[Gaborn]

(Image: ESA/Hubble, NASA and H. Olofsson (Onsala Space Observatory))

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured some pretty impressive images in the 22 years since it was delivered into low-Earth orbit by the space shuttle Discovery, but this one is right up there. Released by NASA earlier this week, the image shows an ageing carbon star in its final death throes, ejecting a gigantic spherical bubble of gas, many hundreds of times its own diameter. Amazingly, the star itself actually fits into one tiny pixel at the centre of the image. The white glow surrounding it is a result of the super bright light the star is emitting, which has overwhelmed the camera's receptors. The star is located 1,500 light years away in the constellation of Camelopardalis (the giraffe). It is a rare type that is known as a carbon star because its atmosphere contains more carbon than oxygen. These two elements combine in the star's upper atmosphere to form carbon monoxide until all the oxygen is consumed. Then the leftover carbon atoms form other carbon compounds. Low surface gravity means as much as half of the total mass of a carbon star may be lost to powerful stellar winds. This carbon star is now in the red giant phase of its evolution and could have only centuries of life left - a mere blink of an eye in stellar time-scales. This red giant is thought to cough out a nearly spherical shell of gas every few thousand years. The gas from the latest eruption is the faint bubble seen surrounding the star. In about 5 billion years, our own sun will become a red giant too, engulfing Mercury, Venus, and Earth. An expected increase in activity as the sun ages means that Earth will become uninhabitable long before then, though.

Story Here

[shagg_187]

Beautiful.

[krioto]

i prefer it much more when you post happy/nice news like this, rather than dead-beat-dad-decapitates-son-whilst-on-alcohol-induced-drug-fuelled-tipping-circumcision-cousin-fucking-binge type news

[Xero]

This is amazing. I'm always amazed by what they find out in the universe. Such a shame we are stuck in this little area.

[Gattsu25]

Really impressive

[Tesseract]

couldn't resist. so very awesome.

[epmode]

i prefer it much more when you post happy/nice news like this, rather than dead-beat-dad-decapitates-son-whilst-on-alcohol-induced-drug-fuelled-tipping-circumcision-cousin-fucking-binge type news

Happy? The ex-inhabitants of the ex-planet orbiting the ex-star would disagree.

[Rocket Punch]

RIP

[krioto]

Happy? The ex-inhabitants of the ex-planet orbiting the ex-star would disagree.

'No! Alderaan is peaceful! We have no weapons, you can’t possibly…'
----
'You would prefer another target, a military target? Then name the system! I grow tired of asking this so it will be the last time: *Where* is the rebel base?'

[Chichikov]

couldn't resist. so very awesome.

Really?
This is what you couldn't resist?
Man, you got some tame urges.
Because this is what my voices tell me to do -

[krameriffic]

I like how I read that and I say "man, it's only 1500 light years away, that's pretty close!" And then I think about the fact that this thing actually exploded only just after the fall of the damn Roman empire.

[zyxwvu4321]

Not funny, the star died after that.

Real post: Amazing. I love outer space and physics stuff like this.

[injurai]

i feel lucky to be a human being who has witnessed something like this.

[RiccochetJ]

Cool part is that it happened a long time ago. We're just finally seeing it.

[Gameboy415]

Amazing.

On a random side note: Anyone with a 3DTV should definitely check out the IMAX: Hubble documentary.
It's a bit slow and boring at points, but the deep-space 3D imagery is simply mind-blowing!

[THE NO LIFE KING]

Oh you!

[Finn of Ooo]

Just makes me wonder how much amazing shit I'll never see

[DarkKyo]

Holy shit. So much energy...

[Vulcano's assistant]

Looks like they retouched this one a bit too much. Never seem such smooth white in a Hubble picture before.

[Pollux]

I like how I read that and I say "man, it's only 1500 light years away, that's pretty close!" And then I think about the fact that this thing actually exploded only just after the fall of the damn Roman empire.

Certainly puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

[Grimm Fandango]

Space porn. Aw yeah.

[EatChildren]

Together we will live forever.

[Kaako]

That is awe-inspiring. Wow.
I love hubble images.

[bionic77]

The Hubble telescope is such a beast.

Still working and making discoveries for more than 20 years.

[opticalmace]

Pretty cool, but are carbon-rich stars really that rare?

[DarkKyo]

In a few billion years perhaps the carbon from that star will inhabit the bodies of a future carbon-based species somewhere out there...

[Anton Sugar]

Really? This is what you couldn't resist? Man, you got some tame urges. Because this is what my voices tell me to do -

Why is this the first thing I thought of, too? :(

[LQX]

Really? This is what you couldn't resist? Man, you got some tame urges. Because this is what my voices tell me to do - [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/gTVMs.jpg[IMG]

Way to ruin a thread.

[SenEXunk]

Picture doesnt do it justice. In fact its very boring to look at, Ive seen drawings more exciting.

[TUSR]

Amazingly, the star itself actually fits into one tiny pixel at the centre of the image.

Thats the most fascinating part about this picture.

[Poyunch]

Another thread about death, damn it Gaborn.

[Chichikov]

The Hubble telescope is such a beast. Still working and making discoveries for more than 20 years.

Soon...
(assuming the idiots in the house don't fuck it).


Looks badass too -

[jambo]

couldn't resist. so very awesome.

[Lionel Mandrake]

I didn't "get" The Fountain. I mean, I understood it. I just didn't "get" it.

[TUSR]

"Star Tits high-five!"

[BolognaSoup]

Does anyone else see the skeleton-like face?

[chris.trejo]

Wow that's amazing, and the star is the size of a pixel? That's crazy....so how touched up is that picture? I mean I know it doesn't look like that...

[Tesseract]

i saw eyes, not tits. but tits work.

[Duffyside]

Really? This is what you couldn't resist? Man, you got some tame urges. Because this is what my voices tell me to do -

What an amazing post. I laughed pretty hard.

[zethren]

[img]http://************/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/meh.ro10002.gif[/img]

Seriously that's awesome, though. I love findings like this.

Edit:

Together we will live forever.

Dang, beaten. And with far more subtlety to boot.

[Pecan1]

Looks like they retouched this one a bit too much. Never seem such smooth white in a Hubble picture before.

the star itself actually fits into one tiny pixel at the centre of the image. The white glow surrounding it is a result of the super bright light the star is emitting, which has overwhelmed the camera's receptors.

[Hobbestetrician]

We are all just floating in the breeze.

[Gaborn]

the star itself actually fits into one tiny pixel at the centre of the image. The white glow surrounding it is a result of the super bright light the star is emitting, which has overwhelmed the camera's receptors.

Yeah, the scale of the universe is always daunting.

[Baconsaurus Rex]

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

[Air]

Very cool photo

[slit]

Jesus is coming.

[PoweredBySoy]

So sorry for your loss, universe.

[SuicidalSteve]

Wow!

[WeAreStarStuff]

In a few billion years perhaps the carbon from that star will inhabit the bodies of a future carbon-based species somewhere out there...

You think like I think.

[Sentry]

It'll be awesome to see the progression of this given a few months time and consecutive shots.