One of NASA's best images gets a stunning high-def remake

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, NASA's iconic "Pillars of Creation" photo has been recaptured in stunning detail. The Hubble Space Telescope has taken a new, larger, high definition image of the pillars, which was then combined with several other Hubble images to create the best look yet. Originally captured by Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 back in 1995, the "Pillars of Creation" depicts three gaseous clouds that stretch five light-years high. They're located in a small region of the Eagle Nebula, some 6,500 light-years away from Earth. "Stars are being born deep inside the pillars, which are made of cold hydrogen gas laced with dust," NASA explains. The new version is not only bigger, but more colorful as well, rendering oxygen, sulfur, and hydrogen in brilliant blues, oranges, and greens. "We coloured it that way not because it was pretty, but because it told you something about the physics," Arizona State University's Paul Scowen told New Scientist. "Although it was pretty."
Images courtesy hubblesite.com.

The original image, captured in 1995. Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, and J. Hester and P. Scowen (Arizona State University)
"The near-infrared light can penetrate much of the gas and dust, revealing stars behind the nebula as well as hidden away inside the pillars," says NASA. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
The new, enhanced version captured last year using Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)


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Comments

Gosh, I’m tiny.

By Nickerbocker on 01.06.15 10:05am

I’m nothing…

By Ricardo Dawkins on 01.06.15 10:09am

5 light years high… unbelievable.

I’M curious. Stars are born in there. Do they stay there then?

By TerionLanister on 01.06.15 10:21am

They’re FedExed to quadrant 8.

By whiskeylover on 01.06.15 10:33am

LOLOL!!

By I work out on 01.07.15 7:28pm

Essentially, yes, but the radiation pressure from the stars will gradually "blow away" the nebula over hundreds of millions of years.

By Tim Young on 01.29.15 10:55pm

Originally captured by Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 back in 1995
To celebrate its 25th anniversary

If I’m not mistaken it would be the 20th anniversary, right? Last time I checked I still was in 2015, not 2020 (maybe Andrew is a time traveller and mixed things up, I don’t know)

By Imerty on 01.06.15 10:13am

It’s the Hubble’s 25th anniversary.

By AFridge on 01.06.15 10:19am

You’re still in 2015?

By iamTylerDurden on 01.06.15 10:28am

Hubble launched in 1990.

By BZWingZero on 01.06.15 10:53am

I know, but a phrase like "PILLARS OF CREATION 25 YEARS LATER" is referring to the age of the photo, not Hubble.

By Imerty on 01.06.15 10:56am

Where is that phrase? I don’t see it. But I agree, the article is too ambiguous.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, NASA’s iconic "Pillars of Creation" photo has been recaptured in stunning detail.

It should really be:

To celebrate the Hubble’s 25th anniversary, NASA’s iconic "Pillars of Creation" photo has been recaptured in stunning detail.

By AFridge on 01.06.15 11:01am

The phrase was at the homepage when the article was still at the top of the page. But now it’s gone. It was that big orange headline they use to call attention and give more insight about what is written in the article.

By Imerty on 01.06.15 11:08am

thats what the government wants you to think man

By Saganist on 01.06.15 12:00pm

Too much lens flare/streaking, JJ.

By eadnams on 01.06.15 10:20am

I’m kinda liking the original photo more.. It feels more.. scary.

By tylersmyler on 01.06.15 10:26am

I see several cats in the old and new image.

By pboardman on 01.06.15 11:05am

I LOLed.

By Mazer on 01.06.15 1:14pm

Thanks for the new phone wallpaper.

By alphs on 01.06.15 11:05am

Awe- inspiring. The shot at it’s full size is even more so.

By voxnox on 01.06.15 11:39am

If you want the 5753 × 6000 version of it (and larger): http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2015/01/image/c/warn/

By KnightNZ on 01.06.15 6:00pm

there is oxygen in there? cool.

hey Elon make it happen!

By Hadi Farnoud on 01.07.15 6:31am

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