Zoom in on God's Hand
May 9, 2024 2:01 PM Subscribe
Zoom in on God's Hand
This cloudy, ominous structure is CG 4, a cometary globule nicknamed ‘God’s Hand’. CG 4 is one of many cometary globules present within the Milky Way, and how these objects get their distinct form is still a matter of debate among astronomers. This image was captured by the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. In it, the features that classify CG 4 as a cometary globule are hard to miss. Its dusty head and long, faint tail vaguely resemble the appearance of a comet, though they have nothing in common. Astronomers theorize that cometary globules get their structure from the stellar winds of nearby hot, massive stars. [NoirLab]
This cloudy, ominous structure is CG 4, a cometary globule nicknamed ‘God’s Hand’. CG 4 is one of many cometary globules present within the Milky Way, and how these objects get their distinct form is still a matter of debate among astronomers. This image was captured by the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. In it, the features that classify CG 4 as a cometary globule are hard to miss. Its dusty head and long, faint tail vaguely resemble the appearance of a comet, though they have nothing in common. Astronomers theorize that cometary globules get their structure from the stellar winds of nearby hot, massive stars. [NoirLab]
Very cool, but is nobody else seeing God's nose, beard, forehead and hair as well? Because that sticks out to me more than the lobster claw thing.
posted by grumpybear69 at 2:13 PM on May 9 [4 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 2:13 PM on May 9 [4 favorites]
It looks like a a squished cat to me.
posted by pipeski at 2:27 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]
posted by pipeski at 2:27 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]
It's 1.5 light years across. Inconceivably huge. Voyager 1 is apparently 18.8 billion km away from us, and a light years is like 9.4 trillion km. It's many times wider than anything that we've made has traveled, and wider than any human WILL travel for the foreseeable future.
It's tail is 8 light years long! I'm just gonna keep using the word inconceivable because y'know...
posted by fnerg at 3:10 PM on May 9 [6 favorites]
It's tail is 8 light years long! I'm just gonna keep using the word inconceivable because y'know...
posted by fnerg at 3:10 PM on May 9 [6 favorites]
So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure
How amazingly unlikely is your birth
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space
'Cause it's bugger all down here on Earth
-M Python
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:25 PM on May 9 [5 favorites]
How amazingly unlikely is your birth
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space
'Cause it's bugger all down here on Earth
-M Python
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:25 PM on May 9 [5 favorites]
This is gorgeous.
Also, I think I'm never gonna see a zoomable astronomy image that doesn't leave me disappointed that I can't zoom in more.
posted by straight at 3:51 PM on May 9 [5 favorites]
Also, I think I'm never gonna see a zoomable astronomy image that doesn't leave me disappointed that I can't zoom in more.
posted by straight at 3:51 PM on May 9 [5 favorites]
It's going for that galaxy...
I am disappointed that I will never get to fly around all the amazing space.
posted by Windopaene at 4:45 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]
I am disappointed that I will never get to fly around all the amazing space.
posted by Windopaene at 4:45 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]
It looks like the symbol of the Freemasons turned sideways to me. Illuminati!
posted by Literaryhero at 7:33 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]
posted by Literaryhero at 7:33 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]
Something bugs me about the anthropomorphism of random structures in astronomical photography. Oh fine, the Horsehead nebula is cute but it does not look all that much more like a horse than a toddler scribble to me. But fine, cute. But the conflagration of astronomical and religious images heads in a direction that could be used inappropriately. "just look, there's god, you can see him" - maybe I'm having a reactionary impulse that's silly but well there, got it off my chest.
But yes, omg the wonders of the universe are incredible, mind boggling, inspiring and insanely beautiful!
posted by sammyo at 12:12 AM on May 10 [1 favorite]
But yes, omg the wonders of the universe are incredible, mind boggling, inspiring and insanely beautiful!
posted by sammyo at 12:12 AM on May 10 [1 favorite]
I'm just gonna keep using the word inconceivable because y'know...
I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.
posted by DreamerFi at 2:34 AM on May 10 [1 favorite]
I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.
posted by DreamerFi at 2:34 AM on May 10 [1 favorite]
I am disappointed that I will never get to fly around all the amazing space.
And yet we are flying around all the amazing space. Some people just don't know when they've got it good.
posted by flabdablet at 8:57 AM on May 10
And yet we are flying around all the amazing space. Some people just don't know when they've got it good.
posted by flabdablet at 8:57 AM on May 10
I can see Sarah Palin’s house from there!
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 11:33 AM on May 10
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 11:33 AM on May 10
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posted by doctornemo at 2:11 PM on May 9 [4 favorites]