Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Astronomers Peer Deep into Blobs in Space

Astronomers Peer Deep into Blobs in Space Out in the depths of space, theres a blob that astronomers have been anxious to explain. It wasnt immediately obvious to them why it shined as brightly as it did. The blob (and it really is a blob) is called SSA22-Lyman-alpha-blob and it lies some 11.5 billion years away from us. That means that it looks to us now as it did some 11.5 billion years ago. SSA22-LAB appears to have two giant galaxies at its heart that are bursting with star formation activity. The whole region where this object and its galaxies lies is swarming with smaller galaxies. Clearly, something is going on there, but what?   VLT and ALMA to the Rescue This rare Lyman-alpha Blob is not exactly visible to the naked eye. Thats largely due to distance, but also because the light its emitting is visible to us here on Earth in infrared wavelengths and also in radio frequencies. The name Lyman-alpha-blob tells astronomers that the object originally radiated its light in ultraviolet wavelengths. However, due to the expansion of space, the light is shifted so that its visible in infrared. Its one of the largest of these LABs to be observed. So, astronomers used the European Southern Observatorys  Very Large Telescope Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer to dissect the incoming light for study. They then combined that information with data from the Atacama Large-Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. Together, these two observatories allowed astronomers to peek into the heart of the action at the distant blob in space. Deep imaging with the Hubble Space Telescopes Imaging Spectrograph and the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii also helped them refine the view of the blob. The result is an amazingly beautiful view of a blob that existed in the distant past but is still telling us its story today. Whats Happening at SSA22-LAB? It turns out that this blob is one very interesting result of galaxy interactions,  which create ever-larger galaxies. Furthermore, the two embedded galaxies are surrounded by clouds of hydrogen gas. At the same time, they are both cranking out hot young stars at a furious rate. Baby stars emit a lot of ultraviolet light, and that lights up the surrounding clouds. Its like looking at a streetlight on a foggy night - the light from the lamp scatters off the water drops in the fog and it makes a kind of foggy glow around the light. In this case, the light from the stars is scattering off the hydrogen molecules and creating the lyman-alpha blob. Why Is This Discovery so Important? Distant galaxies are extremely interesting to study. In fact, the more distant they are, the more fascinating they get. Thats because very distant galaxies are also very early galaxies. We see them as they were as they were infants. The birth and evolution of galaxies is one of the hottest areas of study in astronomy these days. Astronomers know that it proceeds as smaller galaxies merge together with larger ones. They see galaxy mergers at nearly every part of cosmic history, but the beginnings of those mergers started back 11 to 13 billion years ago. However, the details of all mergers are still being studied, and the results (such as this lovely blob) are often quite a surprise to them. If scientists can get a handle on how galaxies form through collisions and cannibalization, they can understand how these processes worked in the early universe. Whats more, from observing other, newer galaxies that have been through the same process that this LAB galaxy is experiencing, they know that it will result in a giant elliptical galaxy. Along the way, it will collide with more galaxies. Each time, the galaxy interaction will force the creation of countless hot, young massive stars.  These starburst galaxies show prodigious rates of star formation. And, as they evolve and die, they will also change their galaxy - seeding it with more elements and the seeds of future stars and planets. In a sense, looking at SSA22-Lyman-alpha-blog is like looking at the process our own galaxy might have experienced early in its formation. However, the Milky Way didnt end up as an elliptical galaxy in the heart of a cluster as this one will do. Instead, it became a spiral galaxy, home to trillions of stars and many planets. ​In the future, it will merge again, this time with the Andromeda Galaxy. And, when it does that, the combined galaxies will indeed form an elliptical. So, the study of SSA22-LAB is a very important step in understanding the origin and evolution of all galaxies.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Popular Childrens Books, The Spide Chronicles

The Popular Children's Books, The Spide Chronicles The Spiderwick Chronicles is a popular children’s book series written by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The fantasy stories revolve around the three Grace children and their frightening experiences with fairies when they move into an old Victorian home. The Spiderwick Chronicles Series According to a letter from co-author Holly Black that appears at the beginning of each of The Spiderwick Chronicles series, it all started when she and Tony DiTerlizzi were at a bookstore book signing and were given a letter that had been left for them. The letter was from the Grace children, and it mentioned a book that â€Å"tells people how to identify faeries and how to protect themselves.† The letter went on to say, â€Å"We just want people to know about this. The stuff that has happened to us could happen to anyone.† A few days later, according to Black, she and DiTerlizzi met the Grace children, and the story the children told them became The Spiderwick Chronicles. After their parents’ divorce, the Grace children and their mother move into the ramshackle Victorian home previously occupied by their great-aunt Lucinda. The three children, thirteen-year-old Mallory and her nine-year-old twin brothers, Jared and Simon, are still adjusting to their parents’ divorce and are not happy with their new home. While Mallory has her fencing to keep her occupied and Simon his menagerie of animals to care for, Jared is angry and at loose ends. Almost immediately, odd things begin to happen, beginning with strange sounds in the walls, and leading to the discovery of the small unexpected and unfriendly other occupants of the house and area. Written in the third person, the books emphasize Jared’s point of view. It’s poor Jared who tends to get blamed for all of the unpleasant things that happen, thanks to the faeries. He finds a secret room and an amazing book Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, a book about identifying and protecting yourself from faeries. While the first book is quite mild and provides a basic introduction to the human characters and the threat from the fantastical creatures, the action and suspense is ratcheted up in the remaining books. The Grace children come in conflict with goblins, a shape-shifting ogre, dwarves, elves and other frightening characters. The series ends with the kidnapping of Mrs. Grace and her children’s desperate, and ultimately successful, attempt to rescue her. The Appeal of The Spiderwick Chronicles The short length of these children’s novels - about 100 pages - the uncomplicated, yet suspenseful and scary  fantasy stories, the engaging main characters, the attractive design of the small hardbound books and the full-page pen and ink illustrations in every chapter make the books particularly appealing to younger children who are independent readers or who enjoy having an adult read to them. The Books of The Spiderwick Chronicles The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field GuideThe Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing StoneThe Spiderwick Chronicles: Lucindas SecretThe Spiderwick Chronicles: The Ironwood TreeThe Spiderwick Chronicles: The Wrath of Mulgarath Other Spiderwick books include: Arthur Spiderwicks Field Guide to The Fantastical World Around YouThe Notebook for Fantastical Observations   The Creators of The Spiderwick Chronicles Tony DiTerlizzi is a best-selling author and an award-winning illustrator. His books include Jimmy Zangwows Out-of-This-World Moon-Pie Adventure and Ted. Mary Howitt’s The Spider and the Fly was awarded a Caldecott Honor because of the quality of DiTerlizzi’s illustrations. Tony DiTerlizzi is both the co-author and the illustrator of The Spiderwick Chronicles. He has illustrated work by such well-known fantasy authors as J.R.R. Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey. His pen and ink drawings in The Spiderwick Chronicles give life to the characters and help to set the mood of adventure and suspense. Holly Black is also a best-selling author. She specializes in contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children. Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, a fantasy novel for young adults was published in 2002. Although they have known one another for a number of years, The Spiderwick Chronicles series and related books represent the first collaboration between Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Relationship Between the Characters in Winter Dreams by F. Scott Essay

Relationship Between the Characters in Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Essay Example Dexter has American dream since he employed his efforts in pursuing the interest of his life. When he met Jones for the first time, he was attracted to her. He did not move, instead he spent a lot of time staring at the beautiful woman. This paper analyzes Dexter relationship with Judy. The relationship between Dexter and Jones seems to be a first sight love relationship (Becnel, 140). When Dexter saw Jones for the first time, he was glued to her. The attraction of Dexter to Jones influenced the choices that Dexter made. He was ready to quit his job because of the beautiful Jones. Dexter told caddy master that he was done with his job. He made this remarks after a strong attraction to Jones. He wanted to spend his life with Jones and would do anything to achieve that ambition. The extent to which he was attracted to Jones shows how true feelings could influence his decisions. Dexter left a low a paying job to seek a means that could help him win the heart of Jones (Fitzgerald 513). D exter’s decision to quit the golf club hanged on the influence of the eleven-year-old Jones who treated him like a junior. Jones undermined Dexter because of the wealth that her family had. The relationship that existed between Dexter and Jones was an intimate relationship. Dexter wanted Jones to be with him. He could not control or hide his feelings towards Jones. It was difficult for Dexter to make any decision that could keep him away from Jones. Dexter had a dream of winning the heart of Jones. He was convinced that wealth could help him win the heart of Jones. On the hand, Jones did not reciprocate Dexter’s love. In intimate relationship, partners need to exercise dialogue. Dialogue held between partners provides a chance for making correction and ironing out relationship differences. Jones did not offer any information that was transparent in their relationship. The relationship between Dexter and Jones portrays a theme of emptiness (Stanley 333). Dexter dream en ded when Devlin gave him news regarding the status of Jones. He took his time to know more about Jones life. Their conversation ends when his American dream of leading his life with Jones ends. The reaction of Dexter indicated the extent of love that he had for Jones. Though Jones had been out of his life for about seven years, he had a deep feeling for her. Life in the story ceases to have meaning because of the shattered dream of Dexter. He does not find any meaning to life since the dream in his entire life is meaningless. Dexter looked at his age and realized that he had spent his life chasing for a dream that could not come true. At the end of Dexter’s discussion with Devlin, Dexter saw the reality in their relationship. He realized that he had banked his hopes where they could not be appreciated. Sometimes a relationship could prove to be sour. When a partner does not reciprocate in a relationship, life in that relationship ceases to have a meaning. Dexter had spent his time acquiring wealth in order to meet the needs of his desired love. He knew that Jones could not accept him without wealth. He ventured into business with an aim of making wealth, which could sustain his life with Jones. Devlin message comes as a shock to the relationship. It shuttered the dream that Dexter had about Jones. It is important to note that Dexter knew that Jones had been married. Ironically, he felt that Jones could still