Famous Crab Nebula Shoots Off Mysterious Flares

[Jetfire]

One of the most well-known celestial objects still has some tricks up its sleeve, according to a new discovery of surprising gamma-ray flares coming from the famous Crab Nebula.
The Crab, long-considered such a steady celestial light that it was used to calibrate other sources, has now had three flare-ups where it brightened significantly in the gamma-ray range for a few days, astronomers report.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110106/sc_space/famouscrabnebulashootsoffmysteriousflares

A dead star lives on in the form of the Crab nebula, 952 years after its explosive demise. The nebula sits about 6,000 light-years from Earth towards the constellation Taurus. This view of the nebula is actually the result of several space-based platforms, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/ASU/J.Hester et al.;
Optical: NASA/ESA/ASU/J.Hester & A.Loll; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. Minn./R.Gehrz.

What does this mean? I watch Star Trek eps...most recently been watching Voyager and they are always going into a Nebula.

 

[Jadzia]

What does this mean?

It means we have to order the ship to enter the nebula at half impulse, and we'll almost die trying to get out again when the next gamma ray burst comes sooner than expected... almost as if the nebula knew we were there.

 

[Jetfire]

I should say...How does this effect us here on Earth? What is the significance of these flares?

 

[Finn]

An energy entity trying to get home. This happened three times on Voyager If I remember right.

 

[Jadzia]

I should say...How does this effect us here on Earth? What is the significance of these flares?

The first sign any trouble would probably be birds falling from the sky en masse, followed by a year of hell.

An energy entity trying to get home. This happened three times on Voyager If I remember right.

Then we should also do a full sensor sweep to see if the energy signature of the nebula matches the signature seen in previous energy being encounters.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

The funny thing is that it really does look like the outline of a man. Possibly wearing flared trousers.

 

[Nowhere Man]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV5wmDhzgY8&feature=player_detailpage

 

[trekkiedane]

...most recently been watching Voyager and they are always going into a Nebula.

If that was my only way to get some coffee I wouldn't hesitate going in either! -heck, I'd even consider going to a starbucks

 

[Amaris]

One of the most well-known celestial objects still has some tricks up its sleeve, according to a new discovery of surprising gamma-ray flares coming from the famous Crab Nebula.
The Crab, long-considered such a steady celestial light that it was used to calibrate other sources, has now had three flare-ups where it brightened significantly in the gamma-ray range for a few days, astronomers report.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110106/sc_space/famouscrabnebulashootsoffmysteriousflares

A dead star lives on in the form of the Crab nebula, 952 years after its explosive demise. The nebula sits about 6,000 light-years from Earth towards the constellation Taurus. This view of the nebula is actually the result of several space-based platforms, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/ASU/J.Hester et al.;
Optical: NASA/ESA/ASU/J.Hester & A.Loll; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. Minn./R.Gehrz.

What does this mean? I watch Star Trek eps...most recently been watching Voyager and they are always going into a Nebula.

It means that roughly 6,000 years ago, the crab nebula flared up and we're just now seeing it.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

The crab's just having some bad gas.

 

[Amaris]

The crab's just having some bad gas.

Maybe. Or...

 

[Zulu Romeo]

You know, I've always had this problem with the Crab Nebula - it doesn't really look like a crab.

It looks more like a tumour, or a cancer.

Oh, wait...

 

[RJDiogenes]

I should say...How does this effect us here on Earth? What is the significance of these flares?

Nothing to worry about there. The Crab Nebula is way too far away for any radiation bursts to effect us at all.

Shouldn't that be "Federation H?"

 

[Amaris]

I should say...How does this effect us here on Earth? What is the significance of these flares?

Nothing to worry about there. The Crab Nebula is way too far away for any radiation bursts to effect us at all.

Shouldn't that be "Federation H?"

Not for another 200 years.
Although that might have been better now that I think about it, but I decided to go classic.

 

[iguana_tonante]

What does this mean? I watch Star Trek eps...most recently been watching Voyager and they are always going into a Nebula.

You realize nebulas are also real astronomical objects, right?

I should say...How does this effect us here on Earth? What is the significance of these flares?

For some astronomers, it could mean a couple of years of funding to study the phenomenon. For the rest of mankind, it means more or less nothing (except maybe in a "oh cool" kind of way).

 

[Jetfire]

I didn't ask to be insulted and people have continued to do this...I was just curious about this and thought people here would find it interesting.

MOD Please close this thread.

 

[Gepard]

But I haven't photoshopped the hemorrhoid cream nebula image into Goatse yet.

 

[Jadzia]

But I haven't photoshopped the hemorrhoid cream nebula image into Goatse yet.

Nor have we edited in ceiling cat, with a suitable caption, like "I iz in ur nebula... etc"

 

[Gepard]

There's actually an image over in the VOY caption contest that I've been trying to come up with a Ceiling Cat joke for, except I can't think of anything because the hole is on the floor.

 

[Jadzia]

basement cat is the antithesis to ceiling cat.