Subject
Why galaxies are called nebulae . . . and why nebulae dilate
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Dear Nick,
> "Originally *nebula* was a general name for any extended
> astronomical<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy>
> object <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_object>, including
> galaxies <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy> beyond the Milky
> Way<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way>(some examples of the older
> usage survive; for example, the Andromeda
> Galaxy <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_Galaxy> is sometimes
> referred
> to as the *Andromeda Nebula*)."
This was the case exactly because the old telescopes were too weak
to distinguish separate stars in the galaxies and distant star clusters.
Best,
Sergei
-------------------------
To Jerry, Nick & you all,
Perhaps the more important word isn't nebulae, but dilating - - hint: television.
Carolyn
Poem, lines 404 -405:
[And here time forked.] I'll turn it on." The screen/
In its blank broth evolved a lifelike blur..."
lines 431-433:
"A host narrator took us through the fog
Of a March night, where headlights from afar
Approached and grew like a dilating star."
lines 472-473:
..."a pinhead light dwindle and die in black/
Infinity."
[Jansy, to whom Carolyn copied the above message, kindly located the relevant lines. -- SES]
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
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> "Originally *nebula* was a general name for any extended
> astronomical<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy>
> object <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_object>, including
> galaxies <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy> beyond the Milky
> Way<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way>(some examples of the older
> usage survive; for example, the Andromeda
> Galaxy <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_Galaxy> is sometimes
> referred
> to as the *Andromeda Nebula*)."
This was the case exactly because the old telescopes were too weak
to distinguish separate stars in the galaxies and distant star clusters.
Best,
Sergei
-------------------------
To Jerry, Nick & you all,
Perhaps the more important word isn't nebulae, but dilating - - hint: television.
Carolyn
Poem, lines 404 -405:
[And here time forked.] I'll turn it on." The screen/
In its blank broth evolved a lifelike blur..."
lines 431-433:
"A host narrator took us through the fog
Of a March night, where headlights from afar
Approached and grew like a dilating star."
lines 472-473:
..."a pinhead light dwindle and die in black/
Infinity."
[Jansy, to whom Carolyn copied the above message, kindly located the relevant lines. -- SES]
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm