Astronomy / Space Fun and games with the American Astronomical Society

[Dr Wookie]

Hi guys,
I've just got back from the Winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society, held just outside Washington DC. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to DC itselft thanks to the pesky Polar Vortex: I got there 27 hours after I meant to, and my only free day had wind chills < -21 C (-5 F)! I left my big coat at home !

I got to show off my 49 black hole candidates in the Andromeda galaxy, and even got interviewed by someone from Sky and Telescope about a comment I made to another speaker !

Here is a frozen Potomac river:

Here is a knitted model of a brown dwarf; yes they really are purple (but I don't think they have arms and legs !)

Here is a selfie using an infrared camera like those flown on certain space observatiories:

Here is a 3D printed version of an image from the Hubble Space Telescope: the different textures represent stars, dust, gas etc.

And here are some mirrors like those to be used in the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to HST. By the way, I love the fact that jwst.com is owned by the Jamaican Waterslide Team

And here are some of the very subtle and understated Xmas decorations

 

[Andrew Sayers]

Here is a knitted model of a brown dwarf; yes they really are purple (but I don't think they have arms and legs !)

Do these come in dashboard bobblehead variety?

 

[izzy]

Nice pictures Dr Wookie

 

[DrBaggy]

Nice pics! Is there a link to your black hole candidates? (we have some of those standing for parliament I think )