm wondering if we're the cat that thinks we're a dog? I mean, there isn't a giant mirror anywhere showing us what we are. And for that matter, all galactic representations I see make no sense. If the center of the galaxy was that bright - if all that stuff was that bright and that big, there is no way that we'd only see the little bits that we see with our naked eye.

The sun pales in comparison to the supposed size of the center of our galaxy. I'm sorry, but I doubt it all.

Your analogy to cat's and dogs

And my galactic representation pic isn't bunk, it's common sense, what we see millions of times over throughout the universe is a big bright centre in galaxys, as 'TheAgentNineteen' say's the dust in our galaxy Obscures the centre from view hear on Earth...


The Milky Way

What the Milky Way is suspected to look like

The Local Group


And hey, I did say it's all pie in the sky stuff




[edit on 4-12-2009 by Majestic RNA]

Originally posted by VonDoomen
Time to change your wallpapers folks.
This is from the Spitzer space telescope and is a composite of 800,000 different images.
quite breathtaking!!

Discover news article-
blogs.discovermagazine.com...

Spitzer homepage-
www.spitzer.caltech.edu...

6.5mb picture for download
ipac.jpl.nasa.gov...

I can see my house from here

After looking at that picture I thought i'd ask a quick question. What is the Universe and why are we here?

Answers on a postcard please

reply to post by bramski


Ask IX-777 he/she knows



Answers

reply to post by Majestic RNA


funny funny.

Im still unsure what I think about this feller.
sure he's had some interesting things to say,, but also some not to interesting things as well.

The Milky way Galaxy is such a MONSTER.. What's even more freaky is the Universe is Filled Billions and Billions of Galaxies and EACH One of those Galaxies has Hundreds of Millions of stars.. Most stars have Planets and usually (there finding out) there is generally one or two planets per star where its the right distance from the sun to have life on it. Not to close to the sun and not to far away. Which means there's thousands and thousands of planets just like earth all through the Milky Way Galaxy. I wouldn't doubt for a second that there's all different sorts of life out there. I would love to go to a planet that is just like earth BUT 300 Million years ago Earth...Dinosaurs everywhere, That would be a dream, take a hot air ballon ride on Earth 300 Million years ago..

reply to post by VonDoomen


Yeah I with you, I kinda switched off when he claimed he's a pleiaden & has met Jesus, must admit he does come across as fairly intelligent though.

reply to post by VonDoomen


S&F!

Indeed BREATHTAKING

Makes me feel smaller then an atom in a grain of sand ......

reply to post by TarzanBeta


Here is what you need to read
www.astronomynotes.com...

Though the space between the stars is emptier than the best vacuums created on the Earth (those are enclosed spaces devoid of matter, not the household cleaning appliances), there is some material between the stars composed of gas and dust. This material is called the interstellar medium. The interstellar medium makes up between 10 to 15% of the visible mass of the Milky Way...

'. Although the dust makes up only about 1% of the interstellar medium, it has much greater effect on the starlight in the visible band---we can out see only roughly 6000 light years in the plane of the Galaxy because of the dust. Without the dust, we would be able to see through the entire 100,000 light year disk of the Galaxy.

Nick strobel

here's an example of a very compact dust cloud

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f2ffff1fcb33.jpg[/atsimg]

This 2nd photo is far to big to post here, also another great background
www.eso.org...

this is a representation of the milky way and its dust clouds. the light qualities have been enhanced to show what the interstellar medium looks like.

Isn't this the same photo information on another thread here www.abovetopsecret.com... ? Some of this is also from back in June 2008.

Not to be a thread killer, but it is nice photography.