Hanny's Voorwerp - strange, green, and galactic-sized

[silylene old]

<p>APOD has a picture of this very unusual object, which is galaxy-sized and very far away.&nbsp; I think it looks like a bipedal frog ballroom dancing.</p><p>http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html</p><font size="2"><p><font color="#800000">Explanation: What is that green thing? A volunteer sky enthusiast surfing through online Galaxy Zoo images has discovered something really strange. The mystery object is unusually green, not of any clear galaxy type, and situated below relatively normal looking spiral galaxy IC 2497. Dutch schoolteacher Hanny van Arkel, discovered the strange green "voorwerp" (Dutch for "object") last year. The Galaxy Zoo project encourages sky enthusiasts to browse through SDSS images and classify galaxy types. Now known popularly as Hanny's Voorwerp, subsequent observations have shown that the mysterious green blob has the same distance as neighboring galaxy IC 2497. Research is ongoing, but one leading hypothesis holds that Hanny's Voorwerp is a small galaxy that acts like a large reflection nebula, showing the reflected light of a bright quasar event that was visible in the center of IC 2497 about 100,000 years ago. Pictured above, Hanny's Voorwerp was imaged recently by the 4.2-meter William Herschel Telescope in the Canary Islands by Matt Jarvis, Kevin Schawinski, and William Keel.</font> </p><p><br /><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/13/3ec88eab-adc8-4513-bdf4-14d24b35d0d2.Medium.jpg" alt="" /></p></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[qso1]

That didn't take long. I saw it an hour ago before logging in and thought, this will be posted, the woo woo crowd will be carting out their theories as to what it is. Now that I have seen the first part of my thought come to pass...just waiting for the woo woos now. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[baulten]

Clearly a giant, galaxy eating insect.&nbsp; *end sarcasm*

 

[schmack]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Clearly a giant, galaxy eating insect.&nbsp; *end sarcasm* <br />Posted by baulten</DIV><br /><br />if you squint, it looks a bit like Kermit the Frog. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="4" color="#ff0000"><font size="2">Assumption is the mother of all stuff ups</font> </font></p><p><font size="4" color="#ff0000">Gimme some Schmack Schmack!</font></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Least its not a frog in a blender. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[schmack]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Least its not a frog in a blender. <br />Posted by qso1</DIV><br /><br />it could be. We don't KNOW that it's not possible to have a galactic size frog. and if it's possible that there is a galactic size frog, then it's entirely possible there is a galactic size blender. No? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="4" color="#ff0000"><font size="2">Assumption is the mother of all stuff ups</font> </font></p><p><font size="4" color="#ff0000">Gimme some Schmack Schmack!</font></p> </div>

 

[silylene old]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>if you squint, it looks a bit like Kermit the Frog. <br />Posted by schmack</DIV></p><p>I first suggested a ballroom dancing frog.&nbsp; But then I squinted.</p><p>The Voorwerp&nbsp;is clearly a TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE, most likely Raphael, below&nbsp; (can you name the others?)</p><p><br /><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/13/5/cda5f4e8-ff98-4d08-a5e1-92e20c1db1f4.Medium.jpg" alt="" /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[Mee_n_Mac]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I first suggested a ballroom dancing frog.&nbsp; But then I squinted.The Voorwerp&nbsp;is clearly a TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE, most likely Raphael, below&nbsp; (can you name the others?) <br />Posted by <strong>silylene</strong></DIV><br /><br />I can't confirm it's Raphael but he/she/it seems friendly.&nbsp; It appears to me to be running to give us a hug.</p><p><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-wink.gif" border="0" alt="Wink" title="Wink" /></p><p><br /><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/11/7/8ba0108d-be97-48a3-8772-959a94475bf3.Medium.jpg" alt="" /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-----------------------------------------------------</p><p><font color="#ff0000">Ask not what your Forum Software can do do on you,</font></p><p><font color="#ff0000">Ask it to, please for the love of all that's Holy, <strong>STOP</strong> !</font></p> </div>

 

[bearack]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>APOD has a picture of this very unusual object, which is galaxy-sized and very far away.&nbsp; I think it looks like a bipedal frog ballroom dancing.http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.htmlExplanation: What is that green thing? A volunteer sky enthusiast surfing through online Galaxy Zoo images has discovered something really strange. The mystery object is unusually green, not of any clear galaxy type, and situated below relatively normal looking spiral galaxy IC 2497. Dutch schoolteacher Hanny van Arkel, discovered the strange green "voorwerp" (Dutch for "object") last year. The Galaxy Zoo project encourages sky enthusiasts to browse through SDSS images and classify galaxy types. Now known popularly as Hanny's Voorwerp, subsequent observations have shown that the mysterious green blob has the same distance as neighboring galaxy IC 2497. Research is ongoing, but one leading hypothesis holds that Hanny's Voorwerp is a small galaxy that acts like a large reflection nebula, showing the reflected light of a bright quasar event that was visible in the center of IC 2497 about 100,000 years ago. Pictured above, Hanny's Voorwerp was imaged recently by the 4.2-meter William Herschel Telescope in the Canary Islands by Matt Jarvis, Kevin Schawinski, and William Keel. <br />Posted by silylene</DIV></p><p>Need I say more???</p><p><img id="fullSizedImage" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v607/Bearack/geico_gecko_1.gif?t=1214492691" alt="geico_gecko_1.gif picture by Bearack" /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><br /><img id="06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/14/06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" /></p> </div>