Quote:
Originally Posted by multiweb
I was playing with SkySafari on my iPod and in the description for the eagle nebula there's a HST shot of it and a quick blurb about the pillars having been blown apart by a super nova already, further saying that we will only see their new shape in approx. 1000 years. Is this true? I understand the light travels at a finite speed so we'll see the real picture later but how do they know the nova already exploded? Apparently found out in 2007 with the spitzer space telescope.
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A quick search pulled up one analysis that said it could be a million years before the shockwave reaches the pillars. Somehow I don't think I need worry they'll disappear in my lifetime.
Andrew