Paul Scowen, Associate Research Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University
As we approach the 25th Anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, we will use one of the most iconic images taken with the Observatory, that of the Eagle Nebula, or the Pillars of Creation, to outline a story about star and planet formation. The resolution of Hubble has allowed us to see things moving over the 20-25 years of its mission lifetime. In this presentation we will revisit many of the images taken of Galactic nebulae with a view to understanding what they tell us about the process of forming a star and its attendant planetary system, and to understand the physics of these processes. In the particular case of looking at star formation around the most massive of stars, we will be looking back at our origins as we discuss evidence that shows it was just this kind of environment in which our own Sun and our Solar System formed. Join us for an intimate look at the environment of a stellar nursery and an intriguing connection with the conditions under which our own planet may have formed, all while enjoying some of the best images the Hubble Space Telescope has taken over the past 25 years.
