The email said that these pictures, "illustrate that our universe is not only deeply strange, but also almost impossibly beautiful." -- Michael Hanlon/AH (Nov 25th, 2006)
As I looked at the photos, I was pretty amazed to say the least. I started to think, "who am I, to think that I am anybody!" I am very small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things! However, I was also reminded of the fact that I have a God who thinks that I AM important! So important, in fact, that he sent his one and only son to die for me! Amazing
Not only did he do that, but he created this AMAZING universe that we only catch a GLIMPSE of through these photos. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get that strange feeling in my stomach when I try to think about the universe, infinity, and how God has been around forever... there is no beginning and end to God's existence. As a human, my mind just CANNOT get around the idea of something not having a beginning and end. I guess that is what faith is all about. I think seeing these photos is a good way to keep me humble! Anyhow, I thought these photos below were pretty stinking amazing. I basically pasted the entire website below... so enjoy!
The Sombrero Galaxy - 28 million light years from Earth - was voted best picture taken by the Hubble telescope. The dimensions of the galaxy, officially called M104, are as spectacular as its appearance. It has 800 billion suns and is 50,000 light years across
The Ant Nebula, a cloud of dust and gas whose technical name is Mz3, resembles an ant when observed using ground-based telescopes. The nebula lies within our galaxy between 3,000 and 6,000 light years from Earth
In third place is Nebula NGC 2392, called Eskimo because it looks like a face surrounded by a furry hood. The hood is, in fact, a ring of comet-shaped objects flying away from a dying star. Eskimo is 5,000 light years from Earth
At four is the Cat's Eye Nebula, which looks like the eye of disembodied sorcerer Sauron from Lord of the Rings
The Hourglass Nebula, 8,000 light years away, has a pinched-in-the-middle look because the winds that shape it are weaker at the centre
In sixth place is the Cone Nebula. The part pictured here is 2.5 light years in length (the equivalent of 23 million return trips to the Moon)
The Perfect Storm, a small region in the Swan Nebula, 5,500 light years away, described as 'a bubbly ocean of hydrogen and small amounts of oxygen, sulphur and other elements'
Starry Night, so named because it reminded astronomers of the Van Gogh painting. It is a halo of light around a star in the Milky Way
The glowering eyes from 114 million light years away are the swirling cores of two merging galaxies called NGC 2207 and IC 2163 in the distant Canis Major constellation
The Trifid Nebula. A 'stellar nursery', 9,000 light years from here, it is where new stars are being born
2 comments:
That is WICKED cool!!
Some of those things look like they were painted... it's crazy. I don't think anyone on this planet can really fathom what it means to be even a single light year away or 50,000 light years in diameter. It's such an insanely large distance!
I hope God will show us how he did it when we're all chillin' in heaven!
Amazing pictures. God, who makes sunrises, reveals His character in his creation. What must he be like, that he made these things on the outer edges of outer edges so intricate, vast, and beautiful. He must have had a blast with the whole thing. We can certainly see the joy of the Creator in the majesty of his creation. Thanks for the pics.
Dan
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