Planetary Nebulae: What Are They?

“Space-the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Our mission: to boldly go where no-one has gone before.” –Captain Jean-Luc Picard

In its own way, this has been the mission statement of human kind since the beginning.  At first, “space” was the far bank of the river, then the other side of the mountain, then the ocean…..eventually the heavens.

There are many things out there in space, one of which is a phenomenon called a planetary nebula (nebulae for plural).

What Is This Thing?

Planetary nebulae are what forms when a star no more than four times the size of the Sun comes to the end of its life-cycle. The star’s internal gravity becomes so intense that the star explodes, blowing the outer layers into space, which are then lit up by the heat of the star’s core. Due to that intense heat, these nebulae do not last long at all, perhaps only about 50,000 years.  Scientists believe that our sun may grow and go through this process in about 5 million years.

It is predicted that there are approximately 10,000 planetary nebulae now in the Milky Way, and 2,000 have been discovered. However, only four have been officially catalogued: the Dumbbell, Ring, Little Dumbbell, and Owl Nebulae. The last of these-the Owl Nebula-was discovered in 1751.

Despite its name, planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets. The name was coined in the 1780’s by William Hershel, because it reminded him of the rings of Uranus.

What Does It Look Like?

Planetary nebulae are fairly small-only about 1 light year in diameter, although there is a range of sizes as the nebula ages. NGC 3918, for instance, is only 3/10 light year in diameter, while the Helix Nebula is over 2.5 light years. NGC 3918 is calculated to be only 3,000 years old, so it is still fairly young.

Nebulae are quite hot (as expected, being a former star). The temperature range is 8,000 to 23,000 K, with an average of around 10,000 K.

It is also thought that planetary nebulae only last about 50,000 years. Since most expand at 20-30 km/s, after that time the density of particles are too spread out to be seen.

The Vorontsov-Velyaminov Scheme

In 1934, Russian astrophysicist Boris Vorontsov-Velyaminov came up with this way of categorizing planetary nebulae based on their morphology. There are six styles:

1.  Stellar image (I).
2. Smooth disk (II) (a, brighter toward center; b, uniform brightness; c, traces of a ring structure).
3. Irregular disk (III) (a, very irregular brightness distribution; b, traces of ring structure).
4. Ring structure (IV).
5. Irregular form, similar to a diffuse nebula (V).
6. Anomalous form (VI).

There also can be combinations. For instance, there can be two rings (a “4 + 4”).

With all these kinds of nebula, who knows what else is out there. Will astronomers and their colleagues in space science ever find a planetary nebula that actually has a planet? Probably not, but it is fun to think about. As Captain Picard says, “Make it so.”

Suggestions for O'Reilly

Not long ago, my friends and I were discussing the Nat Geo film "Killing Jesus,"  based on the Bill O'Reilly/Martin Dugard book of the same name.

Killing Jesus is the third of four books in the "Killing" series, which takes a historical look at notable people and their deaths. Other  subjects in the series have been President Lincoln, President Kennedy, and General George Patton.

After innocently stating, "I wonder who he'll kill next," we came up with some suggestions, starting with the most obvious:

Killing Bin Laden  The mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks was killed by Seal Team Six on May 2, 2011, during Operation Neptune Spear. There have been several books written on this subject, but it would be interesting to see what the O'Reilly/Dugard team could do with it, with the historical perspective.


Killing Caesar: Famously saying, "Et tu, Brutus?" at the moment of his death, Julius Caesar was a statesman, general, and ruler who turned the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He was assassinated on March 15, 44 BCE, which is why we have to "Beware the Ides of March."


Killing ML K:  Martin Luther King, the Baptist minister and Civil Rights activist who gave the "I Have A Dream" speech,  was killed on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray. Since the 1960's were such an active time, we suggest a special "Killing '60's " series which would also include Killing RFK, Killing Oswald, and  Killing Marilyn.


Killing Garfield: The second of three US presidents to be assassinated, James Garfield was also one of the shortest serving presidents, having been killed on Sept. 19, 1881, a mere 7 months after being elected. Charles J Guiteau shot him on July 2, 1881, but the mortal wound took months to kill him.

Killing Hoffa:  Former Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa is thought to have been murdered, but since no body has ever been found, he  is considered missing but presumed dead. His body was long thought to have been buried in the old Giant's Stadium in New Jersey, a claim The Mythbusters investigated on their show. 

Weather vs. Climate

When you wake up in the morning, perhaps one of the first things you do is  turn on the radio or TV and check the weather report. “It’s going to be cold and blustery today,” the weatherman says. “You better take  your heavy coat.”

But why is there no climate report?

It turns out there is a great difference between weather and climate, although they are related. The difference is time. Weather is measured in short periods of time. It is happening now, tomorrow, this week. Climate is measured in long periods of time. Most climatologists (scientists who study the climate) look at weather data for an area for 30 years before they have a good sense of the area’s climate. In other words, climate is the big picture, and weather is all the little details.

CLIMATE

Officially, climate is defined as "the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years".  Climatologists record and study the weather every day over a period of 30 years or more to determine the climate of a region. 

Let’s take New England for example. Today, the climate in this part of the country, simply put, is cold and snowy in the winter, warming and rain in the spring, hot in the summer, cooling in the fall.  In colonial times, this climate actually helped the colonists because it stopped the spread of disease, although it did make it difficult to have crops planted year round and did cause much death in the winter.

Many researchers believe that the climate is changing for the worse because of human activity. This has not been proven though. It could just be a natural cycle of the Earth.

WEATHER

On the other hand, weather is “the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place, with respect to variables such as temperature, moisture, wind velocity, and barometric pressure”.  The important part here is “a given time and place”. It is what is happening here and now.

Staying with our New England example, while the climate is the same in all parts of the region, the weather differs from one part to another. This is why all local TV stations have their own weather reports. For instance in Skowhegan, Maine it may be sunny with a high of 28 degrees and winds at 13 mph, but in Hartford, Connecticut it’s partly cloudy and a high of 36 (almost 10 degrees warmer) on the same day.

While climate is a long term view, weather is immediate. So when the weather forecast is given, you should pay attention. 

My Favorite Restaurants In Fiction

Everyone has their favorite restaurants—it might be Friendly’s, Olive Garden, or some little-known hole-in-the-wall. Just as real people have their favorites, characters from TV, movies, music, and books also have their own preferred eateries. Here are some of the most notable.

When discussing this topic, one has to start with The Restaurant At The End of the Universe (The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe).  As the title and location of the second Hitchhikers's Guide To The Galaxy book, this restaurant is literally located at the end of the universe—which is very far away indeed. Here, the food is still alive when you order it. In fact, the food actually makes a sales pitch as to why you should choose it for your meal. The Restaurant also features great music and drink.

Sticking with the space theme for a moment, there is Quark’s Bar and Grill (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). Owned and operated by the Ferengi Quark and his brother Rom, and located on the Space Station Deep Space Nine, this is a full service establishment with food, drink, a gambling hall, and a set of holosuites—rooms equipped to fulfill any fantasy or desire through the use of holograms. Also, if you are of a mind, Quark can help you get a hold of…well, not so legal items.

Coming back to Earth, in Milwaukee, WI we find Arnold’s (Happy Days), a nice little place with a jukebox and dance floor. Over the course of time, this eatery was owned and operated by two different Arnolds with greatly different backgrounds. You will also find cool guy Fonzie in his office, which was really the men’s room, and if you go on the right night, you may find Potsie, Rich, and the band doing a little number.

Heading off to New York—Manhattan, specifically—there is Central Perk (Friends). This little coffee house, downstairs from Chandler, Joey, Rachel, and Monica’s apartments, and where Phoebe plays guitar, is a place where you can just sit and hang with friends and have a cup o’ Joe and a muffin. With Gunther at the counter and Rachel as your waitress, you just can’t go wrong there. 

While in Manhattan, you could also visit Monk's Diner (Seinfeld.) A favorite hangout for Jerry and the gang, many of their adventures start and end here. 

Another diner can be found in the small town of Star's Hollow, CT. Owned and operated by Luke Danes at the location of his father's old hardware store, Luke's Diner (Gilmore Girls) is one of the town's favorite joints--along with the never seen but much maligned Al's Pancake World. 

If you find yourself in WWII Africa, you can head over to Rick’s Café American (Casablanca). Owned by Rick Blaine, an American expatriate, there is food, drink, gambling, and dancing. Sam plays the piano, usually a song Rick needs to hear after reuniting with his lost love. “You know the one”, he will say.

Before we end this tour of my favorite restaurants in fiction, there are three notable honorable mentions. They are fictionalized versions of real places, but  are deeply woven into modern pop culture.

First, Alice’s Restaurant (Arlo Guthrie), where we are told “you can get anything you want--'cepting Alice.”   This 18 ½ minute song is based on a place in Stockbridge, MA called the Back Room Rest, owned by Alice M Brock and her husband Ray Brock. The Thanksgiving dinners Guthrie writes about actually took place in the Brock’s home, a former church.

Second, Cheers (Cheers). While not technically a restaurant, but a bar, it was a great watering hole based on Boston’s Bull and Fitch Pub (which has formally changed its name to Cheers). This is where “everybody knows your name”. Sam and Coach—later Woody—tended bar and Carla was your server.

Finally, there is the Cheesecake Factory (The Big Bang Theory). This is where Penny worked, and became a favorite spot for Raj, Wolowitz, Sheldon, and Leonard.

As you can see, just as us real people have our favorite places to eat, fictional characters have their own----even in space.

What I Did On My Winter Vacation

I have a big, three-month long project starting soon at work, so I thought I'd take some time off before things get busy. So, I took a couple of days and went to Vermont. 

It was snowing when I left my house, and snowed all the way up  my route to my first stop, the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center/Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, located in Burlington's Waterfront.  The ECHO, which is part of the University of Vermont System, is named for Vermont's former senator, Patrick Leahy, and his wife Marcelle. Its mission and focus is the ecology and conservation of Lake Champlain.

The ECHO Center, Burlington, VT

The Center has over 100 exhibits and animals on display. It is a great place for kids and families to learn about the area, and ecology in general. As one who grew up in the 80's, one favorite interactive of mine is called "Rain Barrow". In this arcade style video game, found tucked in a corner, the player has to fill and empty a rain barrow, gaining points for every drop caught. It was fun. 

I also learned about "Champ", Lake Champlain's answer to the Loch Ness Monster. I don't know if Champ really exists, but it sure is fun to think about. 

The Champ display, ECHO Center

The weather wasn't that great that day, but normally you could see all the way across the lake to New York's Adirondack Mountains. The ferry to Plattsburg, NY isn't far away. 

At the end of the day, I left Burlington and headed back down I-89 to Waterbury, my base for the next few days. Staying at the Best Western Plus Waterbury-Stowe, I was in a perfect position to check out other points of interest. 

The view from the top of Blush Hill, Waterbury, VT. My hotel was at the bottom of the hill. 

After grabbing some dinner, and going for a swim in the excellent indoor, heated pool, I settled in for the night. 

The next morning, the weather was cold (as expected, it is winter in the mountains of Vermont, after all.) But it wasn't snowing. After taking complete advantage of the free breakfast, I read for a while, then headed off for my Ben and Jerry's tour. 

Ben and Jerry's Factory, Waterbury, VT

View of Ben and Jerry's from the parking lot. 

This half hour tour gives you a peek at operations at the ice cream maker. First there is a video explaining the history of the company (which is now owned by Unilever, but due to an unusual deal, Ben and Jerry's is able to keep its autonomy.) Next, the company tour---we see the inner workings of how the ice cream is made. This day, they were making Chocolate Brownie flavor. The brownies come from a bakery in New York. Finally, we eat! Free samples of the flavor of the day. 

Unfortunately,  I wasn't able to get to the Flavor Graveyard as it was snowed in at the top of a hill, but I'll be back!

After the tour I head off down the street to the Cabot Annex Store (when you go to Vermont, you have to get some Cabot cheese.) 

My final stop was the Cold Hollow Cider Mill, where you can watch apple cider being made right on the premises. I had lunch at Cold Hollow's Apple Core Lunchenette. The food is excellent there. 

While you're at Cold Hollow, be sure to pick up some freshly made cinnamon donuts,  and of course, some cider. 

Since this was not meant to be a ski trip, and I had seen everything I was planning on, after lunch I returned to the hotel and hung out at the pool the rest of the day. 

The next morning, another big breakfast, and hit the road back home. It was a great trip, which I will be making again--in summer. 

Racehorse Names

As I've written previously, with the exception of very specific events, I'm not that much into sports. One thing I do enjoy is the "Triple Crown" of horse racing: The Preakness Stakes, The Belmont Stakes, and, the most famous and popular American horse race of all--The Kentucky Derby.

I usually pick my horse by whatever name I like most. And how do they get their names?

There are actually a lot of rules and regulations for the naming of thoroughbred horses. First, the name must be registered by February of the horse's second year. There are many others, including these banned names:

•  Names consisting of more than 18 letters (spaces and punctuation marks count as letters);
•  Names consisting entirely of initials such as C.O.D., F.O.B., etc.;
•  Names ending in "filly," "colt," "stud," "mare," "stallion," or any similar horse-related term;
•  Names consisting entirely of numbers. Numbers above thirty may be used if they are spelled out;
•  Names ending with a numerical designation such as "2nd" or "3rd," whether or not such a designation is spelled out;
•  Names of living persons unless written permission to use their name is on file with The Jockey Club; Names of persons no longer living unless approval is granted by The Jockey Club based upon a satisfactory written explanation submitted to the Registrar

This last rule is what made it possible to have a horse named after actor Tony Danza at the 2014 Kentucky Derby. 

So, here are some horse names I've come up with. 

Inocentbystander

Friendly Fire

Dr. Doc Doctor

Ms. Smith Go To KY

Lazer Sharp Mind

High Momm

Back at the Ranch

Garfield's Lazagna

French Kiss

And of course.....

Soon B Glue

The last triple crown winner----the last time one horse won all three races----was Affirmed in 1978. That makes 36 years. Will it happen in 2015? It sure would be exciting!

Invented In New Hampshire

New Hampshire is my home state, the state with the first Presidential primary, and the "Live Free Or Die State".

It is also the state where these 10 inventions were first created.

1. Paper Towels
     
         Inventor: William E Corbin
         Year of Patent: 1920
         Place: Gorham

The story goes that when Corbin became general manager, in 1904, of the Brown Co's Gorham Cascade Mill, he got the idea because he was tired of wiping his hands on the then old-fashioned rolling cloth towel. "It was always sticky and greasy," he said.

His paper towels were made of Kraft paper, the same paper that today's paper grocery store bags are made of.

2. The Knitting Machine

      Inventor: Herrick, Walter, and Jonas Aiken
      Year: 1836
      Place: Franklin

Herrick and his sons were inventors as a family business. Their original machine could knit the tube of a sock, from knee to ankle.

3. The Sewing Machine

     Inventor: Elias Howe, Jr.
     Year: 1843
     Place: Nashua

It all started with an overheard conversation. After his first design didn't go over that well, Howe's second design was a big hit. For one thing, it had a needle with an eye at the point--an idea that came to Howe in a dream: an evil king threatened him with execution if he didn't complete his work within 24 hrs.

4. The Apple Parer

     Inventor: David Harvey Godell
     Year of Patent: 1863
     Place: Antrim

Goddell was a former New Hampshire Governor (1889-1891) who grew up on a farm. He invented the apple parer while working at the Antrim Shovel Co; at the height of its initial popularity, 24,000 units were sold in three weeks.

5. Tupperware

     Inventor: Earl Tupper
     Year: 1946
     Place: Berlin

The ubiquitous kitchen storage containers came after Tupper worked at the DuPont Chemical Company where he designed unbreakable and light masks and containers used during World War II.

Today, a Tupperware Party happens every 1.4 seconds.

6. The Alarm Clock

    Inventor: Levi Hutchins
    Year: 1787
     Place: Concord

Although it was never patented, and it was developed for his own personal use, Hutchins is still considered the inventor of this convenient yet somewhat annoying device. At least in the US, anyway.

7. The Spork

     Inventor: George Laramy
     Year: 1907
     Place: Enfield

This much maligned member of the silverware family did not have a name when the patent was accepted--the word "spork" didn't come about until 1909. However, the reason for its invention was so that the combined knife, spoon, and fork could be "adapted for use by persons with one arm," according to the patent application.

8. The Segway

     Inventor: Dean Kamen
     Year: 2001
     Place: Manchester and Bedford

In popular culture, the Segway is most famous its appearances in the movie Mall Cop, and the video for Weird Al Yankovic's "White and Nerdy." The two-wheeled, self balancing, electric transport is now used in tours, college campuses, and other tourist destinations.

9.  The Measuring Tape

     Inventor: Hiram Augustus Ferrand Jr.
     Year: 1922
     Place: Berlin

The measuring tape started life as the Rapid Rule, but it was very similar to what we have today. Commander Admiral Byrd even had one on his expedition to the South Pole.

10.  The Artificial Leg

       Inventor: Benjamin Franklin Palmer
       Year: 1846
       Place: Meredith

About 5 miles away from the Weirs Beach area of Lake Winnepasaukee,  Meredith is the center of activity in the Lakes Region.

Palmer's wood artificial leg was intended to weigh less than 3 1/2 pounds for the full leg, or less than 2 pounds for below the knee. He also created articulated joints in order to mimic the natural motion of a leg.


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Source material for this post is the article "In Praise Of The Spork And 14 Other Inventions" published in the Oct. 9-15 edition of The Hippo.