Herschel releases first images

[FlyingLemons]

The Herschel satellite, one of two satellites recently launched by the ESA, has taken some preliminary images which have just been put up on the web. Here's one of the M51 galaxy:

I just love stuff like this. Herschel is designed to take first light images from early galaxies to study galaxy formation in the early universe and how the interstellar medium interacts with star formation processes.

Planck, its sister probe, will take a little bit longer to take any images of the cosmic microwave background, and then the Planck team will have a period of exclusivity where they study it for themselves before releasing it to the wider academic community. I wonder if they'll see any signs of gravitational waves?

 

[Candlelight]

That's very cool. Was wondering when the images would start coming in.

 

[Luckyflux]

Do you believe in Gravitational Waves? I am not sure I do.

If I use the image of a bowling ball on a bedsheet, the ball when placed on the sheet will cause a depression to form in the sheet. This depression is what causes gravity, like if I roll an apple onto the bed, once it rolls close enough to the bowling ball and the depression, the apple will change course to go toward the ball, riding the "slope" of the depression.

If that is the case then gravity would be constant and waves would not be needed.

I am by no means an expert, this is just my opinion. Please don't kill me.