Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, J. Hester and P. Scowen (Arizona State University)
In honour of Mother's everywhere, I've chosen this picture of a stellar nursery. It's a famous Hubble Space Telescope picture of the "Eagle Nebula". Stars are being created here inside these columns of dust and gas. Deep inside these columns are denser globular-shaped regions where the stars are coalescing and coming to life. When a star does this it blows away the surronding dust cloud and reveals itself to the universe. Awww. Isn't that cute. Baby took his first steps!
The tallest pillar in this photo is about four light-years from its base to its tip. This is just a portion of the Eagle Nebula!
I'm excited about getting my telescope out again this summer when I see more of this type of nebula (albeit not in as much detail as hubble). Beginner stargazers are first confused and then impressed and amazed at what these faint fuzzy objects really are. This is the creation of many solar systems and we are seeing this process as a group of the priviledged few in human history. Only a few hundred years ago there were no telescopes looking into the sky and no one saw a nebula. When grandpa was born we didn't really know what these objects really were (but we were beginning to figure it out). Today we are starting to understand the processes which drive the birth of stars. We are fortunate to be able to see these majestic objects and comprehend their role in the galaxy. It's the reason I do this.
Happy Mother's Day and don't forget to look up!
Comments