- #1
dodo
- 697
- 2
Merry christmas, and the stupid question of the day:
How would, reallistically, a nebula look like from a close distance, say, within a fraction of an AU?
I mention this because, in too many TV space shows, some spaceship hides into a nebula, as it would in a big cloud, which seems to me severely unrealistic.
First, we see nebulas from an enormous distance. I see no reason to believe they would look just like that at a close range, just as the blur in a foggy day looks denser the farther. For all we know, we could be in the middle of one. Or not? Is there an estimate of the density of ions within a nebula?
Second, there are violent processes associated with nebulas. Shouldn't we perceive them in movement, much as solar wind? Then again, the enourmity of the distances could cancel out the notion of movement, since, in order to be close to (some part of) something, you will probably be moving along with it. That is, if there is some "it" to be seen at a close range, in the first place.
How would, reallistically, a nebula look like from a close distance, say, within a fraction of an AU?
I mention this because, in too many TV space shows, some spaceship hides into a nebula, as it would in a big cloud, which seems to me severely unrealistic.
First, we see nebulas from an enormous distance. I see no reason to believe they would look just like that at a close range, just as the blur in a foggy day looks denser the farther. For all we know, we could be in the middle of one. Or not? Is there an estimate of the density of ions within a nebula?
Second, there are violent processes associated with nebulas. Shouldn't we perceive them in movement, much as solar wind? Then again, the enourmity of the distances could cancel out the notion of movement, since, in order to be close to (some part of) something, you will probably be moving along with it. That is, if there is some "it" to be seen at a close range, in the first place.