Comments on: The Bow Shock of Betelgeuse Revealed http://www.universetoday.com/2008/11/21/the-bow-shock-of-betelgeuse-revealed/ Space and astronomy news Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:17:24 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: John http://www.universetoday.com/2008/11/21/the-bow-shock-of-betelgeuse-revealed/comment-page-1/#comment-42134 John Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:06:29 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21333#comment-42134 We are working on observations of our own shock, particularly, the recently launched IBEX mission, the difference is that from inside, we need to use different more creative tools than viewing from outside. Because of the zodiacal dust cloud, gegenschein, and the relative distance/size of our own shock from the point of view of earth (it spans a large area of the sky as opposed to viewing another star system's shock, which from where we are looking fits within a small area of what ever telescope is being used to observe it) we have trouble resolving features that are detailed through the noise of the background (stars, scattered light, etc.. etc.. that spans our entire field of view) We're working on it though. We are working on observations of our own shock, particularly, the recently launched IBEX mission, the difference is that from inside, we need to use different more creative tools than viewing from outside.

Because of the zodiacal dust cloud, gegenschein, and the relative distance/size of our own shock from the point of view of earth (it spans a large area of the sky as opposed to viewing another star system's shock, which from where we are looking fits within a small area of what ever telescope is being used to observe it) we have trouble resolving features that are detailed through the noise of the background (stars, scattered light, etc.. etc.. that spans our entire field of view)

We're working on it though.

]]> By: Peeter Joot http://www.universetoday.com/2008/11/21/the-bow-shock-of-betelgeuse-revealed/comment-page-1/#comment-42094 Peeter Joot Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:18:38 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21333#comment-42094 In cosmological scales is 640 light years that far away? is this observable because it is "close"? I was mostly curious if our own sun produces an effect like this that would be observable to somebody else "close". ie: I assume we have our own shell of stellar gas surrounding our own solar system as it is barrelling through the galaxy. If this had a scale of three light years like the betelguise shell would we really be able to persieve it being right in the middle of it all? In cosmological scales is 640 light years that far away? is this observable because it is "close"?

I was mostly curious if our own sun produces an effect like this that would be observable to somebody else "close". ie: I assume we have our own shell of stellar gas surrounding our own solar system as it is barrelling through the galaxy. If this had a scale of three light years like the betelguise shell would we really be able to persieve it being right in the middle of it all?

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