Best image of Antares ever

[Merc14]

A new photo of the red "supergiant"Antares is the best ever captured of a star other than the sun, researchers said.

https://www.space.com/37912-supergiant-star-antares-photos-video.html?utm_content=bufferd79aa&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

[Orphalesion]

Very impressive, especially considering how far away Antares is.

Wasn't aware that Antares is a dying star (shows how much I know about astronomy, heh,) just that it was very large and far away. Kinda sad, but since that's still thousands of years in the future and we'll get its light for over half a millennium beyond its expiration date it's alright.

Also:

[DieChecker]

I saw this on the news. Very cool.

[DieChecker]

13 hours ago, seanjo said:

I think as a general rule, if a star is classed as a Red Giant, or supergiant in this case, it is on its downhill journey.

600 odd light years is a long way to get such a good image...astounding in fact.

I read that astronomers believe Antares might have less then ten thousand years left.

Edited August 25, 2017 by DieChecker

[AZDZ]

I remember being told in school we'd never be able to see the disk of another star. Wrong again mr. science teacher.

[Chaldon]

On 8/26/2017 at 0:00 AM, AZDZ said:

I remember being told in school we'd never be able to see the disk of another star. Wrong again mr. science teacher.

30 years ago no one could predict the outburst of informational technologies. Thanks to the IT we can see all that. If someone was told back then that a ground-based telescope could outperform the orbital one he would laugh in your face, if he'd be told that you could use several telescopes to make one picture he'd say it's completely impossible or at least that would be nothing useful due to the turbulence.

Edited August 27, 2017 by Chaldon

[AZDZ]

The point is, lesson learned, maybe? Perhaps anyone running around making claims today about what can never be should take note. 

[BeastieRunner]

Amazing picture!

Thanks for sharing.

[Gumball]

Wait wait wait??? A picture of a blurry orange blob is getting high praise? Can no one see the irony here?

[Merc14]

5 hours ago, mesuma said:

Wait wait wait??? A picture of a blurry orange blob is getting high praise? Can no one see the irony here?

Only in your post.  If you'd like to know why this is special then ask.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Merc14

[ChrLzs]

On 8/28/2017 at 2:49 AM, AZDZ said:

The point is, lesson learned, maybe? Perhaps anyone running around making claims today about what can never be should take note. 

Maybe you just conveniently forgot the context - s/he was probably referring to seeing the disk via optical means, ie an optical telescope, in which case that statement is accurate.  You can't make *optics* that could do this...  Sciency folk generally do *not* engage in running around saying something can never be done.. however, being aware of current/sensible limitations, and making sensible choices about spending the available research dollars, is a good thing, imo.

As an example of justifying the need for open minds, I don't think this really makes the cut..  And besides, hands up anyone who didn't have at least one incompetent teacher..?

[ChrLzs]

9 hours ago, mesuma said:

Wait wait wait??? A picture of a blurry orange blob is getting high praise? Can no one see the irony here?

Nope.  Can't see any irony, up until your post anyway.  I *can* see what looks like a disdain for scientific progress, though.

I do understand that to someone disinterested in astronomy and who couldn't care less how far we have progressed in terms of resolving details on incredibly distant objects... that such an image might seem a little boring.

But may I point out that when you see all those pretty looking, detailed, images of planets around other stars that we have detected.. those are just artistic impressions.  I guess we should blame NASA again (on behalf of all space agencies around the globe), for 'falsely' raising expectations of people who never read the articles to understand what is actually being detected..

[Derek Willis]

I thought the image is a depiction of the relative velocities of emissions, and not actually an image of what Antares "looks" like. Maybe I misread the article?

[Gumball]

16 hours ago, Merc14 said:

Only in your post.  If you'd like to know why this is special then ask.

 

12 hours ago, ChrLzs said:

Nope.  Can't see any irony, up until your post anyway.  I *can* see what looks like a disdain for scientific progress, though.

I do understand that to someone disinterested in astronomy and who couldn't care less how far we have progressed in terms of resolving details on incredibly distant objects... that such an image might seem a little boring.

But may I point out that when you see all those pretty looking, detailed, images of planets around other stars that we have detected.. those are just artistic impressions.  I guess we should blame NASA again (on behalf of all space agencies around the globe), for 'falsely' raising expectations of people who never read the articles to understand what is actually being detected..

I was being facetious. I was poking fun at the fact that most of the pictures of blurry blobs of light on this website are usually treated with disdain. Hence the irony.

[ChrLzs]

2 hours ago, mesuma said:

I was being facetious. I was poking fun at the fact that most of the pictures of blurry blobs of light on this website are usually treated with disdain. Hence the irony.

OK...  But if you put it in context the reason blurry images often receive a hostile reception is that they, unlike this one, are not supported by any sort of decent backstory.  In other words, we just get the blurry pic and the cry of "Omigod, proof of alienz!!!1!11!!!".  No information about camera, settings, other witnesses, why (if it was over a big city) no-one else reported it, etc etc.  Even if we get just a few pieces of info, such images get a reasonable reception imo.

But usually, we get nuthin but the blur.  Justified disdain.

[bison]

Antares is currently the brightest star low in the southern sky, and can be readily seen in Scorpio, in the evening. Saturn is nearby, to the left, and higher up. Interesting to look at that point of light, and realize what detail astronomers have now been able to extract from that tiny dot.

[ChrLzs]

On 8/31/2017 at 0:22 AM, bison said:

Antares is currently the brightest star low in the southern sky, and can be readily seen in Scorpio, in the evening. Saturn is nearby, to the left, and higher up. Interesting to look at that point of light, and realize what detail astronomers have now been able to extract from that tiny dot.

And Scorpio is my favorite constellation.  Not only is it my star sign (if only I believed in that rubbish), but it actually looks like a scorpion, without requiring much imagination at all!  Plus it contains Antares, one of the prettiest red stars out there, and if you look in the area just behind its tail, you are looking at the centre of our Galaxy, at a huge black hole... (but there's lots of dark dust and nebulosity blocking our view, and it is so distant we couldn't see it anyway..).