Photo By Dr Peter Tuthill
The more we look into the universe, the more beautiful it becomes.
Dr Peter Tuthill, a Sydney astrophysicist, was on the evening news tonight talking enthusiastically, near breathlessly, about the awesome beauty of the Red Square Nebula, a dying star systems a mere 5000 light years from Planet Earth.
Tuthill said the nebula was so symmetrical and perfect, it looks like a piece of magnificent space art built by extraterrestrials.
It sure does.
From news.com.au:
"It's so nearly square that people probably mistook it for an aberration of the telescope," Dr Tuthill suggests.
According to Dr Tuthill, the regularity and intricate linear form of the nebula make it one of the most symmetrical objects ever found. Known as a "bipolar nebula", it has twin cones of out-flowing winds, shaped like two cocktail glasses placed stem-to-stem.
"Discoveries as beautiful and interesting as this one don't come around very often in astronomy," Dr Tuthill said.
