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Planck Satellite Reveals Star Formation Processes

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the watch-the-thumb-on-the-lens dept.

An anonymous reader writes "New images from the Planck Space Observatory reveal the gas and dust between the stars and isolate the physical processes at work in our galaxy. The new images are an eye-catching by-product of a spacecraft designed to look back at the earliest light in the universe. ... When observed at much longer wavelengths, where the cosmic microwave background can be seen, the picture is very different, as clearly demonstrated in new images from ESA's Planck mission. The dust is no longer a dark shroud, but shines out in its own right, and new aspects of our galaxy are revealed."

7 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. Re:the motherfucking universe by FrostedWheat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Pretty well so far.

  2. Re:the motherfucking universe by clone53421 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hmph. By whose standards of measurement? By my estimation, any universe in which I don’t have a smoking-hot girlfriend and a fancy car is pretty much a failure as far as universes go.

    --
    Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
  3. Awe by MonsterTrimble · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seriously, I'm in awe of these pictures and how much is out there. Between these and the new hubble images, it really drives home two things:

    1) I miss living in the country. The night skies on clear nights were awesome.
    2) I regret that I will not live long enough to see faster then light travel. Perhaps my son will see it.

    --
    I call it 'The Aristocrats'
    1. Re:Awe by Mindcontrolled · · Score: 3, Interesting

      ad 1) Definitely. I used to live at the arse-end of nowhere, at the outskirts of town right at the forest's edge. The night sky was spectacular and you could spot a lot of things just with some binoculars. Middle of a large town now, the light pollution is so bad you can't usually even see the milky way. The most spectacular night sky I ever saw was when I traveled Iceland, though. I spent a night in a cabin in the middle of the highlands - no civilization around for at least 100 km in every direction. Absolutely breathtaking. No aurora, though, unfortunately. ad 2) Who knows? Scientific revolutions have a tendency to come unexpected and lead to a phase of rapid technological growth. My hopes aren't too high, either. We seem much too busy developing new cellphones and plasma TVs these days, though.

      --
      Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
    2. Re:Awe by pitchpipe · · Score: 2, Funny

      2) I regret that I will not live long enough to see faster then light travel. Perhaps my son will see it.

      Alas not. But perhaps he'll see an a in 'than'.

      Hoep fully he'al liv longe enuf two sea da fynal dee-feet ov da grammer NAZI's.

      --
      Look where all this talking got us, baby.
  4. Re:Sounds to me like just another system to.... by Theuberelite · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't know about that - seems more like it will be used to predict a Dancing with the Stars winner.

  5. See inside Planck by ProdigyPuNk · · Score: 3, Informative

    Here's an interesting look inside the Planck satellite, in case anyone is interested in where and how these pictures are obtained: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYqr3IX7Ufk