Hubble spots ‘space jellyfish,’ cosmic blobs

[thefinalfrontier]

14-Dec-2009: A collection of 30 never-before-released images of embryonic planetary systems in the Orion Nebula are the highlight of the longest single Hubble Space Telescope project ever dedicated to the topic of star and planet formation. Also known as proplyds, or protoplanetary discs, these modest blobs surrounding baby stars are shedding light on the mechanism behind planet formation.Only the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, with its high resolution and sensitivity, can take such detailed pictures of circumstellar discs at optical wavelengths.

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Some amazing photos,

[Rhungobains]

Hubble's images are always amazing. Thanks for posting.

[schizoidwoman]

They are stunning, thanks.

[Still Waters]

Fascinating images, thanks TFF

[+susieice]

Beautiful as always. Thanks for posting TFF

[behaviour???]

An odd array of 30 newly released images from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal planetary systems in the making.

The blobs and smudges, as astronomers described them, sit in the widely photographed Orion Nebula. Each object is known as a proplyds, or protoplanetary discs, and could be forming planets as you read this.

Among the images is one astronomers called a "space jellyfish." Its odd shape is created by shock waves that form when a wind of particles from a nearby massive star collides with the material of the proplyd.

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Thanks

B???

[thefinalfrontier]

Already posted B???

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=171043

Edited December 15, 2009 by thefinalfrontier

[SameerPrehistorica]

Ive always liked the Nebula pictures...

[Oberon Delta]

Already posted B???

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=171043

That was disppointing!!! I thought for a minute they found something akin to a life form out in space.

[:PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR:]

Space is certainly like the stereotypical lady in the red dress. Captivating, yet mysterious.

[+DieChecker]

I always find it amazing that Hubble can see these structures so far away, but can not see the Lander or Rover left behind on the Moon.

[gozap]

Interesting pictures as always but when will the next generation of space telescopes come and how many new things will these reveal ? O_o

[TrueLiez]

Intresting! but how many lightyears is it away from us? maybe the debris has already formed into planets. pls say if im wrong

[The Silver Thong]

I'm quit glad they kept it working. Awesome pics. Man we need to discover how to travel faster than light lol

[brlesq1]

Beautiful. Thanks, B???

[thefinalfrontier]

And even more stunning photos from Hubble,

Incredible New Hubble Image is Full of Stars!

A brand new Hubble image from Wide Field Camera 3 shows the most detailed view of the largest stellar nursery in our local galactic neighborhood. The massive, young stellar grouping, called R136, is only a few million years old and resides in the 30 Doradus Nebula, a turbulent star-birth region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. There is no known star-forming region in our galaxy as large or as prolific as 30 Doradus. Many of the diamond-like icy blue stars are among the most massive stars known. Several of them are over 100 times more massive than our Sun. In a few million years, this region should provide an incredible show: that's when these hefty stars are destined to pop off like a string of firecrackers, as supernovas.

The image, taken in ultraviolet, visible, and red light by Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3, spans about 100 light-years. The nebula is close enough to Earth that Hubble can resolve individual stars, giving astronomers important information about the birth and evolution of stars in the universe. The Hubble observations were taken Oct. 20-27, 2009. The blue color is light from the hottest, most massive stars; the green from the glow of oxygen; and the red from fluorescing hydrogen,

The LMC is located 170,000 light-years away and is a member of the Local Group of Galaxies, which also includes the Milky Way

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