10 light years but destroyed 6000 years ago?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the Pillars of Creation, their distance from Earth, and the claim that they were destroyed 6000 years ago. Participants explore the implications of light travel time and the accuracy of the information regarding their destruction and distance, touching on concepts of astronomy and the interpretation of scientific claims.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the logic of observing the Pillars of Creation if they were destroyed 6000 years ago, suggesting that light travel time should have allowed for earlier observation of their destruction.
  • Another participant seeks clarification on what exactly was destroyed 6000 years ago, indicating that while the Pillars may be 10 light years away, they can still be observed as they are now.
  • A claim is made that the Pillars are actually 7,000 light years away, which contradicts the earlier assertion of 10 light years.
  • One participant challenges the source of the claim about the destruction of the Pillars, asking for verification.
  • Another participant provides context, stating that the 10 light year figure refers to the size of the pillars rather than their distance, and mentions that the destruction claim is based on a conjecture from 2006/2007 that is disputed by some astronomers.
  • A humorous remark is made regarding the naming and timing of the destruction in relation to creationist views.
  • Another participant questions the quality of information on NASA's website, suggesting it may be aimed at younger audiences.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the distance of the Pillars of Creation and the validity of the claim regarding their destruction. There is no consensus on these points, and the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight potential misunderstandings regarding the distance and size of the Pillars of Creation, as well as the nature of the conjecture about their destruction. The discussion reflects varying interpretations of scientific claims and the challenges of communicating complex astronomical concepts.

heartyface
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https://lh5.ggpht.com/NsJ2tAGpQI0QP2_P31FfOXryx0O3em1mSGLvBjfZcdcGux20sksxwyPJNvLGlMSs7Aw6pmA=s167

The Pillars of Creation are 10 light years away from us, but are said to be already destroyed 6000 years ago. In the picture above, it say that we still have a millenneum to observe them. But then, wouldn't the light delay only be 10 years? Shouldn't we already have observed their demolishing 5990 years ago?
Please explain this to me, thank you.
 
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What, exactly, was destroyed 6000 years ago to form the "pillars of creation"? If they are 10 light years away then we are 5990 years to late to see what was there before but that does not mean we cannot see the "pillars" themselves.
 
The Pillars are 7,000 light years from earth
 
heartyface said:
The Pillars of Creation are 10 light years away from us, but are said to be already destroyed 6000 years ago.

"Said" by whom? Do you have a link?
 
heartyface said:
https://lh5.ggpht.com/NsJ2tAGpQI0QP2_P31FfOXryx0O3em1mSGLvBjfZcdcGux20sksxwyPJNvLGlMSs7Aw6pmA=s167

The Pillars of Creation are 10 light years away from us, but are said to be already destroyed 6000 years ago. In the picture above, it say that we still have a millenneum to observe them. But then, wouldn't the light delay only be 10 years? Shouldn't we already have observed their demolishing 5990 years ago?
Please explain this to me, thank you.
Read your own source. It says that the "Pillars of Creation lie within the Eagle Nebula. The Eagle Nebular is 7,000 light years away from us."

That 10 light year figure at the top of the caption text is a (somewhat mistaken) statement regarding the size of the pillars, not how far away they are. The largest of the Pillars of Creation is a "mere" 7 light years tall. There's a separate streamer that is 9.5 light years tall but isn't quite as dramatic as are the Pillars.

Regarding the supernova that purportedly destroyed the Pillars 6,000 years ago: That's a 2006/2007 conjecture based on imagery from the Spitzer Space Telescope. A number of astronomers dispute that conjecture. The conjecture made the news as if it were fact because it's an interesting claim and hence sells copy. That it is merely a conjecture, that many dispute it: That doesn't make the news because it's boring. Or at least so think the editors and newsies who are generally quite clueless about science. Writers of internet websites repeat what they read, often badly. What's left for the general public is the conjecture misrepresented as fact, and none of the science behind it.
 
Pillars of Creation are 10 light years away from us, but are said to be already destroyed 6000 years ago

Name and time is about right if you're a creationist ... :-)
 
rorix_bw said:
Name and time is about right if you're a creationist ... :-)

..-_- no, shucks... come on.
5OgVl.png

This pic's from Nasa's page

As the other guy said I guess I read it wrong, maybe it was talking about the Eagle Nebula all the times.
haha
 
Is NASA's website really that bad? Is it aimed at young readers?
 

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