Comments on: Where In The Universe Challenge, Thanksgiving Edition

By: polarisdotca

polarisdotca — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:32:43 +0000

So glad you included the story about the girl who won the contest. I helped organize it. That's me on stage in the Gemini photo during the prize presentation. We video-linked from the Planetarium in Vancouver to Gemini North in Vancouver. Every time I see this gorgeous Trifid picture, I remember that it's because of a super-keen high school student.

By: Ishan

Ishan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:00:46 +0000

Trifid by Gemini

By: vino

vino — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:04:26 +0000

Wow…What a beauty!! The centre of trifid from Gemini North in Hawaii!!!

By: krishna

krishna — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:26:37 +0000

Its Trifid M20, taken with the Gemini North telescope.

By: Astrofiend

Astrofiend — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:39:04 +0000

That is most certainly the heart of the Triffid. I particularly like the jets emanating from the dust cloud at bottom left. These are Herbig-Haro objects – new stars in the process of formation.

By: vagueofgodalming

vagueofgodalming — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:38:19 +0000

No, the APOD one is Romulan.

By: DrFlimmer

DrFlimmer — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:51:04 +0000

Maybe I am wrong, but this looks strangely like today's Astronomy Picture of the Day. That is M78 in Orion. But it could also be that this is coincidence and they just look similar!

By: ackerman

ackerman — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:39:22 +0000

Easy one! Clearly the Trifid Nebula. False color image taken with the Gemini North telescope. I had to Google "trifid nebula false color image" to find the original. Is that cheating?

By: ROCA

ROCA — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:39:56 +0000

Glorious Trifid Nebula plus pillar jets, below.

By: Spaceriuss

Spaceriuss — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:29:06 +0000

Triffid Nebula… a picture may be seen on the wall in Picard's cabin

By: Mr.No.Scope

Mr.No.Scope — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:13:08 +0000

This is obviously a picture of a Klingon Warbird as it is de-cloaking. You can clearly see the downward sloping wings and the glow from it's forward weapons array as it prepares to attack the Enterprise just before Capt Picard blasts it from space.

Either that or the Trifid nebula.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there.

By: Jon Hanford

Jon Hanford — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:51:15 +0000

Looks like a ground-based image of M 20 (Trifid Nebula). I'll guess that this was taken with an 8 meter Gemini scope (N or S?) in visible and near-infrared wavelengths.

By: Jorge

Jorge — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:39:25 +0000

Wait, I've seen this place, but I never know the names of the nebulas… Triffid?

No idea on the photographer. Somehow it doesn't seem to be the Hubble. Not crisp enough.

By: Marc Tiedemann

Marc Tiedemann — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:28:38 +0000

It's definitely the Triffid Nebula…

By: scibuff

scibuff — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:22:39 +0000

M20 (Triffid Nebula) by Gemini North telescope at the Gemini Observatory

By: Lawrence B. Crowell

Lawrence B. Crowell — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:09:27 +0000

This looks like the Triffid Nebula. What appears to be false color imaging suggests this is from the Spitzer.