Big Bertha

[Ben Framed]

For you Science minded people; What do you make of this?

https://youtube.com/shorts/VFDOQgv8oMY?feature=share

[The15thMember]

I think this guy is making something out of nothing.  NGC 2261 is a variable nebula, a cloud of gases in interstellar space.  It was discovered by William Herschel in 1783 and was photographed by several different astronomers, including Edwin Hubble, during the first half of the 1900s.  The nebula is illuminated by the nearby star R Monocerotis, and for some reason this star changes brightness pretty regularly, making it look like the nebula is moving.  As evidenced by the guy in the video, who is using an amateur telescope, the changes are easily visible even over a period of several weeks.  But there's nothing freaky about it.  There are several variable nebulae visible in the sky, some which entirely appear and disappear due to their illuminating stars being even more variable in their brightness than this one.

Speaking of astronomy, anyone watching the meteor shower tonight?  It could be the meteor storm of the century.           

[Ben Framed]

Thanks Reagan. So to put in layman?s terms; No it is not moving. 😁

[The15thMember]

Thanks Reagan. So to put in layman?s terms; No it is not moving. 😁

Correct, it's not moving.    Sorry, sometimes I get all caught up, and give people way more information than they asked for.     Basically, think about it like a flashlight shining on an object in a dark room.  If you were to take a time lapse of the object while the flashlight was increasing and decreasing in brightness, without being able to see the flashlight, it would look like the object was moving or changing shape, but in reality, it's just that the lighting is changing. 

[Ben Framed]

Good report Member. I knew you would have good explanations for this. 👍🏻😊

Thanks !