Mind-blowing Hubble is back [image-heavy]

[Frida Space]

... I don't think I need to add anything else. Just enjoy.

[notsosmart]

That's.... just... wow. Thanks for sharing.

[Streetwind]

2015 is Hubble's 25th anniversary. Better expect a few more of these to be released, they probably stockpiled a stack of the best ones just for this occasion

[MartGonzo]

Breathtaking!

[AngelLestat]

beautiful, it does not said any other detail about the picture?

Sky coordinates, or exposure time, magnitud, etc?

[Scotius]

It is above all words. Compared to the glory of Universe, we are mere microbes crawling in the mud.

[Frida Space]

beautiful, it does not said any other detail about the picture?

Sky coordinates, or exposure time, magnitud, etc?

Sure. It's the famous Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula (M16). Hubble famously photographed them back in 1995. More technical info:

Position (J2000): R.A. 18h 18m 51.06s Dec. -13° 49' 51.11"

Constellation: Serpens

Distance: 6,500 light-years (2,000 parsecs)

Exposure Date: September 2014

Instruments and Filters: WFC3/UVIS: F502N ([O III]), F657N (H-alpha + [N II]), and F673N ([s II])

WFC3/IR: F110W (YJ) and F160W (H)

Exposure Times: WFC3/UVIS: 30.5 hours

WFC3/IR: 22.4 hours

[Drunken Hobo]

I believe the pillars in that photo are about 5 light-years tall. In the full resolution picture, they're 1170 pixels tall.

That means that each pixel covers over 8 times the maximum distance between Earth and Neptune. Even the distance to Sedna at aphelion would only cover 3.5 pixels. And that is only a tiny snapshot of the whole nebula:

Feeling small yet?

[Frida Space]

Wow, that's cool​ cool.

[AngelLestat]

Thanks both, yeah I remember that second picture..

Using a magsail to decelerate there will take few months, from light speed to chemical propulsion speeds.

Edited January 6, 2015 by AngelLestat

[lajoswinkler]

These photos (false color IR and enhanched visible) are very cool, but it's important to use a cold shower - the nebula doesn't look like that do a human eye. Using our vision, nebulas are usually so dim they're invisible, and already pale, featureless, ghastly puffs or blobs.

The closer you are to them, the less visible they are because they're so incredibly large. From far away and using technology we see them as something opaque and colorful. In reality, you couldn't even see you're in one. They are that big and better than any vacuum we can produce on Earth.

Space isn't that nice.

[Motokid600]

These photos (false color IR and enhanched visible) are very cool, but it's important to use a cold shower - the nebula doesn't look like that do a human eye. Using our vision, nebulas are usually so dim they're invisible, and already pale, featureless, ghastly puffs or blobs.

The closer you are to them, the less visible they are because they're so incredibly large. From far away and using technology we see them as something opaque and colorful. In reality, you couldn't even see you're in one. They are that big and better than any vacuum we can produce on Earth.

Space isn't that nice.

You'd be surprised as to what the human eye CAN see with the right equipment however. Yea the Orion nebula is something like 4 light years across so as you got closer to it in your spaceship of the imagination it would grow dimmer and more diffused and soon disappear entirely. That being said.. you can pick up color. On on a good night I can visualize the green hue of the nebulae through my 11"CPC. Other then that.. maybe you can pick up some blues here and there, but mostly that's about it. Don't forget the human eye goes through a chemical reation after 20 minutes in the dark that increases your night vision which makes seeing little detail much better.

[RainDreamer]

Well, the grass is always greener on the other side. In this case, the nebula is prettier that many light years away.

[lajoswinkler]

You'd be surprised as to what the human eye CAN see with the right equipment however. Yea the Orion nebula is something like 4 light years across so as you got closer to it in your spaceship of the imagination it would grow dimmer and more diffused and soon disappear entirely. That being said.. you can pick up color. On on a good night I can visualize the green hue of the nebulae through my 11"CPC. Other then that.. maybe you can pick up some blues here and there, but mostly that's about it. Don't forget the human eye goes through a chemical reation after 20 minutes in the dark that increases your night vision which makes seeing little detail much better.

I'm well aware of how telescopes work, and retinas, too. As I've said, with out own pair of eyes, nebulas are boring. Considering their images are what people think of space, space really mostly looks boring.

[Bill Phil]

2015 is Hubble's 25th anniversary. Better expect a few more of these to be released, they probably stockpiled a stack of the best ones just for this occasion

Say good bye to Hubble soon. It's nearing the end of its legal lifetime...

[Streetwind]

Yes, but before its orbit decays to the point of failure, we should have the James Webb Space Telescope up and running. It isn't as versatile as Hubble is - only IR band - but it will be situated in a much better spot, carry its own sun shield to improve contrast, and have way larger optics (not to mention electronics that are two decades advanced).

JWST should be able to take pictures that make Hubble's look like they were produced by an old cellphone cam...

Just gotta hope they don't have even more delays. The project is well behind schedule and even more synonymous with "cost overruns" as Hubble itself, and it was all but cancelled once already. It just barely made it through, and now they're finally starting with practice runs for the assembly... if all goes well, it will launch in 2018. NASA booked an European Ariane 5 ECA for the job.