IS IT astronomy or is it art? The boundaries between the two merge with the Powerhouse Museum's new exhibition, From Earth to the Universe, opening to the public today.
The exhibition, said Nick Lomb, curator of the museum's Sydney Observatory, includes "a selection of best astronomy photos ever taken" by orbiting and terrestrial telescopes, including observatories in Australia.
Among 35 "large format" images is a new view of Centaurus A, a galaxy about 14 million light years away, which is believed to be home to a black hole 50 million times more massive than our sun. The image was created by Dr Ilana Feain, from the CSIRO's Australian National Telescope Facility, an array of radio telescopes that includes the famed Parkes "dish".
The pictures, said Dr Lomb, "are both informative, telling us about the universe in which we live, and have a very great beauty. We can see what great spectacles there are in nature. That is something we forget, living in cities. These images confirm that beauty, and show us what is out there in the universe."
There are pictures of exploding stars, colliding galaxies and a panorama of our Milky Way galaxy, which is projected across a wall. The exhibition is open until mid-July.
