Tuesday, January 11, 2011

What's a Hanny's Voorwerp?

It's Dutch for Hanny's Object, of course!

What, that doesn't clear things up for you?  Maybe a picture will help:


OK.  For those of you who have not already heard, Hanny's Voorwerp is a strange celestial object discovered by Dutch teacher Hanny van Arkel while working on the Galaxy Zoo project.  She's not a researcher or a PhD, just a regular 27-year old woman with an interest in science and Queen guitarist Brian May (whose web site first got her interested in Galaxy Zoo).  In 2007 she was reviewing images as part of the project and noticed a strange blue smudge beneath a beautiful spiral galaxy.  Intrigued, she copied the picture and asked fellow project members if they knew what it was. 

Three years later we finally have a better idea of what she was looking at. As described by MSNBC reporter Alan Boyle:

"Hanny's Voorwerp turned out to be a small part of a 300,000-light-year-long streamer of gas, located about 650 million light-years from Earth. Scientists suggested that a quasar in a nearby galaxy, known as IC 2497, was shining on Hanny's Voorwerp, lighting up the oxygen in the streamer with a greenish glow. The only problem was that no quasar could be seen. Eventually, astronomers spotted a radio source in the galaxy that was sending out weak emissions. "That's like seeing a bank of fog lit up by a floodlight, but when you look to where the floodlight is, you see a laser pointer," Yale astronomer Kevin Schawinski said today.

[One] possibility is that the swirling disk of material surrounding the black hole switched the way that it gave off energy. Instead of radiating energy as quasar jets of light, the disk started throwing off kinetic energy, in the form of a shock wave of gas moving into the surrounding space. The high-resolution Hubble image supports [that] explanation."


Recently Hanny appeared at a recent meeting of the American Astronomical Society where a paper was presented based on follow-up images taken by the Hubble telescope.  She's getting a good amount of (well deserved) press again as the excitement over her discovery continues.  But enough of this second-hand reporting...check out the full story yourself at MSNBC's Cosmic Log.

And hopefully one day I can write a post about your next discovery!

26 comments:

  1. may be useful for all, helpful article once and pardon me permission to share also here :

    Obat herbal gabagen
    Obat sakit perih ulu hati
    Obat herbal usus buntu

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your article is to an unfathomable degree surprising and music is stunning Bing Ads Coupon Codes . I wish you the best of achievement…

    ReplyDelete
  3. Try not to waver to drop the payday advance before the due date, on the off chance that it is conceivable and your accounts allow. payday loans san diego

    ReplyDelete
  4. we can definitely change the new Delhi Escorts Services world from the different sources.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The postings on your site are Escorts in Delhi always excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am really happy to read this blog post, you have many information put it on this article, am really suggest to my all dear friend to visit this blog post and collect this useful and valuable information.


    Delhi Escorts Services
    Delhi Escorts

    ReplyDelete
  7. very interesting post.this is my first-time visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion..thanks for the post!
    callgirlsnumbers
    southdelhicallgirls
    sexescorts
    callgirlsdelhincr
    delhiescort-girl
    kimdelhi

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for sharing .You have done a fantastic work on this short article.Keep it Up. دانلود آهنگ های پرطرفدار جدید

    ReplyDelete
  9. Welcome to Gurgaon Escorts Agency, we give you complete discount of receiving Russian and erotic call girls in Gurgaon, you can contact us on our website to get them. Escorts Service In Gurgaon

    ReplyDelete
  10. It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I've read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article. I want to read more things about it!Internet Telephony

    ReplyDelete
  11. Before telling you the most important topic that is under consideration nowadays I just want to mention to you that this blog is remarkable to describe the various aspects of electric skateboards.VoIP Thank you for sharing your views.

    ReplyDelete
  12. It’s hard to find knowledgeable people on this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks

    Information
    Click Here
    Visit Web

    ReplyDelete
  13. This time you can also call for the mature sex to mature call girls including Desi Indian Bhabhi Escorts in Mumbai and these housewives call girls are always making sure the highest quality pleasure and performance for your boosted stamina.
    Mumbai Escorts
    Mumbai Call Girls
    Borivali Escorts

    ReplyDelete
  14. To get Gurgaon escorts to see them in resort or some other pre suggested comfy location. Heartiest welcome from Gurgaon escorts agency. gurgaon dolls is high-profile escorts service of india. We're supplying Gurgaon escorts service past couple of decades. Each month we employ new Gurgaon models so that customer should have a lot of option for pick them.
    Gurgaon escorts
    manesar escorts
    surajkund escorts
    iffco chowk escorts
    palam vihar escorts
    rajiv chowk escorts

    ReplyDelete
  15. This can be led to Gurgaon escorts service which we neighbourhood unit pleased to present the very best, sexy and many magnificent forms accessible in Gurgaon and neighbourhood city. With federal states you will find the easiest Gurgaon escort services and the individual will be ready to excite your senses to intense amounts to provide you the previous work pleasure.
    mahipalpur escorts
    mg road escorts
    sikanderpur escorts
    alwar escorts
    bhiwadi escorts
    rewari escorts

    ReplyDelete
  16. This time you can rock more and enjoy more by choosing the services of call girls and the Housewife Call Girls you can pay the least amount of money on the booking of these escorts.
    Mumbai Escorts
    Mumbai Call Girls
    Mumbai Escort Service
    Russian Escorts in Mumbai

    ReplyDelete
  17. Enjoy more by choosing the services of call girls and the Housewife Call Girls you can pay the least amount of money on the booking of these escorts.
    Mumbai Escorts
    Mumbai Call Girls
    Mumbai Escort Service
    Russian Escorts in Mumbai
    Escorts in Mumbai

    ReplyDelete
  18. The 100 GPD P Flow Pump also comes with a resistant finishing for enhancing the durability of the complete RO Machine.
    100 GPD RO Booster Pump

    ReplyDelete
  19. Nice article and very useful thanks for share with us.
    Welcome to our website:-
    Escorts in Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad Call Girls | Call Girl in Ahmedabad

    ReplyDelete
  20. Get the best China Import Export Data from china customs with the help of top Import Export Data of China at Import Globals. Check latest china import export statistics to visit our website.
    China Import Data

    ReplyDelete