For those of you (family AND friends) who wonder what I do sometimes, this picture is where I spent some of my time the past few days. It’s an image of wakes created by supersonic-speed “bullets” of gas boring through a starbirth region in the Orion Nebula. It was taken at Gemini Observatory North on Mauna Kea in Hawai’i, using a laser guide star-equipped adaptive optics system to help remove the effects of atmospheric turbulence. (You can read more about this system here.)

I work with Gemini Observatory as a writer and I am the associate editor for their twice-a-year GeminiFocus magazine. When their public affairs office sent me this image last week, I started immediately working on some language for a press release, along with Peter Michaud (their Public Affairs Officer). It was a whirlwind of activity, involving the two of us, several scientists, and astronomerTravis Rector (University of Alaska at Fairbanks), who did the major work on the image. We worked on the language over the weekend and went through several iterations of the language. Finally the directors of the observatory gave their blessing on the version you can see here.

For me, the project entailed doing a little bit of a literature search to see just when these “bullets” were first discovered (1983, defined in 1992), and then figuring out how much of the science background was relevant to put in the story. Peter and I swapped several versions via email and chat, then sent the story on to one of the scientists (Tom Geballe) for a sanity check. Another scientist, Michael Burton of the University of New South Wales in Australia, had done some work on the bullets a few years back, and his advice was also thrown into the mix. In addition, we had Gemini astronomer Scott Fisher and Jean-Rene Roy, Deputy Director and Head of Science, look it over as well. (It’s always best to have as many eyes as possible look these things over before they go out.) By late yesterday (Wednesday, March 21), we had a version we could all live with. It went to the webmaster in Hilo, who posted the final version late last night.

It’s a lot of fun to work with these stories “behind the scenes” and talk with the people who are doing the research in the areas the Gemini images cover. Hope you enjoy the image and story!