N44C: A Nebular Mystery
N44C is the designation for a fascinating region of ionized hydrogen gas surrounding an association of young stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby, small companion galaxy to the Milky Way visible from the Southern Hemisphere. It stretches over an expanse of space that would take 125 years to cross if you were traveling at light-speed.
N44C is peculiar because the star mainly responsible for illuminating the nebula is unusually hot. The most massive stars, ranging from 10-50 times more massive than the Sun, have maximum temperatures of 30,000 to 50,000 degrees Kelvin. The star illuminating N44C appears to be significantly hotter, with a temperature of about 75,000 degrees Kelvin!
Ideas proposed to explain this unusually high temperature include the possibility of a neutron star or black hole that intermittently produces X-rays but is now “switched off.”
Credit: NASA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Acknowledgment: D. Garnett (University of Arizona)
Solar System Evolution: Peering Back at the Sun’s Cosmic Womb
Astronomers have traced the growth of Earth’s solar system back to its cosmic womb, before the sun and planets were born.
The solar system coalesced from a huge cloud of dust and gas that was isolated from the rest of the Milky Way galaxy for up to 30 million years before the sun’s birth nearly 4.6 billion years ago, a new study published online today (Aug. 7) in the journal Science suggests. This cloud spawned perhaps tens of thousands of other stars as well, researchers said.
move your finger back and forth so it looks like the cat is following it
This is more entertaining than it should be.
This is why I love Tumblr.
two hours later i click reblog
five hours later i click reblog
It’s more fun if you move a quarter of a second before the cat does so it looks like it has a shitty reaction time
THE NEW SILENT HILL LOOKS SO SCARY
- doctor: sir we asked you to tape your allergic reactions this is just a video of you skateboarding
- me: tell me thats not sick
- doctor: haha yeah its pretty sick dude
Ace Combat Zero appreciation post!