• Question: what is the most beautiful galaxy,star and planet you ever saw and why?

    Asked by 07quiambaoj to Alastair, Emma, Hywel, Keith, Vicki on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Keith Brain

      Keith Brain answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hard to pick one, so ….:

      Solar flares on our sun: so close to us, so important to us, so powerful yet beautiful, yet still so insignificant on the scale of the Universe

      Transit of Venus across the sun – and friend and I managed to borrow a descent telescope, used some cardboard (you can’t look directly at the sun) and took a picture of the shadow of Venus crossing the sun in 2004. One of the great powers of science is its ability to be able to predict the future, like the timing of such rare astronomic events. I like this picture because I took it! The next one (not quite so good) will be in June 2012.

      Some Spiral Galaxy shots: amazing to think how far away there, how many solar systems there might be, and what, unknown to us, might be lurking there yet to be discovered. They’re also usually in colour, too.

    • Photo: Alastair Sloan

      Alastair Sloan answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Wow – Well I think the most beautiful galaxy is the pinwheel galaxy. Its a fantastic shape with a bright centre and spinning wheel arms.

      http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic0602a/

      Its not really a star, but the Crab Nebula, which is a supernova, is an awesome sight and its shape which gives it its name is fantastic

      http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic0515/

    • Photo: Vicki Stevenson

      Vicki Stevenson answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Really good question! There are lots of beautiful images from space – I’ve always loved spirals, so I think the milky way is my favourite – good photo on

    • Photo: Emma Carter

      Emma Carter answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      The most beautiful star I’ve seen with my own eyes is the sun – especially when it’s rising or setting.

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