Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexN
They stay in space so that we can image them! 
In all honesty, they do dissipate, they spread out until there is nothing left, but as Martin said, because we are SO far away, and they are SO large, their rather fast rate of expansion seems null...
I read somewhere (I think it was hubblesite) that the pillars of M16 actually do not exist anymore, we still see and image them, because the light we are receiving now left M16 1500yrs ago or there abouts... but in its current state, due to the continuous birth or stars in the area, the pillars apparently would have been blown away by stellar winds and the like... In 1500yrs time, we should see a flat, rather bland looking section of very faint red nebulosity where M16 used to be... Well.. We shouldn't... we'd be fairly decayed by then!  But future generations should be able to...
Alex. |
Actually, Alex, add about 4000ly to that distance (it's around 5500ly away), but other than that the reasoning is right.
Your 45th G-Grandson will probably image it's present condition
. Actually, your 2nd or 3rd G-Grandson will probably go there!!!!