Pillars of Creation
影像版權: J. Hester, P. Scowen (ASU), HST, NASA
Explanation:
It has become one of the most famous images of modern times. This image, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, shows evaporating gaseous globules (EGGs) emerging from pillars of molecular hydrogen gas and dust. The giant pillars are light years in length and are so dense that interior gas contracts gravitationally to form stars. At each pillars' end, the intense radiation of bright young stars causes low density material to boil away, leaving stellar nurseries of dense EGGs exposed. The Eagle Nebula, associated with the open star cluster M16, lies about 7000 light years away. The pillars of creation were imaged recently by the orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory, and it was found that most EGGS are not strong emitters of X-rays.
說明:
這可能是近年來最有名的影像之一了。在這張1995年哈伯太空望遠鏡的影像裡，可以看到許多"蒸發中的氣態雲球"(EGGs)正從巨大氫氣和塵埃柱的頂端露出來。這些巨大氣柱的長度有數光年，而且它們的密度非常高，內部已經發生重力塌縮，並開始形成新的恆星。位在每根氣柱上方的年輕亮星，發出熾熱且強烈的輻射，使氣柱內較低密度的物質蒸發掉，露出含有許多星蛋的恆星育嬰室。老鷹星雲與及和它關係很緊密的疏散星團--M16距離地球約有7000光年遠。 最近，錢卓X光望遠鏡也有對這個氣柱進行影像的觀測，並發現大多數的星蛋並沒有發射很強烈的X光。
資料來源: Scientific American
Department of Physics, NCKU
