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The first time I saw this photo on the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton space telescope site I couldn’t believe my eyes. It didn’t look like any space structure I’ve seen before. It actually looks like some kind of weird inter-dimensional portal.
Then I read the description and the answer was simple — and actually quite fascinating. What you’re looking at is the “reflection patterns off one of the gold-plated spare mirrors” of the telescope:
This image shows the journey that light particles from [supernovas and galaxies] might make on their way to the space telescope’s detectors. In this artistic shot patterns are created by light reflected in one of the gold-plated mirrors. XMM-Newton’s three telescopes each contain 58 mirrors like this, and are among the most powerful ever developed.
The XMM-Newton has nested one-millimetre-thick mirrors, like “the layers of a leek.” According to the ESA, the mirror’s shape and position ensure that every X-ray is reflected twice while focusing onto the detector. Beautiful. [ESA]
Why Is There a Goddess' Egg Floating In Space?
What the Hell Is This Incredible Alien Spaceship-Looking Thing Caught On Camera By NASA Circling Our Sun?
What in the Hell Is This?
Soon as i saw it, it reminded me of light on the bottom of a swimming pool.
I win!
1 to Spatchmo, 0 to Jesus.
Idiot
I know, I have many people far more qualified than you are to tell me that, now kindly Jog on dear chap.
People like you are the reason we can’t have world peace. Its just an article about something floating in space. You didn’t have to bring religion into it. I’m not religious, but I seem to understand why the muslims decide to blow up ignorant neanderthals like you. Leave religion to the religious people. But no, I’m sure you’re related to the other fellow who drew muslim cartoons that caused trouble everywhere. You had no reason to bring up Jesus in a tech site but you’re stupid so I guess it doesn’t matter. Talking about more qualified, by the level of maturity you’ve shown here, you must be a toddler.
@Udimion, you don’t even deserve any of my time. If the guy above is ignorant, you are a single celled unevolved abomination.
Have a look at who wrote the article and apologise for your hate filled assumptions.
Idiot.
Fucking Idiot.
I’ve seen my mistake and I apologize if that’s what you meant. Of course you’d understand why I was miffed at bringing religion into a tech article. I thought you were just looking for trouble. So yeah, sorry.
Is that it? After that hate filled Rant?
You need to calm it down, even if i was referring to religion you have no right to be so vile and aggressive. I know this is the Internet but that behaviour is not justified on Gizmodo UK.
I’ll accept your apology but you need to keep a lid on that kind of behaviour as it wont be tolerated.
I have to agree with Spatchmo, your apology is a grudging shrug full of self justification compared to the abusive rant you posted earlier. Apologise properly or leave.
I have already apologized for goodness sake. There is nothing veiled or grudging about it. Anyone can talk shit from behind a computer. I made a mistake and I apologized. A hate filled rant? I wasn’t hating on anyone!I was trying to highlight the fact that it’s childish to disrespect other people’s faiths (even if I don’t have one) then I realized it wasn’t like I thought.
Anyone else could have hid behind a computer. I had the guts to say I’m sorry. Spatchmo has accepted. He’s the one I offended. The rest of the commmenters below can collectively suck my balls.
What hate filled rant??
“The rest of the commmenters below can collectively suck my balls.
What hate filled rant??”
Dig yourself in deeper why don’t you.
I’m going to shut up now.
And it’s people like you that go flying off the handle without understanding what is in front of your own face, is another reason why we cannot have world peace…
Or an edit button.
Think before you type, review before you submit. The GizmodoUK will be a happier place!
Bet you feel like a fool now. You come here and call one of the funniest and most respected commenter’s here an idiot (and then far worse), just because you don’t know one of the writers on the US site is called Jesus (pronounced Hey-sus by the way). Your Apology was, quite frankly insufficient. Rest assured this has been noted. Now man up and apologies to the Gentleman properly you prick.
Thank you, i’m humbled by your kind words and support!
I said nothing that was not true.
Wow, you clearly have issues but your response to Spatchmo is one of the most moronic diatribes that has ever had the misfortune to be recorded in the English language, and most likely ever. It is precisely posts like that which undermine the very essence of a commenter community such as the one which has graces Giz UK for over a year.
You call another commenter an idiot, an ignorant neanderthal, stupid, a toddler and the sole preventer of world peace, whilst also claiming he would be justifiably murdered all because of your own inability to read.
Even if you didn’t agree with him, why resort to personal attacks when he offered nothing against you other than to apparently insult your own insensitivities? And even if you must debase Giz and its commenter community with your inability to do anything other than attack the personality and intelligence of another unknown commenter, I find you’re inference that murdering him because of his views is any way justifiable utterly grotesque and vile.
p.s. so’s your face!
So’s your face
Read and understand before commenting. There is also no reason to offend someone because of religion if that was the case.
You believe in whatever and want to be respected, so why not reciprocate?
Also what Udimion, Alfred and Spatchmo said
I thought it looked just like the wormholes from Farscape.
” It actually looks like some kind of weird inter-dimensional portal.” – I claim this portal on behalf of the Resistance.
Apple saw it first.
Apple don’t have the technology to claim portals as it is Android only. Looks like Mr Jones got himself an #ingressinvite
they may not have the technology but they sure as hell have all the possible patents!!
am i the only one who first though it was some crappy “abstract” art from deviant art? or some generic operating system desktop background?
thought!! damn edit button
It’s a NEXUS (as seen in Star Trek Generations)
It’s a time hole…
Looks like the heaven that is a glass full of whiskey.
Its one of the old desktop backgrounds that came with the original imacs.
HOLLY:
There’s some sort of disruption to the time-fabric continuum. At least, I presume that’s what it is, it’s certainly got all the signs. There’s this big wibbly-wobbly swirly thing that’s headed straight towards us.