DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

NASA Reshoots Iconic Image 20 Years Later. Releases Hubble’s Largest Image Ever of Andromeda.

Jan 6, 2015 by Liron Samuels 2 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

New view of the Pillars of Creation — visible

NASA, ESA/Hubble and the Hubble Heritage Team

Twenty years ago NASA released an image which blew minds all over the world. Still regarded as one of the most popular space images to have been beamed to Earth, Pillars of Creation has recently been re-captured using Hubble’s latest imaging technology.

Astronomers and astrophotographers are over the moon about another incredible image captured by NASA/European Space Agency’s Hubble Space Telescope. The 1.5 billion pixel image, the largest ever released by Hubble, shows over 100 million stars.

Celebrating its 25th year in orbit, Hubble revisited the Eagle Nebula, aka M16, and created an even more astounding image of the star-forming site. Hard to believe, isn’t it?

The image was created using visible light, as was the original image from 1995, and required a total exposure time of 30.5 hours!

The differences between the two photos can clearly be seen in this side-by-side comparison:

The Pillars of Creation — 1995 and 2015 comparison

NASA, ESA/Hubble and the Hubble Heritage Team / NASA, ESA/Hubble, STScI, J. Hester and P. Scowen (Arizona State University)

Paul Scowen of Arizona State University, who led the 1995 observations of the Eagle Nebula along with astronomer Jeff Hestler, explains that despite the original photo’s name, there’s actually quite a bit of destruction going on as well:

“Although the original image was dubbed the Pillars of Creation, the new image hints that they are also pillars of destruction. “I’m impressed by how transitory these structures are. They are actively being ablated away before our very eyes. The ghostly bluish haze around the dense edges of the pillars is material getting heated up and evaporating away into space. We have caught these pillars at a very unique and short-lived moment in their evolution.”

Just like a photographer tries getting several variations of a successful scene, the Hubble took another image of the gas-clouds and cosmic-dust pillars. Smart move, considering the nebula is 6,500 light-years away. Instead of trying a different angle or shutter speed, Hubble went for a photo taken in infrared light. Needless to say the resulting image is absolutely fascinating, as you can see below:

New view of the Pillars of Creation — infrared

NASA, ESA/Hubble and the Hubble Heritage Team

Unlike the visible-light photo, the infrared version required “only” 22.4 hours of exposure.

Both photos, obviously composites of many exposures, were taken during September 2014 using Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). This camera was installed in 2009 and replaced the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2).

For your viewing pleasure, I present you with a visible-light/infrared comparison:

The Pillars of Creation — visible and infrared comparison

NASA, ESA/Hubble and the Hubble Heritage Team

Not resting on their laurels, NASA/ESA released yesterday another remarkable image and this one is a record-breaker. Boasting 1.5 billion(!) pixels, this photo of Andromeda (M31) is the largest ever released by Hubble.

Although the photo covers only a third or so of the galaxy, it shows 100 million stars and NASA says one would need over 600 HDTVs in order to display the entire image.

Sharpest ever view of the Andromeda Galaxy

NASA, ESA, J. Dalcanton (University of Washington, USA), B. F. Williams (University of Washington, USA), L. C. Johnson (University of Washington, USA), the PHAT team, and R. Gendler.

Comprising of 7,398 exposures taken over 411 individual pointings, according to NASA, the space agency shares further details regarding this panorama:

“The panorama is the product of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) program. Images were obtained from viewing the galaxy in near-ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths, using the Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Wide Field Camera 3 aboard Hubble. This cropped view shows a 48,000-light-year-long stretch of the galaxy in its natural visible-light color, as photographed with Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys in red and blue filters.”

A zoomable version of the photo is available, showing what makes this the sharpest photo ever taken of Andromeda, as well as a fullsize 4.3GB file for download.

I’d say it’s pretty safe to assume most of us will never get the chance to photograph in space, but check out this tutorial if you’d like to learn how to photograph the Milky Way from down here on Earth.

[via Colossal and NASA]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Woman from iconic 9/11 photo hires the same photographer to capture her wedding 17 years later This is how NASA’s iconic Earthrise photo was shot 50 years ago Two years later, Yongnuo finally releases the 85mm f/1.8 AF lens for Nikon F Mount NASA releases new and improved image of stunning Veil Nebula

Filed Under: news Tagged With: Andromeda, Eagle Nebula, ESA, European Space Agency, Hubble, M16, M31, NASA, space

Liron Samuels: from diyphotography.net

About Liron Samuels

Liron Samuels is a wildlife and commercial photographer based in Israel.

When he isn't waking up at 4am to take photos of nature, he stays awake until 4am taking photos of the night skies or time lapses.

You can see more of his work on his website or follow him on Facebook.

« Mirrorless Photojournalists Rejoice – Fuji Announces An XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR Lens
Arizona Real Estate Photographer Is First To Be Approved By FAA To Use Drones For Aerial Photography »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Here’s a bullet time video booth you can build yourself
  • Ricoh has discontinued the HD PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited silver lens
  • This “stellar flower” unravels the twilight’s evolution in 360 degrees
  • Strobes vs Continuous LEDs – Which is right for you?
  • Wave goodbye to Apple’s My Photo Stream next month

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy