Hubble 25th Anniversary: Pillars of Creation
Explanation:
To
celebrate 25 years (1990-2015) of exploring the Universe from
low Earth orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope's cameras were
used to revisit its most iconic image.
The result is this sharper, wider view of the region dubbed the
Pillars of Creation, first imaged by Hubble in
1995.
Stars are forming deep inside the towering structures.
The light-years long columns of cold gas and dust are some
6,500 light-years
distant in M16, the Eagle Nebula, toward the
constellation Serpens.
Sculpted and eroded by the energetic ultraviolet light and
powerful winds from M16's cluster of young, massive stars,
the cosmic pillars themselves are destined for destruction.
But the turbulent environment of star formation within M16, whose
spectacular
details are captured in this Hubble visible-light
snapshot, is likely similar to the environment that formed our own Sun.
APOD Talk:
Friday, January 9 in
New York City
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
