Latest news with #PillarsofCreation
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
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.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Hubble Space Telescope Is 35: Don't Miss These 4 Dazzling Anniversary Images
The most famous telescope in history has reached a major milestone -- it's 35 years old. The Hubble Space Telescope launched on a grand scientific adventure to study the cosmos on April 24, 1990. NASA and the European Space Agency are pulling out all the stops for the telescope's 35th anniversary with the reveal of four stunning new space images. The celebratory views include Mars, two nebulas and a galaxy. The variety of targets shows off Hubble's versatility and ability to see not only into deep space, but also into our own solar system. NASA dropped a host of superlatives with words like "transformative," "evocative," "engaging" and "accessible" in its anniversary release statement. It's all true. Hubble's discoveries have been covered in over 22,000 papers, but its influence reaches far beyond science journals. It has shaped the public's view of our universe through groundbreaking images like the Pillars of Creation and the Hubble Deep Field. Check out the anniversary images. Earth may be humanity's favorite planet, but Mars is a close second. Hubble turned its gaze on the red planet at the end of 2024. The crisp views highlight the planet's northern polar cap at the beginning of the Martian spring. Gauzy clouds make Mars look like a frosty marble. A white dwarf star lingers at the center of planetary nebula NGC 2899. This is one of the cosmic objects you can let your imagination run wild with. It resembles a misshapen butterfly or a moth in flight. ESA suggested the pinched middle looks like a half-eaten doughnut. Gas and dust give the nebula its unique look. All this beauty traces to the tumultuous death of its central star. Hubble's look at the Rosette Nebula focuses on a small part of a much larger formation. The nebula is a place of active star formation. "Dark clouds of hydrogen gas laced with dust are silhouetted across the image," ESA said. "The clouds are being eroded and shaped by the seething radiation from the cluster of larger stars in the center of the nebula." NGC 5335 is a barred spiral galaxy like our Milky Way. Hubble's image shows the distinctive bar across the middle of NGC 5335. "The bar channels gas inwards toward the galactic center, fueling star formation," said ESA. "Such bars are dynamic in galaxies and may come and go over two-billion-year intervals." Hubble orbits Earth. Space is a tough place to live. The telescope's designers planned to get 15 years of use out of it, but Hubble handily outlasted that goal. Hubble's longevity hasn't been easy. The telescope has weathered an array of technical problems over the years. NASA dispatched five space shuttle servicing missions to Hubble, with the last in 2009. There are no more space shuttles in operation, so the Hubble team handles all fixes from afar. That has meant some big changes to Hubble's operations, particularly with the gyroscopes that help point it in the right direction. The Hubble team has had to get creative, but they've kept the aging observatory up and running and delivering fresh science and imagery. Every Hubble anniversary feels like a triumph for the elderly space telescope. It may have a few more anniversaries left in it. NASA hopes it will continue operations into the 2030s. Long live Hubble.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Colorful Eagle Nebula glows in stunning new image from Hubble Telescope
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A breathtaking new image of the famous Eagle Nebula captures a towering pillar of gas and dust sculpted by intense stellar radiation. The Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16, is located about 6,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Serpens. It is a well-known stellar nursery with vast swaths of cosmic dust and gas from which new stars are born. The nebula is famously known for the iconic "Pillars of Creation" image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995. A new image taken by the space telescope showcases a lesser-known pillar within the Eagle Nebula, revealing its complex textures and the effects of intense ultraviolet radiation from baby stars sculpting the surrounding gas and dust, according to a statement from the European Space Agency. "Unfurling along the length of the image is a pillar of cold gas and dust that is 9.5 light-years tall," ESA officials said in the statement. "As enormous as this dusty pillar is, it's just one small piece of the greater Eagle Nebula." The recent Hubble image was created using new data processing techniques developed since Hubble last studied this region in 2005. Astronomers are revisiting exciting Hubble targets like the Eagle Nebula in honor of the space telescope's upcoming 35th anniversary this week. The Eagle Nebula is shaped by dense clouds of gas and dust that create a silhouette resembling an eagle with outstretched wings. A cluster of young stars lies outside the frame of this new Hubble image, but has impacted the formation of nearby cosmic structures. Denser gas regions are more resistant to radiation and stellar winds from young stars, allowing them to remain as dusty sculptures, like this newly imaged star-forming pillar. "The Eagle Nebula is one of many nebulas in the Milky Way that are known for their sculpted, dusty clouds," ESA officials said in the statement. "Nebulas take on these fantastic shapes when exposed to powerful radiation and winds from infant stars."
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Space picture of the day for April 18, 2025
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Hubble Space Telescope has re-imaged the Eagle Nebula, 20 years after it did so to mark 15 years of service. This time, astronomers have used new processing techniques to draw out additional details in celebration of the telescope's upcoming 35th anniversary. A cosmic cloud of cold hydrogen gas, this towering pillar is part of the Eagle Nebula. It is here where new stars are born among the collapsing clouds. "Hot, energetic and formed in great numbers, the stars unleash an onslaught of ultraviolet light and stellar winds that sculpt the gas clouds around them. This produces fantastical shapes like the narrow pillar with blossoming head that we see here," reads a caption for the image prepared by the Hubble Space Telescope team. The thick and opaque material in the pillar is outlined by the glow of more distant gas behind it. The blue colors in the background are from ionized oxygen; the red lower down is glowing hydrogen. Orange indicates starlight peeking through the dust: bluer wavelengths are blocked by dust, leaving only the redder light to shine through. This 9.5-light-year-tall (or about 90 trillion kilometers) pillar is just a small section of the Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16. This tower of gas and dust is located near the iconic "Pillars of Creation" revealed by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 and 2015. The Eagle Nebula is one of many nebulae in the Milky Way, located about 5,700 light-years from Earth. This image is part of a series of observations being made to mark 35 years of observations for the Hubble Space Telescope. Deployed into orbit by the space shuttle Discovery in April 1990, the orbiting observatory became famous for its ability to be repaired and upgraded by astronauts, enabling stunning views of our universe like this one. You and see and read more about another Hubble Space Telescope 35th anniversary image, this one of the Sombrero Galaxy. You can also read more about the Eagle Nebula and what the same area looks like in the infrared.
