Galaxial Metaphors

by Andrea Laue

What follows is a selection of images I found at Astronomy Picture of the Day, a site sponsored in part by NASA and Michigan Tech. For most images I've copied a blurb from the Web site to explain briefly the image. That quoted blurb is followed by my own annotation. But please look at the images before reading my blurb: these are meant to be suggestive. How might these advance our imaginings of visualizations of the play space?

• M17: Omega Nebula Star Factory

  "In the depths of the dark clouds of dust and molecular gas known as M17, stars continue to form. The similarity to the Greek letter capital Omega gives the molecular cloud its popular name, but the nebula is also known as the Swan Nebula, the Horseshoe Nebula, and M17. The darkness of these molecular clouds results from background starlight being absorbed by thick carbon-based smoke-sized dust. As bright massive stars form, they produce intense and energetic light that slowly boils away the dark shroud." [http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021210.html"]

  We talked today about images that feel organic -- these first two feel organic to me. I like how the cloud obscures the stars, some barely flickering through while others shine forth brightly. This image also has motion in it, and this might someday represent some momentum or direction of a game. The fact that this is a "factory" also seems provocative.

• Thor's Helmet

  "NGC 2359 is a striking emission nebula with an impressive popular name - Thor's Helmet." [http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021205.html]

  I like this for many of the same reasons as I like the Omega Nebula, although this image seems linear in a way that the previous image seems "globular" (sorry, can't think of a better word right now). Or maybe circular is the better label -- I can see the traces of paths here. Color is also nice here, somehow integral without being defining.

• The Pleiades Star Cluster

  [http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021201.html]

  Here I really like the auras, the nimbi that encircle each star (move?).

• Meteors Between Stars and Clouds

  Streaking high above diffuse clouds -- but well in front of distant stars -- are sand-sized bits of an ancient comet: meteors. These bits flaked off Comet Tempel-Tuttle during its pass through the inner Solar System about 150 years ago. Far in the background are stars toward the constellation of Ursa Major. [http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021211.html]

  Moves as stars; meteors as links; clouds as text(s)?

• The Earth's Magnetic Field

  Specifically, as portions of the outer core cool and fall inward, oceans of the liquid iron-rich magma rise outward, forced into a helical motion by the spin of the Earth. This motion, many geologists now believe, regenerates Earth's magnetism. Pictured above, a computer simulation shows the resulting magnetic field lines out to two Earth radii, with blue lines directed inward and yellow lines directed outward. [http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021125.html]

  This image speaks of struggle. Some tentacles seem intent on generating tangle while others seem determined to escape it. The core (text) is both product and producer.