NASA releases high-definition photo of 'Pillars of Creation'

[Recursion]

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/2015/01/06/nasa-hubble-images/21343617/

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope released a larger, high-resolution version of its iconic 1995 image known as the "Pillars of Creation."

The new image, which is a composite of several shots, was taken with Hubble's versatile and sharp-eyed Wide Field Camera 3 and celebrates Hubble's upcoming 25th anniversary in April, according to NASA.

The image captures a portion of the young star cluster called Eagle Nebula, which is 6,500 light-years from Earth. Stars are being created in the three gaseous pillars.

Astronomers shot the same region with near-infrared light, which allows the viewer to see through the gas and dust to the stars within the pillars.

[niyad]

1. off to greatest with this beautiful image. thank you for sharing.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. A star nursery...how gorgeous.

ty for this.

[Control-Z]

3. Wow!

Beautiful! And I'm viewing from my phone. I can't wait to take a look on a large screen.

Thank you for posting!!

[Lynx]

4. I see 4 living creatures

A tiger, something with the body of a llama and the head of a fish, a black and white dog on top of a white dog. All but the white dog are gazing in wonder at the same unseen object.

[adirondacker]

9. I see the ghosts of Christmas past descending on Dick Cheney. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Nice

[Johnny Rash]

6. Simply, spectacular! Thanks!

[Ptah]

7. Here's a larger version.

[santamargarita]

8. Wow!

[NancyDL]

10. Wow!

Thank you!

[sakabatou]

11. I like the original better (imo)

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. Imagine the gravity wells in there.

[Vietnameravet]

13. any figures on the size of this?

[Recursion]

14. On the order of dozens of light years tall

So, pretty big