The Beauty of Nature

New & Improved

2010-07-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

I have shifted gears slightly and focused my plant studies in a different way that will hopefully prove more accurate and usable in my newly created blog:

http://angelaceae.blogspot.com/

Please check it out. It has evolutionary promise. :)

Longmire Trails

2009-06-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

Marsh Violet

(Violaceae Viola pulustris)

Stream Violet

(Violaceae Viola glabella)

Vine Maple

(Aceraceae Acer circinatum)

Oak Fern

(Gymnocarpium dryopteris)

Indian-Pipe

(Pyrolaceae Monotropa uniflora)

These pictures were taken on May 31, 2009 along the Longmire trails "Trail of Shadows" and "Rampart Ridge Trail" at Mount Rainier.

The Indian-Pipe is not fully bloomed yet so I will have to check back for that. I am always surprised to see a non-photosynthetic plant. Its roots are connected to coniferous trees with whom the plant has a symbiotic relationship. It feeds extra nutrient-filled water into the plant to which it is attached and in return receives food from that plant. Some say nature illustrates "survival of the fittest" but it also illustrates survival of the cooperative.

This was the first time this season I've seen marsh violets, though I see the stream violets often. Violets are super neat little flowers!

Also the oak fern was a treat (cute little thing).

Rosy Blooms

2009-05-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

Columbine

Flower above

Leaves below

This columbine was found growing along the side of my house. I don't think it is native to the Pacific Northwest but it is unmistakably a columbine flower. In the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and the genus Aquilegia, this flower is pollinated by hummingbirds and long tongued butterflies.

Baldhip Rose

Rosa gymnocarpa

This cute little rose is scattered all over this area. Flowers in the rose family have started blooming this week. The baldhip rose (above) and the thimbleberry (below) are flowering along the edge of the woods and bring a smile to my face as I drive by them.

Thimbleberry

Rubus parviflorus

These lovely white flowers bloom amongst large maple-like leaves. The berries this plant produces are sought after by birds and bears in late summer and fall.

Reference: "Trees, Shrubs & Flowers to Know in Washington & British Columbia"

by C. P. Lyons and Bill Merilees

Escaped Ornamental

2009-05-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Western Mountain-Ash

Sorbus scopulina

Rosaceae (Rose family)

This species is related to Sorbus sitchensis (Sitka Mountain-Ash) which has leaflets that are more rounded at the end. This is either a really big shrub or a small tree. I call this an escaped ornamental because this species is mostly used as interior decorations and in nature is found above 3500' in the Cascades and the Olympics.

There are seven to ten leaflets on each leaf. Leaves are alternate and deciduous.

Each leaflet is elliptic, sharply pointed, and toothed all along the entire margin.

Inflorescence is displayed as a terminal cluster of tiny flowers with protruding stamen.

Discovering Baneberry

2009-05-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

Baneberry

Actaea rubra

Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)

This plant is a rhizomatous perennial growing up to three feet tall. These pictures were taken at McLane Creek, WA in the middle of its blooming season. It generally grows in moist, shady places at lower elevations and is widespread in BC & WA. All parts of this plant are highly poisonous so don't eat it.

Although A. rubra appears to be quite bushy, each plant actually consists of one to a few erect, leafy stems. Each leaf is divided up to three times into leaflets of three which are sharply toothed and lobed. Neither the leaves nor the stem are hairy.

The inflorescence is a very soft looking cluster of many small white flowers on the end of a long stalk. They look fuzzy because of their very long stamen which protrude in all directions, each with a little ball-like anther.

References I used

"Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast" by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon

and

"Trees, Shrubs & Flowers to Know in Washington & British Columbia" by C.P. Lyons and Bill Merilees

Dogwood

2009-05-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

Flowering Dogwood

Cornus nuttallii

Cornaceae (Dogwood Family)

Also known as "pacific dogwood" or "mountain dogwood", this plant is an inspiring site to see poking out of the woods here and there. The blooms are misleading because what looks like one flower is actually a collection of white petal-like bracts bordering a cluster of little flowers (that ball in the middle) which explains why those showy white "petals" have markings that match the veins of the leaves. Its a lovely plant; no wonder British Columbia chose its bloom as their official floral emblem.

Big Blooms!

2009-05-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

Rhododendron

Ericaceae (Heath Family)

Rhododendron

The Rhododendron is Washington's state flower. Burfoot Park has a trail of Rhododendrons and here are a few of those that were in bloom at the end of April. Ideally, I would like to find this plant growing "in the wild" but I rarely see it unless it has been planted.

Trillium

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Trillium Ovatum

There's Trillium everywhere now. Here's a patch of them growing amongst the Cleavers. They litter the forest floor.

Chocolate Lily

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Fritillaria lanceolata

These cool lilies were found growing along a slope at the forest edge not far from the beach alongside a great deal of Poison Oak. So, naturally, I had to be very careful while taking pics. I took about a dozen shot of these flowers and only got one I'm happy with. But it's a neat flower and I always seek it out in the spring. I should try planting some.

Beauty in Bloom

2009-04-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

Pacific Crab Apple

Malus Fusca

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

This gorgeous plant is in bloom right now all along the forest edge, towering over the shrubs and spring sprouts. It has five petals and numerous stamen which give it away as a member of the Rose family. The many ball-like clusters of flowers are eye catching, to say the least. I have one of these arching over my drive and it is a delight to see every day.

Keeping a close watch

2009-04-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

Red-Flowering Currant

Ribes sanguineum

I keep practicing photographs of this flower because, although small, it is very open. Clearly seen here is the pistol in the center with three stigmas and five stamen, one in front of each petal. I got a pretty picture of this plant's leaf below.
Most plants in the Current family (Grossulariaceae) have lobed leaves like this and are palmately veined (this species has three main veins coming from the same point). I think these are lovely leaves!

Large-flowered Bittercress

(Cardamine pulcherrima)

I thought this was a nice portrayal of this Bittercress. Looking at it's parts, I am surprised that there are five stamen even though there are only four petals. I also find it interesting how far the pistol protrudes from the rest of the flower. It is sure to pick up lots of pollen!

Scouler's Corydalis

(Corydalis scouleri)

I don't normally take pictures of plants like this without zooming in on specifics but I wanted to illustrate the size of the plant. It is in the Bleeding Heart family (Fumariaceae) and that is obvious when comparing the general leaf structure with that of a Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa). However, this plant grows to a surprising 60-120 cm tall!! It has very different flowers from the Bleeding Heart, as well.

I found only one plant that had flowers just thinking about blooming. The corydalis is only just sprouting up everywhere and is still very young. These flowers do show similarities (in this stage) to the Bleeding Heart because of the way the petals are pinched and flattened. But when it blooms, it will be very different. Of course, how they cluster together is very different, too. Bleeding hearts droop from the stem while the Corydalis form a raceme like the ever popular Foxglove.

Mima Mounds

2009-04-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Henderson's Shootingstar

Primulaceae (Primrose Family)

Dodecatheon hendersonii

While visiting Mima Mounds yesterday, I saw these Shootingstars everywhere. I forgot which variety the signs said they were and I neglected to closely observe the leaves. So this was a good reminder of what details are important to observe in the field. But the yellow ring, as seen in the picture below, is a good way to eliminate some varieties. So I'm 99% sure this is a Henderson's Shootingstar. The yellow ring is in the wrong place for it to be a Jeffrey's Shootingstar; its growing in the wrong place to be a Poet's Shootingstar, and the petals have the wrong form for it to be a Desert or Few-Flowered Shootingstar. Will investigate its leaves next time.

Western Buttercup

Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)

Ranunculus occidentalis

This one could have been challenging to identify but I identified it with a botany class in the same location two years ago. So I'm sure of it. Plus, all the posted signs agree, as well. I don't find the buttercups particularly special but its good practice. I hope to create a flora one day.

Friendly Flowers

2009-04-18T17:57:00.000-07:00

Salmonberry

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Rubus spectabilis

I never considered this flower to be very photogenic but I got a really nice shot today. I think this is the prettiest picture I've gotten of this flower in two years.

Large-flowered Bittercress

Cruciferae (Mustard Family)

Cardamine pulcherrima

This is an awfully small flower to be called "large-flowered" but I guess it is pretty large compared to other flowers in the Mustard family. I think it is cool because of the rose colored veins in its petals. I read that the veins are like a road map for insects leading them to the nectar.

Heart-Leaved Springbeauty

Portulacaceae (Purslane Family)

Claytonia cordifolia

I get this flower confused with the Candy Flower (a.k.a. Siberian Miner's-Lettuce) but I think I've got it all cleared up now. The significant difference is the notched petals. This plant grows along the sides of trails where its wet and sunny. The more that sprout up, the more I smile while strolling down the trail.

Bleeding Heart

Fumariaceae (Bleeding Heart Family)

Dicentra formosa

This is my favorite plant of them all!! The leaves are everywhere and the blooms are sprouting all over McLane Creek. There's a lovely example of a bloom below. It is not the biggest, most obvious bloom in the forest floor but it is one of the most unique.

Seed dispersal is done by the mighty ant. The seeds will develop in a pod and protrude from the opening until they burst out. These are tiny, glossy, black bead-like seeds. They are glossy because of a special coating that attracts the ants who store them and then forget about them. What a system!

Red-Flowering Currant

2009-04-16T12:37:00.001-07:00

Grossulariaceae

Ribes sanguineum

After a week of rain, we got a couple of days of sunshine and the Red-Flowering Currant blooms start to open. These flowers are a delight to see this time of year. Their bright colors really light up the edge of the woods. Maybe I will get to see some hummingbirds soon as they are attracted to these flowers.

(lovely)

Spring Flowers

2009-04-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

Oaks Toothwort

Cruciferae (Mustard Family)

Cardamine pulcherrima

This is a really neat little flower. I must always remember that four petals usually points to the Mustard family. These have unique leaves combined with veiny flowers. Also known as Large-Flowered Bittercress, it is only about 1/2" across.

Skunk Cabbage

Araceae (Arum Family)

Lysichiton americanum

Also known as "Swamp Lantern", this plant grows all over just about every marshy, wet piece of land in the Pacific Northwest. There is a period where the skunky odor dominates the lowlands, but it isn't an altogether unattractive plant.

Red-Flowering Currant

Grossulariaceae (Currant Family)

Ribes sanguineum

This one is sprouting wild around the edge of my greenbelt.

Western Trillium

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Trillium ovatum

Growing wild all over the forest floor, these will get really big by summer.

Salmonberry

Roseaceae (Rose Family)

Rubus spectabilis

I don't find this flower as photogenic as most.

Like me, it is prettier in person.

It will produce the first edible berries of the season!

Stream Violet

Violaceae (Violet Family)

Viola glabella

A modest but beautiful little bloom.

It might be easily overlooked if it didn't bloom so early in the season.

Early sprouts

2009-03-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Bleeding Heart

(Dicentra Formosa)

This week on my nature walk I saw this plant sprouting leaves all over the place. I thought it might be the Pacific Bleeding Heart but without flowers, I get it confused with the horrible Herb-Robert which is an invasive weed that poisons native plants. I could tell for sure by just smelling its roots but I was afraid. You see, when I sniff the roots of an Herb-Robert, my nose runs like a faucet. I didn't want to deal with that. But now that I look at this pic I took, I recognize the stem is smooth and not obviously hairy. Bleeding hearts have smooth stems and Herb-Robert has hairy stems. So it must be the Bleeding Heart leaves that are sprouting everywhere!! This is my favorite plant!! It has the most beautiful leaves of any plant I've seen.

Priest Point Park

2009-02-27T21:33:00.000-08:00

Capitol View

Water View

We visited the water side of Priest Point Park on a typically rainy day. If I had a super cool camera then I could have gotten a great pic of the capital but it was just too far in the distance for my camera. That's okay, looking away from the capital yielded a nice, cloudy water view.

Pretty Snowy Willow

2009-02-20T11:56:00.000-08:00

Snowy Weeping Willow

I took this photo a month ago when the snow accumulated a lot. I thought it very beautiful.

First Snow

2008-12-14T13:42:00.001-08:00

Christmas Tree '08

This was Brandon's first year to decorate the Christmas tree. He was really excited about it this year and is proud of it. I probably could've done him more justice by taking a better picture but I'm no photographer.

Snowy Pine

This pine tree grows on my property but I have not been successful in identifying it. It is not a native pine but it is pretty cool. And whenever it snows I always have to take a picture of it. Not just when it has snow on it but when it is actively snowing. The pictures don't come near to portraying the beauty I see. I should take up painting. Perhaps then I could express it better than my photographs.

Snowy Willow

This weeping willow tree grows near that pine. It is not a native either but it is so neat! This was the tree that inspired my picture taking today. It looks so wicked cool!!

Fungus Fest

2008-11-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

Smooth lepiota

I am not yet skilled at identifying fungus and reserve the right to be human. But I read and researched my field guides and think I'm getting closer to correctly identifying these mushrooms. The above being identified as smooth lepiota (Leucoagaricus naucinus) was found growing from a rotting fallen western redcedar in the greenbelt around my house.

Woolly Inky Cap

My attention was drawn to what appears to be a variety of Inky Cap (Coprinus flocculosus) because of the fringe coming off the cap which I thought was some sort of identifying feature but I now think, based on my reading, that it may more likely be scaly remains from the veil which is sort of shedding off. The textured area around the base is also remains from the universal veil as is the ring in the picture of the smooth lepiota.

White Crested Coral Fungus

As always is one of my favorite fungi: the coral fungus (Clavulina cristata). I look this one up every time I see it thinking it is in the Ramaria family but never feeling quite right about it. Today, I researched it in some other texts and found this far more accurate description as White Crested Coral Fungus. This is a very interesting type of fungus and was found in great quantity growing under the western redcedars in the greenbelt around my house. My jaw dropped at how much there was in the semi-open area of the forest floor. The rotting bark from fallen branches and leaves provides an incredible environment for this type of coral fungus.

Late Bloomers

2008-11-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

Theller Wetlands will be the place to go in the spring if everything they have on display blooms properly. A couple of things were still in bloom for me (how nice). But since it is a wetland area, it is very damp and so some neat mushrooms grow there as well. :p

Split-gill maybe? I'm never sure about fungi.

Orange Sponge Polypore (perhaps)

This one wasn't marked and didn't positively identify it.

I figured it for the aster family.

Balsamroot

I read that balsamroot isn't that common in the wild. Perhaps that's why I haven't run across it on my hikes. This one is planted along side some flowers that will be treats in the spring like the camas lily. I'll be sure to visit this spot in the spring.

Calming Silence

2008-11-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

Sunset

I know a lot of sunsets have a clearly visible sun in them but I'm in love with the clouds so this one really sang to me.

Speaking of clouds... I don't usually take pictures of clouds. But I don't know why because they are so neat!

Theller Wetlands

This lovely spot was at the end of the Hood Canal in Belfair, WA. It isn't the woody type of place I usually visit but it had its own beauty.

Fall Beauty

2008-11-01T13:00:00.001-07:00

I have so much homework to do that I feel sick to my stomach. So before diving into it, I decided to take some pictures and do this blog. You know, find my zen.

Here is a small piece of my front yard. We have raked diligently but you cannot tell at all. Its pretty... now that it has started raining again, I doubt we will get much more of it raked. Oh well, at least its pretty and good for the soil. As you can imagine, we have oodles of mushrooms under these leaves.

Here we have that lonely Vine Maple that lives in the shade so will only turn yellow. Now that it has all turned, I think it is a beautiful shade of yellow and am tickled when I see it. :)

A few blogs back I posted a pic of a Douglas Maple leaf starting to turn red. Here is one that is completely turned. So pretty!!!

And here is a shot of the Douglas Maple. As you can see, there are leaves in all different stages. I was hoping the whole thing would turn red at once like the Vine Maple does but I guess not here. That's okay, I'm still really enjoying this one.

I spied this mushroom in my front yard where very few leaves have fallen. It is completely in the open and all alone. No other mushrooms like it or different are growing in this area. Is it growing from the roots of the grass or what? I wish I had x-ray vision so I could peer into the ground without disturbing it to see where its roots go. I haven't seen any mushrooms like this one on my treks into the woods or anywhere else on my property. Perhaps I'm just not looking close enough.

That is one of the neatest looking mushrooms I've seen. I see fallen Indian Plum leaves and a few feet away is a large Indian Plum standing about 8' high so maybe there's a connection there. But its hard to say because that is located at the edge of a coniferous greenbelt so who knows?

More Mushrooms!!!

2008-10-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some more mushrooms I found. I did not manage to identify any of these.

Mushrooms!!!

2008-10-26T17:02:00.001-07:00

I haven't had much practice with identifying fungi. I was only able to identify one of them and I'm only about 75% sure about it. So I will leave out the names of them. These are the weirdest (and coolest) ones I found.

Space Love

2008-10-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Orion Nebulae

from http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/

(10-23-08)

I collect many of the pictures and their descriptions from the NASA website above and this is the picture they had up there today. The red gathering of gas looks like a heart. I just think, aside from the whole astronomy view of it, this is one of the most beautiful ones I've seen. From an astronomy point of view, it also tells us an awful lot. So this is an incredible picture all the way around. I want it painted on my ceiling in my bedroom!!! (dreaming)

Fall in My Yard

2008-10-18T14:00:00.001-07:00

Redcedar

Today, I have not felt well so I thought taking some lovely fall pics might help. This one is the Western Redcedar. I have mentioned it, in the past, as my favorite tree. Just look at that beautiful mix of red and green!

Dogwood

This is one of the Flowering Dogwoods I have in my yard. I guess I didn't get it in this shot, but some of the leaves turn a pretty, soft reddish color as well as yellow. These leaves are SO pretty!! I love their growth pattern. And I look forward to seeing it bud and flower again in the spring!!

Vine Maple

Here's the Vine Maple I have by my driveway. I have been waiting all fall to take a picture of its leaves turning RED. Come to find out, they don't turn red in the shade. They need lots of sunlight to turn red. The ones on campus are in the parking lots and are all bright red and beautiful. I must get a pic of them to post. But mine grows sandwiched between Redcedars and Douglas Firs so its in the shade. Its still pretty, though. The leaves are so cool! Quite a bit different from those of the Big Leaf Maple.

Big Leaf Maple

You can't really compare the leaves of the Vine Maple to the leaves of the Big Leaf Maple in THIS pic. But I took this pic because I love this view. This is the underside of the giant Maple I have in my front yard. It has lost some leaves so the branching pattern is clear and I think its beautiful! Plus, this pic shows how nice the tree looks as its leaves are turning. It also looks really cool in the winter without leaves so you can look forward to seeing a few winter pics of it this year.

Maple Leaves

And here we have my front yard under the Maple. Of course, grass hardly grows because of those giant leaves that shade it all summer long. Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow and can rake! Did you see how many leaves are about to fall? If I don't rake soon I'll be in real trouble. Gotta compost those! (And that's my sweet little thing, Kitty Kat, in the pic. She's my baby. :) Its rare that I catch her on camera!)

Fall Leaves Fall

2008-10-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

Western Redcedar

This tree's leaves have one of the most beautiful shades of green!

The Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata in the Cypress family) is my favorite tree. It is an evergreen but in the fall, some of its leaves turn a reddish-orange color and fall off. I am very glad that this tree is so common in my area.

Douglas Maple

At first I thought this was a Vine Maple but I saw better as soon as I looked it up. This Douglas Maple is starting to turn colors to a very red (almost purplish-red) color. I will keep my eye on it to see how it looks when all of its leaves have turned!

Big Leaf Maple

This is what the Big Leaf Maple leaf looks like when its ready to fall off the branch. It turns completely brown, of course, after it falls. But they turn yellow first. I just thought I'd post this because I find it interesting the different colors that appear in this family. Vine Maple turns red, kind of like the Douglas Maple. But the Big Leaf Maples are yellow to brown. I would have thought they all would turn the same colors or cycle through all the colors. But that is not what I observe.

Memories of Spring

2008-10-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

Pacific Bleeding Heart

The Pacific Bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa) is, above all others, my first love and my favorite deciduous plant. The leaves in this picture are blurry so you can't see how incredibly beautiful they are. But they litter the forest floor in the early spring before the sword ferns take over. Their blooms are heart shaped, hence the common name. And I thought this picture was special because of the little insect perched on the seed, undoubtedly seeking a meal. Normally, ants are the animals that collect (and so disperse) the seeds. There is a special coating on the tiny black bead-like seeds that come out of that pistol you see in the picture which attracts ants. But that's not to say others don't like it as well.

Fairy Slipper

This flower was an extra special find. I had to hike halfway up a mountain (the Olympics) and I spied it a distance off the trail. It was almost buried amongst the leaves and there was only the one. It was difficult reaching it to take the picture. But I have never been more excited to find a flower.

False Solomon's Seal

I really love the group of flowers in the Lily family which includes this False Solomon's Seal. In particular, I like the way the leaves clasp the stem. This plant is related to the Star-Flowered False Solomon's Seal (of course), the Rosy Twisted Stalk, and the Clasping Twisted Stalk, and Fairybells, among others. I plan on collecting a clear set of pictures to include all of them next spring when they bloom again. My album hobby for the spring will be the Lily family.

Scouler's Fumewort

This strange looking flower totally tripped me out when I first saw it this year. I first saw it before it had blooms and the leaves looked so similar to the leaves of the Bleeding Heart that I knew it had to be related. But these grow much taller than the Bleeding Hearts and branch, whereas the Bleeding Heart leaves don't. But I looked in the Bleeding Heart family and found it easily. When it bloomed, my identification was further confirmed. I was also surprised to see the blooms because they remind me of a tiny version of foxglove (which is in another family entirely!). I think I have a picture in another blog of this flower in a field of blooms. It is also known as Pink Corydalis.

My Pets

2008-10-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

Needles

Bones

I just think its neat how these two both like to sleep on their backs. Well, Bones rolls on his back in play and to get attention. He does it all the time. Bones and Needles are bestest friends. Needles likes nothing more than to have Bones lick her ear for as long as he is willing. (What a strange feline)

Trees

2008-10-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Western Redcedar

I know its outdated but the Western Redcedar is timeless. Soon I will put up pictures of them with their orange leaves. I like this picture particularly because of the way the branch hangs. But these trees tend to have very curvy branches and that's neat!

Mossy Tree

This is a great deal of moss draped all over this tree. It is very common to have such moss growth given the climate of the Pacific Northwest. I love it!

Cool Tree

Okay so I forgot what kind of tree this was. Obviously, it is a good one for climbing. That's not really so common in these parts. Usually the trees are so tall and thick that all the lower branches are deprived sunlight and die off making the trees top heavy. But this one is lucky for it is located at Mima Mounds where they burn off the overtaking forest growth to a certain degree in order to maintain the mounds of wildflowers. I have pictures of a couple of those flowers in another blog.

Remembering Spring

2008-09-26T12:54:00.001-07:00

Pink corydalis

This was located in a spot at McClane Creek which I am not likely to find again. I was wondering in the park for hours going down small, unofficial trails and pretty much got lost. But it was all more than worth it to find this large area of corydalis in bloom!

Fireweed

These flowers are super small but I think they are really neat. Next spring, I must make a point to get a picture of a big group of them growing together. Shouldn't be too tough since they pretty much grow everywhere.

Few-Flowered Shootingstar

Common Camas

The Shootingstar and Camas were both found on a botany field trip to Mima Mounds. This was a great environment for flowers like these which are difficult to find elsewhere because of the great tree growth we have in these parts.

Family Matters

2008-09-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

Needles

Our cat, Needles, just LOVES our shoes!!

I get a kick outta her. :p

The Boy

Now if he doesn't look like the laziest little goof-ball in the world, then I don't know what is. I come in from outside and this is what I find. The cat isn't the only one who keeps me giggling in this family! lol

The Ring Nebula

2008-09-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

Exploring the Ring

Credit & Copyright: Astro-Cooperation - Stefan Heutz/Wolfgang Ries

Explanation: A familiar sight for northern hemisphere astronomers, the Ring Nebula (M57) is some 2,000 light-years away in the musical constellation Lyra. The central ring is about one light-year across, but this remarkably deep exposure - a collaborative effort combining data from two different telescopes - explores the looping filaments of glowing gas extending much farther from the nebula's central star. Of course, in this well-studied example of a planetary nebula, the glowing material does not come from planets. Instead, the gaseous shroud represents outer layers expelled from a dying, sun-like star. This composite image includes over 16 hours of narrow-band data intended to record the red emission from hydrogen atoms, but the pronounced blue/green color is due to emission from oxygen atoms at higher temperatures within the ring. The much more distant spiral galaxy IC 1296 is also visible at the upper right.

Finding a Beaked Hazelnut

2008-09-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

Throughout the late summer, I have been watching for Beaked Hazelnuts. I found one earlier in the summer but I didn't think it was ripe (still learning about these things). I wanted to watch for more. But little did I know, they are incredibly popular in the animal kingdom!! I've seen birds and squirrels at work. Between them and who know what, I haven't found another one anywhere!!

Finally, I get a little excited because I spot this one at

the park yesterday:

When I took a closer look, I saw the husk and got really excited!!

However, when I turned it over, I saw that I was not the first to discover this one. Perhaps a bird got into it (since it was still attached to the tree).

Maybe next year I will be wiser (and quicker).

Square Nebula

2008-09-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

IC 4406: A Seemingly Square Nebula

Credit: C.R. O'Dell (Vanderbilt U.) et al., Hubble Heritage Team, NASA

Explanation: How can a round star make a square nebula? This conundrum comes to light when studying planetary nebulae like IC 4406. Evidence indicates that IC 4406 is likely a hollow cylinder, with its square appearance the result of our vantage point in viewing the cylinder from the side. Were IC 4406 viewed from the top, it would likely look similar to the Ring Nebula. This representative-color picture is a composite made by combining images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2001 and 2002. Hot gas flows out the ends of the cylinder, while filaments of dark dust and molecular gas lace the bounding walls. The star primarily responsible for this interstellar sculpture can be found in the planetary nebula's center. In a few million years, the only thing left visible in IC 4406 will be a fading white dwarf star.

Cygnus X-1

2008-09-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

Black Hole Candidate Cygnus X-1

Credit: ESA, Hubble

Explanation: Is that a black hole? Quite possibly. The Cygnus X-1 binary star system contains one of the best candidates for a black hole. The system was discovered because it is one of the brightest X-ray sources on the sky, shining so bright it was detected by the earliest rockets carrying cameras capable of seeing the previously unknown X-ray sky. The star's very name indicates that it is the single brightest X-ray source in the constellation of the Swan Cygnus. Data indicate that a comact object there contains about nine times the mass of the Sun and changes its brightness continually on several time scales, at least down to milliseconds. Such behavior is expected for a black hole, and difficult to explain with other models. Pictured above is an artistic impression of the Cygnus X-1 system. On the left is the bright blue supergiant star designated HDE 226868, which is estimated as having about 30 times the mass of our Sun. Cygnus X-1 is depicted on the right, connected to its supergiant companion by a stream of gas, and surrounded by an impressive accretion disk. The bright star in the Cygnus X-1 system is visible with a small telescope. Strangely, the Cygnus X-1 black hole candidate appears to have formed without a bright supernova explosion.

Cat's Eye Nebula

2008-09-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

X-Rays from the Cat's Eye Nebula

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI

Explanation: Haunting patterns within planetary nebula NGC 6543 readily suggests its popular moniker -- the Cat's Eye nebula. Starting in 1995, stunning false-color optical images from the Hubble Space Telescope detailed the swirls of this glowing nebula, known to be the gaseous shroud expelled from a dying sun-like star about 3,000 light-years from Earth. This composite picture combines the latest Hubble optical image of the Cat's Eye with new x-ray data from the orbiting Chandra Observatory and reveals surprisingly intense x-ray emission indicating the presence of extremely hot gas. X-ray emission is shown as blue-purple hues superimposed on the nebula's center. The nebula's central star itself is clearly immersed in the multimillion degree, x-ray emitting gas. Other pockets of x-ray hot gas seem to be bordered by cooler gas emitting strongly at optical wavelengths, a clear indication that expanding hot gas is sculpting the visible Cat's Eye filaments and structures. Gazing into the Cat's Eye, astronomers see the fate of our sun, destined to enter its own planetary nebula phase of evolution ... in about 5 billion years.