2 June 2008
A Little Enlightened Diversion
Posted by Joy Bischoff under: General .
Our universe is far brighter than it seems
Researchers find that dust has kept half of the universe’s starlight from our view.
When you think about the universe, think “dust.” Tiny grains of minerals and chemical elements cloud the galaxies. They play a key role in the evolution of the universe as raw material for star systems. They also obscure our view of what goes on within the galaxies themselves.
Astronomers have lived with this handicap for decades. Yet they have been shocked to learn how badly they have been blindsided. New research shows dust is blocking half of the universe’s energy output from our view.
This is a useful warning not to take our knowledge of familiar aspects of the cosmos for granted. Even something as simple as dust can surprise us. . .
Astronomers also wonder where dust itself comes from. They know stars make lots of it. So, too, do the outbursts of supernova star explosions. There were relatively few of these sources when the universe was young. Yet research on that early time suggests some dust forms were present. Last year, Ciska Markwick-Kemper at Britain’s University of Manchester and an international team of colleagues reported observations of dust creation near a massive black hole.
That’s an object whose strong gravity lets it swallow nearby matter. But just beyond its reach there’s a strong outflow of escaping material. The team found various mineral grains, including rubies and sapphires, in that outflow. Black holes may have supplied dust to the early universe and still do so today.
We have a lot to learn about cosmic dust.
I have taken some liberty today to diverge from politics to share an example of the beauty of God’s creation. His works are far beyond our comprehension yet I still seek to comprehend.
17 Comments so far...
Matt Says:
2 June 2008 at 9:03 am.
God took a hand full of jewels of all kinds and threw them into space as stars. That’s what it looks like to me.
Benjamin Says:
2 June 2008 at 10:00 am.
Joy, glad you took the liberty. Breathtaking.
Angela Rogin Says:
2 June 2008 at 10:39 am.
Who needs jewels with a universe like that?
M.G. Says:
2 June 2008 at 2:05 pm.
I want to keep staring at it. Makes me think Heaven wont be boring after all. Maybe hell is the black hole.
SGS Says:
2 June 2008 at 4:37 pm.
I wonder how this will affect the physicists’ thinkings related to dark matter. I won’t go into this in depth here, but basically, the physicsts have come up with mathematic formulas, indicating what our universe is made of. Its pieces have been mostly proved under the observations, with a few still being chased after (it’s what those huge rings of super-speed particles collating into each other, and that huge chamber many miles under ground are for). They have somehow summed up the entire universe (funny, when they still claim they have not reached the end of the universe) and found that the matter we can see (visible matter, including all stars, all dust and all energies) only adds up to 1/4 of what the total should be. The “missing” matter, the remaining sum of their fuzzy-numbers has been termed as “dark matter”. It now looks like they have found another 1/4, for a total of 1/2 of something-over-everyone’s-head. I wonder how long will it be before they find the last 1/2? I also am wondering if this will cause them all to go back to chalkboard to tweak their formulas some more?
Joy Bischoff Says:
2 June 2008 at 4:50 pm.
SGS, I’m also fascinated with astronomy. String theory, dark energy and dark matter go a long ways to explain a lot of the ancient stories of creation, the fall and living on a plane of existence where there is a balance of good and evil until the higher law can be restored. The creation of matter from dark energy is theorized to create matter and anti-matter at the same time and goes along with Sumerian and Babylonian explanations of how earth was made. I love this stuff.
Benjamin Says:
2 June 2008 at 5:04 pm.
Very interested in string theory myself. It seems to hold a lot of answers but I don’t have the confidence to try and theorize here.
Ghost Says:
2 June 2008 at 8:21 pm.
I’m with you guys. I just stared and stared at this. It does something to my soul to know that this is God’s creation.
Tony Says:
3 June 2008 at 10:33 am.
That is a very cool picture thanks Joy.
but i do have to say…the best place i have found to see the stars is up on a hill hundreds of miles away from any city at four in the morning.
CindyL. Says:
3 June 2008 at 10:44 am.
Tony, you’re a romantic. Nice to know they’re still out there.
Nalvy Says:
3 June 2008 at 1:38 pm.
Yeah Tony is a romantic…he will never admit it in person but he knows he is…Love ya Bro!
Joy I want to thank you so much for posting this. I was feeling homesick cuz the move but the picture reminded me that I get to see that same sky as all those I left behind so YAY!!!
All this talk about Dust reminds me of that Golden Compass movie.
Joy Bischoff Says:
3 June 2008 at 1:44 pm.
Nalvy, I miss you too. I had the same thought about the Golden Compass that we just watched this weekend. Lots of thoughts I’ll share in person the next time you visit.
Tony Says:
3 June 2008 at 1:59 pm.
you know i think most guys have a romantic side but they smash it down with all the ”manly ” crap they think make’s them look cool.
dust is anoying…:) i have to dust twice a day just so i can see the computer screen…;)
Nalvy Says:
3 June 2008 at 2:08 pm.
Tony, bro you are just to cool for school hahaha
Joy i will have to make sure to come down and have a disscussion with you about that movie.. i am thinking about reading the books to see if the rumors i heard are true and it should be an interesting read.
Tony Says:
3 June 2008 at 2:32 pm.
thanks Cindyl i hope thats a good thing:)
Benjamin Says:
3 June 2008 at 3:27 pm.
Always a good thing, Tony. The women love our sensitive side.
Tony Says:
3 June 2008 at 4:15 pm.
thanks benjamin i am glad there is another guy out there who is not afraid to be sensitive.
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