The Pillars of Creation — 1995 and 2015 comparison
This image compares two views of the Eagle Nebula’s Pillars of Creation taken with Hubble 20 years apart.
The new image, on the left, captures almost exactly the same region as in the 1995, on the right. However, the newer image uses Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, installed in 2009, to capture light from glowing oxygen, hydrogen, and sulphur with greater clarity.
Having both images allows astronomers to study how the structure of the pillars is changing over time.
Credit:WFC3: NASA, ESA/Hubble and the Hubble Heritage Team
WFPC2: NASA, ESA/Hubble, STScI, J. Hester and P. Scowen (Arizona State University)
About the Image
Id: | heic1501d |
Type: | Collage |
Release date: | 5 January 2015, 23:15 |
Related releases: | heic1501 |
Size: | 4320 x 2234 px |
About the Object
Name: | Eagle Nebula, M 16, Messier 16 |
Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Star Formation |
Distance: | 7000 light years |
Category: | Nebulae |
Image Formats
Large JPEG
2.7 MB
Publication TIFF 4K
15.0 MB
Publication JPEG
2.3 MB
Screensize JPEG
167.4 KB
Wallpapers
1024x768
285.1 KB
1280x1024
452.2 KB
1600x1200
654.9 KB
1920x1200
746.6 KB
2048x1536
1.1 MB
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Optical Oiii | 502 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
Optical Oiii |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 | |
Optical H-alpha | 657 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
Optical H-alpha |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 | |
Optical S ii | 673 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
Optical Sii |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |