Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: kenhikage on 01/10/2012 00:07:19
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Hello all!
I was fiddling around in Stellarium today and found this image near the constillation Orion. In case you can't read the coordinates, its center is near 5h 52m 45s, -6° 15'.
So, what explains this ring of stars? Is this a case of gravitational lensing?
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gravitational lensing can produce circular features ...
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/A_Horseshoe_Einstein_Ring_from_Hubble.JPG/800px-A_Horseshoe_Einstein_Ring_from_Hubble.JPG) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_ring
But your find just looks like a coincidence ...
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No,
It is merely seeing a patterns when there is no underlying pattern. Our eyes are excellent at picking up patterns, or geometric shapes, for example the Big Dipper, or the various constellations.
Have you checked distance calculations on the stars?
I tried to circle the stars.
As displayed:
[ Invalid Attachment ]
Several of the stars actually deviated somewhat from a circle.
And, then I tried to normalize the background grid to a square (should it be?).
[ Invalid Attachment ]
There still seems to be somewhat of a circular pattern, but not including the stars in the same location, nor even including those on the opposite side of the circle.
Anyway, looking at the sky, somewhere you will find circular patterns, linear patterns, triangles, etc.
The circular pattern you have found appears far too large to be controlled by a single black hole. And, you would still have to explain some kind of an underlying pattern for the stars that you see.