An Extraordinary Celestial Spiral

[HysteryDiagnosis]

No, not that again... something a bit different.



This remarkable picture from the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows one of the most perfect geometrical forms created in space. It captures the formation of an unusual pre-planetary nebula, known as IRAS 23166+1655, around the star LL Pegasi (also known as AFGL 3068) in the constellation of Pegasus (the Winged Horse).

The striking picture shows what appears to be a thin spiral pattern of astonishingly regularity winding around the star, which is itself hidden behind thick dust. The spiral pattern suggests a regular periodic origin for the nebula’s shape. The material forming the spiral is moving outwards a speed of about 50 000 km/hour and, by combining this speed with the distance between layers, astronomers calculate that the shells are each separated by about 800 years.

More at link: http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1020a/

[MineralMan]

1. Wonderful! The complexity and regularity of the universe

inspires awe in me every time I see it. From the smallest part of Nature to the largest, the laws of physics, chemistry, and more can teach us all a great deal. Out of what seems like randomness comes order. The reasons for most phenomena are known, and that should give us hope for the power of the human mind, which is also a wonder of Nature. Thanks for posting this.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. You do realize that the other school of thought has their

own explanation but I am not going there.... or maybe I will... then I'll have to ward off the syrup monster once again. Glad you were impressed by this phenomenon nonetheless.

[MineralMan]

4. I realize many things. I was not kept in a bubble.

It seems strange that you would wonder about that, I think. For me, understanding the laws of Nature beats "goddidit" all hollow. But, thanks for posting your image, nonetheless.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. But wait.... I was referring to that other possibility, the double

layers, dichotron instabilities, birkeland currents and other things that go bump in the night.

http://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/00current.htm



Electric discharges in a cloud of plasma form double layers along their current axes. Positive charges build up on one side of the cloud and negative charges on the other. A powerful electric field develops between them. If enough current is applied to the double layer it glows otherwise, it remains in "dark mode" and will be invisible. Electric currents flow along the double layers. In plasma, the currents spiral into filaments, which attract each other. However, instead of merging they wind around, sometimes "pinching down" into arc mode discharges. If enough current passes through the plasma cloud, a z-pinch in the double layer will initiate the formation of a star.

Electric double layers can be "pumped" with energy from galactic Birkeland currents in which they are immersed. The excess input power pushes them into "glow mode," while increased flux density draws matter from the surrounding space into filaments, igniting the nebular "gases" electrically

[MineralMan]

6. Spiral forms are common in many ways.

Laws of physics make them happen. Sometimes, biology, too. It's a common form, due to those laws. A goodly proportion of all galaxies are spiral in form. It's gravity that makes them so. Same with the planetary nebula in your photo. A spinning mass generally creates a spiral formation of particles and other objects in proximity to it. In space, gravity is the force. In a fluid, it's usually viscosity. There are rules for all of those systems, so spiral forms are pretty easy to understand. There are magnetic spirals and electrical spirals, as you say. Biological spirals, like the shell of a snail, are also very simple to understand, and occur through enlargement through growth. Easily explained, but all spirals, whatever the rules that dictate their formation, are easy to comprehend. Different forces often produce similar results.

The more you know, the simpler things are to understand.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. sorry, but this was caused by the giant toad

jumping off a celestial water lily.

It also means that we will have three years of wonderful prosperity, or until the toad is eaten by the Great Galactic Raven.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. Recommended.... for what I don't know. n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. never forget the cosmic danger that caused the

Gilgafrinches to send their telephone sanitizers off to a new world.

It is scary out there!

[MineralMan]

2. And on a very much smaller scale, here is the structure of

a diatom:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

9. I love diatoms!!

so cool :) Never saw that one before. (glad to make your acquaintance, my dear Diatom. Heeeee :P )


other faves:

Vorticella


Tardigrades

[annabanana]

13. An Olympic venue for some upcoming games?

as imagined by M.C. Escher.

[jmondine]

10. Then again, it could just be God trying to hypnotize us.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

12. He does you know, but mostly when you are sleeping. n/t