h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

How does that work? Is the colour an indication of distance? I thought it was an indication of age.

Isn't it both? The most distant are also the oldest, are also the fastest moving and therefore the most red-shifted?

That's certainly the principle of red-shift, but I didn't think that was noticeable enough to be visible to us humans.

I thought the different colours were because young stars burn by a different process than old ones and produce a different coloured light as a result. That's why in general the spiral galaxies are bluer than the elliptical ones. (I thought).

When two objects appear on the analysis page, and you click on the reference number you get a grid (which I don't claim to understand but the forum moderators and the Zookeepers are doing a sterling job at answering questions)

Apparently when you manipulate the grid it gives a figure - then you can shift the grid to the other object, thereby telling if they're truly close (and interracting) or it's just an optical illusion from our vantage point.

The true mergers I have seen (appear to have) exactly the same colour as one another, I suppose that's the camera filters, but again, I don't know.

http://cas.sdss.org/astro/en/tools/chart/chart.asp?ra=204.99025875&dec=0.83080302

Have you had the first newsletter from the team, Gnomon?

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The most curious reported are being sent to observatories for further study.

They are continuing to send out the same objects to different users so they build up a composite database.

Did anybody see this article?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6929290.stm

There's hope for us all yet!

I think one of the zooites has found a black hole:
http://cas.sdss.org/astro/en/tools/chart/chart.asp?ra=226.42431&dec=5.09507&scale=0.09903

The Zookeepers haven't responded yet...so the is on ice...

i'm not sure how I would have classified this - probably merger. but something like this is why they want multiple people to look at each, i'm sure.

so what make it a candidate - the jet looking thing?

Looks like a spiral galaxy with a supermassive black hole at the centre to me. I found one of these last week, a spiral galaxy with an axle, but they zookeepers haven't responded yet.

Yes, pailaway, the jet thing gives it away

OMG Gnomon! You had a suspect black hole and didn't mention it? It's Chris Lintott's holy grail!!

I can just imagine them *finally* opening your email - I'm almost embarrased at all the alerts I've sent in now

Mine isn't very spectacular: 587735664771072202 but it might be a black hole. ON the other hand, it might be two spiral galaxies, both edge on and at right angles.

Gnomon,

The one in post #107 seems to have some symmetry about it - but the one you found seems less symmetric - is symmetry a factor at all?

(just curious - i'm learning a great deal so far - i just hope it's not at the expense of the project)

I've been playing with the navigate tool mentioned in post 104 - it's a little like google earth - only skyward.

GB, you find the greatest web sites

I'm glad you're having fun

May I invite you here to comment: F48874?thread=4438182

Look at this, wonder if any zooites found this one?!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6933566.stm

zdt

OK, hands up who'd like to see a square galaxy?

http://cas.sdss.org/astro/en/tools/chart/chart.asp?ra=241.90509351&dec=45.06534797&scale=0.19806

Galaxy Reference 588017990703644989 looks like a guy with a beard wearing a beret:

http://cas.sdss.org/astro/en/tools/chart/chart.asp?ra=236.22633092&dec=5.8161691&scale=0.03

Here's a picture of Leonardo da Vinci for comparison:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Leonardo_da_Vinci.jpeg

I knew he wasn't of this world...

What about this one:

http://cas.sdss.org/astro/en/tools/chart/chart.asp?ra=240.37066343&dec=19.35988695&scale=0.4

Is that unusual?