3/9/2004: New Hubble deep field
 

http://cellar.org/2004/hubbledeep2a.jpg

Today they released a new Hubble deep field image, and thanks to Archer for suggesting it although (heh heh) I was already busy downloading the 11MB 6200x6200 TIFF version that NASA made available.

This is the Hubble taking roughly two weeks, looking out at one specific point in space, taking an "extended exposure" of sorts to see what comes out. And this is what comes out: light from the furthest point in space, thousands of galaxies, each containing hundreds of thousands of stars.

Now, see -- look, in the upper-left of that image, there are four galaxies in a row, orange, green, blue, and red?

I "zoomed in" on those, to create the image below, to see how all those dots around them are just MORE galaxies.

http://cellar.org/2004/hubbledeep2b.jpg

There has *got* to be other life out there. I mean, *look* how many of those fuckers there are in just one small region of space, and how many stars, and therefore probable planetary systems there are.

What is the distance (i.e., how far back in time) involved with these galaxies? They are so incredibly varied in shap, size and spectra...just mind-boggling.

HOLY SHIT

Break out the theramin!

And NASA wants to abandon the Hubble...

I really enjoy all the other stuff NASA does, but the Hubble is the best thing they have got going.

http://www.savethehubble.org/petition.jsp

As the late, great, Carl Sagan would say

Billions and Billions

There are more galaxies out there than there are grains of sand on all the beaches of the world

Griff! You maka me laugh out loud.

And even in just OUR galaxy, there are more stars than you can shake a stick at. I'd say it's just about a lock that there is life out there.

Damn light speed.

Don't quote me on this but I heard them talking about this today, not sure what area they were discussing, but I heard a Trillion galaxies each with a couple hundred billion stars.

Yeah, I'd say the odds of life out there are pretty good.

Could be life but so what? They're 13 BILLION light years away. It'll never be a vacation destination.:)

Love it
 

These galexies are about 13 billion years old
Check out http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Very cool site if you are into this stuff:cool:

<EM>> It'll never be a vacation destination.</EM>

I find your lack of faith... disturbing...

I find your lack of underpants... disturbing.....

(I think we did that one time too.. or maybe it was back on the Waffle Cellar.)

If they be inhabited, what a scope for misery and folly. If they be not inhabited, what a waste of space. -- Thomas Carlyle, looking at the stars.