I mentioned the double helix nebula in a post a couple of days ago: The Sky’s Too Jam-Packed These Days. Some of you weren’t familiar with it. In fact I didn’t know about it until a couple or three months ago. Here’s a bit more about it:
The double helix nebula:
The spots are infrared-luminous stars, mostly red giants and red supergiants. Many other stars are present in this region, but are too dim to appear even in this sensitive infrared image.
The double helix nebula is approximately 300 light-years from the enormous black hole at the center of the Milky Way. (The Earth is more than 25,000 light-years from the black hole at the galactic center.)
This false-color image was taken by the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS).
Date 15 March 2005(2005-03-15)
Source http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2305-sig06-004-Double-Helix-Nebula
That double-helix pattern in the gas is perpendicular to the galactic plane. It’s mainly interesting by what it implies. Problem is, nobody’s actually sure what it implies.
Aside from my humble self. And I’m not saying nuthun.
Old Jules
So Far From Heaven 
It’s a “purty” picture anyway! Christians might say that God has a sense of humor….driving the scientists CRAZY! Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving there! Jonathan.
Morning Jonathan. Thanks for the visit and read. Here’s wishing you a lot of gratitude. Gracias, Jules
Dear Jules I will tell you bout my fantasy theory: the nebula is the trace that our galaxy leaves when it passes though the black hole. All the materia is kind of sucked into the narrow passage that leads to the other side of the universe, and as the materia approaches it, it looks like a white hole. It must be pretty much what a baby in his mum’s womb might see when he comes out to the other side. The light at the end of a tunnel. Is our galaxy simply going trough it’s birth? I laugh at myself and keep on going in my fantastic wanderings while the universe is giving birth! Take care dear Jules 😀
Anita: Interesting construction. Gracias, Jules
The problem with looking at images of the galaxy is this. We see them in 2 dimensions and from only one perspective. So what is a double helix is optical coincidence and it makes for a great picture and lots of explanations that bear no resemblance to scientific reasoning. But nonetheless the picture is endlessly fascinating.
lenrosen: I agree with your low opinion of those who call themselves scientists, generally, but in this instance I think the ones who’ve studied the object might be on target. Naturally there’s also a possibility it’s a coincidence, as you’ve speculated, but speculation is speculation no matter who does it. Gracias, Jules
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and
sources returning to your weblog: http://sofarfromheaven.
com/2011/11/20/double-helix-nebula/. I’ll aslo make certain to give you the appropriate anchortext link using your webpage title: Double Helix Nebula | So Far From Heaven. Please let me know if this is okay with you. With thanks
If you can provide a link to an actual blog and not an advertising site, I’ll take a look and let you know. ~Jeanne