nebulae
It is meteor shower season and summer skies are ablaze in their glory — where it’s clear of thunderstorms, that is.
The final infinite frontier of space has captured the imagination of humanity since the days of prehistory. It seems the more we learn about the universe, the more we realize just how little we actually understand it.
From black holes to giant stars to distant planets, there are innumerable celestial objects out there for us to study, probe, and marvel at. Certainly, the most visually beautiful and awe-inspiring of all, are nebulae.
Usually consisting of gasses and stardust dispersed by ancient explosions and implosions of stars. Known as supernovas — nebulae when viewed through telescopes — take the form of heavenly celestial paint splashed across the deep, dark canvas of space.
Nebulae exist in the space between the stars — also known as interstellar space. The closest known nebula to Earth is called the Helix Nebula. It is the remnant of a dying star — possibly one like the Sun.
It is approximately 700 light-years away from Earth. That means even if we travel at the speed of light, it would still take us 700 years to get there!
Maybe it’s what makes us dream more and bigger — so bright and yet so distant, these vast giants blow our imagination away. We look up at the heavens to keep all hope alive.
*For more information about nebulae, check out “The Hubble Legacy: 30 Years of Discoveries and Image”, by Jim Bell and “Planetary Nebulae and How to Observe Them (Astronomers’ Observing Guides)”, by Martin Griffiths.
Originally published at http://woaworld.blogspot.com.
