tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822428485586445604.post2533310037282295452..comments2024-01-16T21:38:14.352-10:00Comments on A Pacific View: The Red RectangleTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07917420597770463210noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822428485586445604.post-53624749563181747842009-01-14T22:17:00.000-10:002009-01-14T22:17:00.000-10:00This is very cool - it's hard for me to get beyond...This is very cool - it's hard for me to get beyond the fact that it looks like a photographic anomaly, and accept that this amazing shape has physical reality. Thanks for sharing this!John Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02637351629319676659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822428485586445604.post-61564412264171058282009-01-14T20:09:00.000-10:002009-01-14T20:09:00.000-10:00Protege - very good questions and my answers would...Protege - very good questions and my answers would be too long for a simple comment here, in fact invaderxan might be in a better position to answer them! Very briefly though, carbon molecules have been detected directly, hydrogen is everywhere and the spectroscopic features in the thermal infrared (i.e., 3 to 15 microns in this case) are consistent with PAHs, which of course contain hydrogen and carbon. In fact we've published a few papers in the last few years about the thermal infrared spectroscopic features and although a 100% identification of the exact molecules is beyond us right now, the case that they're caused by large hydrocarbons is easily strong enough to convict.<BR/><BR/>invaderxan - I think Keith and Amit had a good time and they're off exploring the island right now! Amit gave a very interesting seminar here by the way.<BR/><BR/>Diane - no UFOs involved, I promise you! We shoot them down and then are not allowed to say another word about them. It's all terribly secret work...<BR/><BR/>Beep - just avoid any cleaning products with PAHs in them - not sure if any do, but worth checking! Despite the fist-clenching nature of the OxyClean adverts, I actually think that product works quite well, especially on cat vomit as I discovered tonight...Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917420597770463210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822428485586445604.post-21878684274248221532009-01-14T19:04:00.000-10:002009-01-14T19:04:00.000-10:00I find the Red Rectangle photo to be interesting b...I find the Red Rectangle photo to be interesting but also somehow inspiring. It's beautiful in its own right, at least in this photo, but also there is so much yet to discover and to learn that it makes me hope human beings will get to be around and will be able to allocate the resources to keep discovering all of the fascinating and incredible things that await in the new frontier...<BR/><BR/>And I have to agree with Protege about the second photo looking like window blinds. I am sure it was the first thing I thought of because my exciting life has had me experiencing so many peak experiences such as cleaning window blinds...and then sometimes going on to the thrill of dusting or perhaps even vacuuming...I know the entire world wants to read my blog now...I hope so because I really need help deciding whether to stick with OxyClean pre-wash stain remover or whether something like Spray and Wash is really better...Beephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01342992207721126087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822428485586445604.post-59803816862616199972009-01-14T18:13:00.000-10:002009-01-14T18:13:00.000-10:00I think it looks very UFO-y. Cool.I think it looks very UFO-y. Cool.Dianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16637670293642285740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822428485586445604.post-47988522470201097472009-01-14T08:41:00.000-10:002009-01-14T08:41:00.000-10:00Hope you're all having fun... :)Hope you're all having fun... :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822428485586445604.post-39335517468916209102009-01-14T00:59:00.000-10:002009-01-14T00:59:00.000-10:00Tom, this was your most interesting and exciting p...Tom, this was your most interesting and exciting post ever, at least to me!<BR/>I would love to talk to you about the universe. Although I am not an astronomer, being a biochemist I know a bit about atoms and molecules.;)So, how do you actually know that the rectangle produces hydrogen and carbon? How can you actually detect those?<BR/>To the "artist" in me, the IFU data looks a lot like window blinds, very cool.;))Zuzanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02137958790178864561noreply@blogger.com