'The Cosmic Hand of Destruction' and other Top Astronomy Photos of 2009

[Ichingcarpenter]

This eerie shot, from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, is actually showing extremely hot gas around a pulsar, the rapidly spinning core of a once-exploded star. The pulsar — named PSR B1509-58 — is buried in the bright spot in the "wrist" of this structure. As the pulsar spins, it generates extremely strong magnetic winds which blow out and interact with previously existing gas in the region. Dense knots of gas form, and those are at the tips of the "fingers"


Dying Star




The Rest of the Top Ten can be seen here:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/15/top-ten-astronomy-pictures-of-2009/2/

[PoiBoy]

1. Awesome photos...

thanks for posting these and the link...!!!

:hi:

[Th1onein]

2. They are beautiful

Thanks for posting!

[caraher]

3. The hand is awesome in every sense

I was actually disappointed with the #1 slot. I suppose it's because I never doubted that we actually landed on the moon...

[Fumesucker]

4. Actually that should be "The Gripping Hand"..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gripping_Hand

Amazing pictures, BTW..

[daleo]

5. It's like the giant hand that stopped the Enterprise

In a TOS episode. Once more Roddenberry was oddly prophetic.