'Pillars of Creation' Revisited

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markc
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Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:50 am

'Pillars of Creation' Revisited

Post by markc »

Ok, so here's the second topic I've been meaning to post forever! :lol:

If you were following the Hubble program back in the mid-90s, you'll probably remember an iconic photo that was dubbed the "Pillars of Creation" : A star-forming region under intense radiation pressure from nearby young stars. Picture the formations of Bryce Canyon, and imagine that its columns (protected by a capstone of harder rock) are replaced by knots of cold gas around a star that is yet-to-be. The erosive effects of wind & rain are kinda/sorta analogous to the stellar winds of the young stars.

In celebration/anticipation of Hubble's 25th anniversary in April 2015, the telescope revisited the Pillars, at a much higher resolution than before. Here's a thumbnail:

Image

But for the really good stuff, go check out these sites:

Medium resolution photo

Press Release

Access to hi-def images

Totally cool!

MarkC
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