Pune teen captures 7,000-year-old cosmic light in space; pic goes viral. Who is Prathamesh Jaju?
A passionate astronomer and photographer's breathtakingly beautiful photograph of the '
Pillars of Creation
'—three colossal, towering structures composed of gas and dust, mainly hydrogen, helium, and traces of heavier elements, rising like cosmic sculptures within the vastness of space—has taken the Internet by storm.
The photographer, named
Prathamesh Jaju
, shared the astoundingly lovely picture on the space subreddit. Within moments, the picture went viral, gaining over 33K likes.
What Are The Pillars Of Creation?
The Pillars of Creation are majestic formations of interstellar gas and dust nestled within the
Eagle Nebula
, situated approximately 7,000 light-years from Earth. Located in the Serpens constellation, these towering columns serve as cosmic nurseries where new stars are born. But here's the fascinating part—because they are so far away, the light we see from them today actually began its journey toward Earth 7,000 years ago.
This means we are not witnessing the pillars as they currently are, but rather as they appeared millennia ago. At the speed of light, it would take a human 7,000 years just to reach them, making direct exploration impossible with current technology. Scientists believe that the Pillars may have already dissipated, possibly destroyed by a nearby supernova, but their ghostly image lingers in our skies due to the time it takes for their light to reach us.
It's a breathtaking reminder that when we gaze into the depths of space, we're essentially looking back in time—observing celestial history frozen in light. Mind-boggling, indeed.
Who Is Prathamesh Jaju?
Prathamesh Jaju is an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer from Pune, India. He began practicing
astrophotography
in 2018, at just 13 years old, driven by a deep fascination with the night sky. His uncle recognized this growing passion and gifted them a Skywatcher 150P telescope paired with an EQ3-2 mount. Since then, he has spent years capturing stunning images of the night sky and various celestial objects, steadily honing their skills and deepening their connection with the cosmos.
As per his LinkedIn profile, he is an alumnus of the Savitribai Phule Pune University.
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