February 8, 2013
With the northeastern portion of the US bracing for a blizzard today, we will be hearing a lot about what causes these major storms. In a nutshell, blizzards occur when a warm front collides with a cold front, creating an area of low pressure where winds spiral toward the center.
Image Credit: www.noaa.gov
But did you know that there are pressure fronts in space as well? For example, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered what astronomers dubbed a "cold front" in a galaxy cluster known as Abell 2142. While this didn't cause a cosmic blizzard, it has created a rather spectacular object for astronomers to study.
Image Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO
Can you think of pressure fronts in other settings and on different scales? If so, let us know.
-Megan Watzke, Chandra/HTE
"Here, There, & Everywhere" (HTE) is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under grant NNX11AH28G issued through the Science Mission Directorate.
HTE was developed by the Chandra X-ray Center, at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, in Cambridge, MA.
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