Fotografija nedelje

29. maj 2017.: Skoro kao čuvar srca naše domaće galaksije, pružaju se ESO 3,6-metarski teleskop i Coudé Auxiliary Telescope na ovom Ultra High Definition snimku neba La Silla-opservatorije u južnom delu Čileanske Atakama pustinje. Od kada su pušteni u rad 1976. godine, ESO 3,6-metarski teleskop je prošao razne dopune. Izmedju ostalog je dobio novo sekundarno ogledalo, sa čime teleskop može i dalje da radi eficijentno i produktivno. Od 2008. godine teleskop ima HARPS-spektograf, najpreciznijeg lovca na egzo planete na svetu. HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher) je do sada najuspešniji instrument u potrazi za egzo planetama male mase. Penzionisan 1,4-metarski Coudé Auxiliary teleskop (CAT) se nalazi u manjoj kupoli, desno od 3,6-metarskog teleskopa. CAT je bio potpuno kompjuterizovan i korišten je za mnoga astronomska posmatranja, izmedju ostalih i za merenje starosti prastarih zvezda. Na visini od 2.400 metara i daleko od izvora svetla koja smetaju, 3,6-metarski teleskop, uživa u izvrsnim uslovima za ...

22. maj 2017.: Formalhaut je jedna od najsvetlijih zvezda na nebu. Nalazi se relativno blizu nas, na udaljenosti od samo 25 svetlosnih godina u sazveždju Piscis Austrinus (Južna riba). Fotografija napravljena sa Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) teleskopom pokazuje Formalhaut okružen prstenom prašine i česticama - to je prvi put, da je ovakva slika napravljena sa tako velikom rezolucijom i osetljivošću u milimetarskom talasnom području. Disk Formalhauta se sastoji od mešavine kosmičke prašine i gasa kometa Formalhaut-sistema (Egzo komete), koji se oslobadja, kada komete prolete blizu jedna drugoj ili kada se sudare. Ova turbulentna okolina liči na ranu fazu naseg Sunčevog sistema, koja se označava i kao veliko bombardovanje. To je faza, koja je postojala pre oko 4 milijarde godina. U to vreme su mnoge stene transportovane u unutrašnji Sunčev sistem, što je dovelo do sudara sa mladim planetama sličnim Zemlji, uključujući i Zemlju i ostavilo je desetine hiljada udarnih kratera, od kojih ...

15. maj 2017.: Ova interesantna slika izgleda na prvi pogled kao skup mrlja u boji, ali u stvarnosti je to fotografija visoke rezolucije od novorodjene zvezde, koja je ušuškana u prašnjav oblak. Samo 1.300 svetlosnih godina udaljena, u maglini Orion se nalazi zvezda HH 212-zadivljujuće mlad primerak sa malom masom. Dužina života jedne zvezde sa ovako malom masom iznosi oko 100 milijardi godina, a zvezda je stara tek 40.000 godina, sto je čini bebom. U centrima ogromnig molekularnih oblaka oblasti gde se radjaju zvezde, stalno se odvija borba: gravitacija protiv pritiska gasa i prašine. Ako pobedi gravitacija, ona zgusne mešavinu gasa i prašine u gusto jezgro, koje se onda zapali i tako nastane proto zvezda. Ostaci gasa i prašine obrazuju rotirajući disk oko ove bebe zvezde i u mnogim slučajevima se zgusnu i postaju planete. Ovakvi izuzetno mladi diskovi oko protozvezda, zbog svoje male veličine veoma teško mogu da se fotografišu. Medjutim velika ...

8. maj 2017.: U sred stranog pejsaža suve Atakama pustinje pružaju se antene Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array-a (ALMA) na ovoj ESO slici nedelje i kroz zelenu neonsku svetlost izgledaju skoro vanzemaljski. Ali, ova svetlost nije znak vanzemaljskih aktivnosti, nego je ALMINA funkcija. Antene teleskopa imaju ugradjeno zeleno svetlo koje treperi kada su antene u upotrebi i ne ometaju posmatranja u radiotalasnoj oblasti. Ovo svetlo obično nije tako jasno vidljivo, slika je napravljena sa 10 sekundi ekspozicije, dok se pojavila zelena svetlost, što je dovelo do neobičnog kontrasta izmedju neonski zelenih antena i duboko plavog noćnog neba. Grube ledene formacije, koje nose naziv Penitentes (pokajnički led) se vide u prvom planu. One se obrazuju na velikoj visini, gde je nizak pritisak vazduha i gde niske temperature dovode do neobičnog ciklusa zaledjivanja i otapanja. Pokajnički led se javlja u najrazličitijim oblicima i veličinama, od nekoliko santimetara, do pet metara. Strukture na ovoj slici su još prilično ...

1. maj 2017.: Najčešće se kod ESO-slike nedelje radi o udaljenim nebeskim telima - objektima od zvezda, gasa i prasine, koji su udaljeni milionima svetlosnih godina. Nasuprot tome, ova slika predstavlja drugačiji, ali isto tako impozantni scenario - lepotu naše planete Zemlje. Doživljavamo magični trenutak kada Sunce uranja u more oblaka i nebo zrači tako intenzivnom narandžastom bojom, da pustinjska oblast skoro dobija vanzemaljske obrise. Upravo zbog toga je Čileanska Atakama pustinja već nekoliko puta bila „model“ Marsa za snimanje filmova. Ova pustinja svoj izgled zahvaljuje ekstremno suvoj klimi i potpunoj odvojenosti. Pomanjkanje vlažnosti vazduha, kisa i svetlosno zagađenje, su istovremeno osnove za ovu prašnjavu, brdovitu oblast i najspektakularnije vedro nebo, koje može da se nađe na Zemlji. Ovu sliku je napravio ESO-saradnik Simon Loveri 2016. godine sa Sero Armazones, buduće domovine Ekstremno Velikog Teleskopa (Extremely Large Telescope - ELT). Parnal teren gde se nalazi Veoma Veliki Teleskop (Very Large Telescope - VLT), ...

24. april 2017.: Na ovoj upečatljivoj panorami noćno nebo sjaji iznad VLT - Veoma Velikog Teleskolpa u svoj svojoj lepoti. VLT se nalazi na visini od 2.635 metara i deo je ESO Parnal-opservatorije na severu Čilea. Ova slika pokazuje, koliko je važno i koja je velika prednost, kada se astronomski teleskopi nalaze na ovako udaljenim prostorima. Svako ko preduzme dugačak put do tamo - uključujući i ESO-ambasadora Petr Horáleka koji je napravio ovu fotografiju - biće nagradjen zaista spektakularnim pogledom. Desno, iza četri 8,2-metarska glavna teleskopa u redu, koji zajedno obrazuju VLT, može da se prepozna crvenkasto i zelenkasto svetlucanje vazduha tačno iznad horizonta. Osim toga, nebo je osvetljeno i zodijakalnom svetlošću. Ova difuzna svetlost nastaje rasipanjem Sunčeve svetlosti na mikroskopski malim delićima prasena u ravni Sunčevog sistema. Iako sve ovo izgleda veoma upečatljivo, neosporno je najupečatljiviji element ove slike, luk Mlečnog puta. Svetli luk nase galaksije je prožet sa svetlim trakama prašine, ...

17. april 2017.: So big it could engulf several Earths, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a gigantic storm that has been raging for centuries with winds blasting at over 600 kilometres per hour. But it has a rival: astronomers have discovered that Jupiter has a second Great Spot, this time a cold one. In the polar regions of the planet, astronomers using the CRIRES instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope, along with other facilities, have found a dark spot in the upper atmosphere (below the aurora to the left) about 200 °C cooler than its surroundings. Aptly nicknamed the “Great Cold Spot”, this intriguing feature is comparable in size to the Great Red Spot — 24 000 km across and 12 000 km tall. But data taken over 15 years show that the Great Cold Spot is much more volatile than its slowly-changing cousin. It changes dramatically in shape and size over days ...

10. april 2017.: The skies above ESO’s Paranal Observatory resemble oil on water in this ESO Picture of the Week, as greens, yellows, and blues blend to create an iridescent skyscape. The rocky, barren landscape below evokes an image of an alien world, perfectly complementing the shimmering cosmic display occurring above. The main feature is our beautiful home galaxy, the Milky Way, arching across the Chilean night sky and framing the awestruck observer on the left. The light from billions of stars combines to create the Milky Way’s glow, with huge clouds of dark dust blocking the light here and there and creating the dark and mottled pattern we observe. A natural effect known as airglow is responsible for the swathes of green and orange light that appear to be emanating from the horizon. ESO’s Very Large Telescope can be seen as a speck in the distant background to the right atop Cerro ...

3. april 2017.: This image depicts the dusty disc encircling the young, isolated star HD 169142. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) imaged this disc in high resolution by picking up faint signals from its constituent millimetre-sized dust grains. The vivid rings are thick bands of dust, separated by deep gaps. Optimised to study the cold gas and dust of systems like HD 169142, ALMA’s sharp eyes have revealed the structure of many infant solar systems with similar cavities and gaps. A variety of theories have been proposed to explain them — such as turbulence caused by magnetorotational instability, or the fusing of dust grains — but the most plausible explanation is that these pronounced gaps were carved out by giant protoplanets. When solar systems form gas and dust coalesce into planets. These planets then effectively spring clean their orbits, clearing them of gas and dust and herding the remaining material into well-defined ...

27. mart 2017.: ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) looks more like a very small telescope in this image! From this perspective, it is difficult to make out the silhouettes of the VLT’s four 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes, which sit atop Cerro Paranal in the Chilean Atacama Desert. The VLT’s location was very carefully selected. It is vital for the site to be as dry as possible, as water vapour can absorb infrared light and degrade observations. In order to reduce the effects of Earth’s atmosphere as far as possible, the VLT is at 2600 metres above sea level, minimising the amount of atmosphere sitting between it and the stars. Due to its remote location, Paranal manages to be mostly undisturbed and light-free. Even the winding roads that lead through the Atacama Desert to the observation site are dimly lit to avoid unnecessary light pollution. In this image, a trail of stars cuts across the ...

20. mart 2017.: This image, taken by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, shows glowing dust inside the protocluster NGC 6334I. Studying this star-forming cloud in the Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334) with both ALMA and the Submillimeter Array (SMA) in Hawaii astronomers could see that something dramatic had taken place, completely changing a stellar nursery over a surprisingly short period of time. It is known that young stars form inside protoclusters when pockets of gas become so dense that they begin to collapse under their own gravity. Over time, discs of dust and gas form around these nascent stars and funnel material onto their surfaces helping them grow. However, this new image from ALMA shows a massive protostar, nestled deep within this dust-filled stellar nursery, that is undergoing an intense growth spurt, most likely triggered by an avalanche of gas falling onto its surface. This new material feeding it is ...

13. mart 2017.: With their spectacular glowing arms, grand spiral galaxies seem to get all the attention — but NGC 6822, a barred irregular dwarf galaxy, proves that regular spirals do not have a monopoly on galactic beauty. Also called Barnard’s galaxy, NGC 6822 is located in the constellation of Sagittarius just 1.6 million light-years away and is brimming with rich star formation regions. This new image is a composite of older observations made with the Wide Field Imager attached to the 2.2-metre MPG/ESO telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory and new data collected by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The areas observed with ALMA are highlighted in the image and can be seen here in detail. The observations by ALMA reveal the structure of star-forming gas clouds in unprecedented resolution. Observations in our own galaxy have shown that stars form in the dense cores of giant clouds of molecular hydrogen gas, ...

6. mart 2017.: Although it looks like the pattern of a shell on the beach, this intriguing spiral is in fact astronomical in nature. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) captured this remarkable image of a binary star system, where two stars — LL Pegasi and its companion — are locked in a stellar waltz, orbiting around their common centre of gravity. The old star LL Pegasi is continuously losing gaseous material as it evolves into a planetary nebula, and the distinct spiral shape is the imprint made by the stars orbiting in this gas. The spiral spans light-years and winds around with extraordinary regularity. Based on the expansion rate of the spiralling gas, astronomers estimate that a new “layer” appears every 800 years — approximately the same time it takes for the two stars to complete one orbit around each other. LL Pegasi was first highlighted about 10 years ago when the ...

27. februar 2017.: Three decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest supernovae in more than 400 years. The stellar explosion, SN 1987A, blazed with the power of 100 million suns for several months after its discovery on 23 February 1987. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the Milky Way’s satellite galaxies, SN 1987A was the nearest supernova explosion observed in centuries and it quickly became the best studied supernova of all time. Over the last thirty years, detailed follow-up observations with telescopes both in space and on the ground have allowed astronomers to study the death throes of a massive star in unprecedented detail, from star to supernova to supernova remnant, revolutionising our understanding of these explosive events. With its superb sensitivity at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has been exploring previously unstudied aspects of SN 1987A since 2013. Astronomers are using ALMA to observe ...

20. februar 2017.: The events surrounding the Big Bang were so cataclysmic that they left an indelible imprint on the fabric of the cosmos. We can detect these scars today by observing the oldest light in the Universe. As it was created nearly 14 billion years ago, this light — which exists now as weak microwave radiation and is thus named the cosmic microwave background (CMB) — has now expanded to permeate the entire cosmos, filling it with detectable photons. The CMB can be used to probe the cosmos via something known as the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect, which was first observed over 30 years ago. We detect the CMB here on Earth when its constituent microwave photons travel to us through space. On their journey to us, they can pass through galaxy clusters that contain high-energy electrons. These electrons give the photons a tiny boost of energy. Detecting these boosted photons through our ...

13. februar 2017.: The sky is full of optical phenomena that can make it tricky to get a clear view of the cosmos. These present a frustrating challenge to astronomers, but for astrophotographers they can provide a real feast for the eyes! This stunning image shows the centre of the Milky Way crossed by the eerie glow of zodiacal light, and is full of dust-induced features that obstruct scientific observations — but they look so beautiful it’s difficult to mind too much. In this image, the centre of the Milky Way appears to be full of inky black gas. In fact, the dark swirling patches are simply the absence of visible light, because huge clouds of dust are obscuring the light from more distant stars. However, just as dust can give the illusion of darkness, it can also give the illusion of light. This is the case with zodiacal light, a fuzzy band ...

6. februar 2017.: Over 75 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo (The Virgin) lies NGC 4981 — a spiral galaxy with a rather explosive past. NGC 4981 was discovered on 17 April 1784 by William Herschel, and subsequently documented in John Dreyer’s New General Catalogue. Over a century later, on 23 April 1968, the galaxy once again made it into the records when a Type la supernova — a stellar explosion in a binary star system — occurred within its confines: SN 1968I. SN 1968I, however, was not to be the galaxy’s only supernova. Decades later, the core collapse of a massive star led to supernova SN 2007c. This spectacular shot of NGC 4981 — not showing any of the supernovae explosions; the bright star visible in the image is a foreground star — was captured by FORS, the visible and near-UV FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph for ESO’s Very ...

30. januar 2017.: This picture shows the ESO 3.6-metre telescope, located at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. The night sky overhead is dominated by the Moon, which shines so brightly that illuminates the scene fully. The most dominant feature of this image is the red rock in the foreground. It is marked with prehistoric engravings — signatures from the region’s past. Several such engravings can be found around La Silla, but this particular rock is part of the richest site in the area. A complete photographic and topographic survey of these engravings was carried out in 1990. The carved rocks predominantly depict scenes involving men and animals, as well as mysterious geometrical figures. It is believed that these engravings originate from the El Molle complex — the first culture in the north of Chile. Geologists believe that the first millennium of our era experienced a lot more rainfall than it does today, ...

23. januar 2017.: Here we see the crescent Moon rising over the serene Residencia at ESO’s Paranal Observatory. Next to the Moon Venus, the morning star, is also visible in the sky, and an array of ESO telescopes, now quiet after a night of observing, can be seen in the distance. While too small to be seen on this image, Venus has different phases, similar to those of the Moon. We see Venus as a disc when Venus is creeping around the back of the Sun as seen from Earth — the Sun’s rays hit the face of Venus that is facing the Earth, and the image of this full face is reflected back to us. The crescent phase occurs when Venus emerges from behind the Sun into the part of its orbit that lies between the Earth and the Sun and progressively less of the surface is directly illuminated as seen from ...

16. januar 2017.: Don’t be fooled! This isn’t a futuristic new Mars rover — though the harsh terrain of the Chilean Atacama Desert could easily be mistaken for Mars. This 20-metre-long, 10-metre-wide and 28-wheeled vehicle is an ALMA transporter known as Otto, pictured bathing beneath the beauty of the Milky Way! This mammoth machine was built in Germany. It was specially designed to transport ALMA antennas from the Operations Support Facility, located at 2900 metres above sea level, up to the Chajnantor Plateau, a site some 5000 metres above sea level and to move the antennas between the different available positions. Otto tips the scales at 130 tonnes, and can clock a top speed of 12 kilometres per hour while carrying an antenna — it certainly won’t be breaking any land speed records! Luckily, speed is not the priority during this delicate process. Safety and precision are paramount. Despite its bulk and power, ...