Photography: Hubble Photographs

The Orion Nebula

Hubble Telescopes’ Most Fantastic Photographs

Source: Hubble Site

Dubbed the Orion Nebula, this particular nebula is among the brightest in our night sky and one of the most widely studied nebula in the history of the science. Situated near Orion’s Belt constellation (where it is visible to the naked eye as the middle star in Orion’s sword), the Orion Nebula is home to thousands of stars, all in various stages of life. It has been speculated that human civilizations as early as the Mayans were aware of the nebula and included it in their myths.

The Eagle Nebula
Source: Hubble Site

Discovered over the course of the years 1745 and 1746 by French astronomer Philippe de Cheseaux, the Eagle Nebula pictured here is part of the Pillars of Creation that was first photographed by the Hubble telescope in 1995. Some scientists have speculated that the nebula may, in fact, no longer have its distinctive shape thanks to a 2007 supernova explosion in its vicinity. However, no one is sure what shape the nebula may have taken due to the time it takes for the light to reach our planet

Carina Nebula
Source: Hubble Site

Found in the sky of Earth’s southern hemisphere, the Carina Nebula is another of the largest and most visible objects in the night sky. Located within the Carina constellation and in our own Milky Way galaxy, the nebula holds the distinction of being home to two of the most massive starts in our galaxy. The portion of the nebula pictured above is but a small part of the overall nebula which is, in fact, larger than the more popular Orion Nebula.

A Supernova Explosion
Source: NASA

This particular image stands apart from the rest in that it is not a nebula, but the result of a supernova explosion that would have occurred nearly 7,000 years ago. Despite the age of the explosion and the resulting gaseous debris that form this cloud, the explosion would have been visible as the brightest star in the night sky in the year 1006 A.D. The cloud, which is ever expanding, can be found as a part of the Lupus constellation.

The Cone Nebula
Source: Hubble Site

Darker and a bit more foreboding then some other nebula, the Cone Nebula is in fact part of larger cluster of nebula (called the Christmas Tree Cluster) and a star forming body like other nebula in the night sky. The Cone Nebula lies within the Monoceros constellation and can be viewed in the night sky near the planet Betelgeuse. The nebula is also called the Jesus Christ Nebula by some for its resemblance to a praying man.

Be a Fan