2 Amazing Pictures Of Space Taken By An Amateur

This question originally appeared on Quora. Answer by Andrew Walls.

Well if you just want to see good looking space stuff. Check out the LandingAttempts Instagram here - it’s literally only beautiful photos of space and space related things.

Okay shameless plug aside - you probably know there’s a billion sources for beautiful images of space. I’m not sure what you mean by “amateur” because in my opinion we’re all amateurs relative to whats theoretically possible for space imaging.

So instead I’ll just roll through some of the most visually striking things related to space I’ve seen and maybe one of these sources will satisfy your itch.

• NASA recently finished compiling ALL of their images into one single, searchable database accessible here. It’s amazing and easy to use.
• Or use the new and improved Google Earth - which is browser based and lets you explore the world and do more than just SEE IMAGES. You can experience them in the textural context of the entire world. Found here.
• For an entire video of beautiful space scenery. Check out the absolutely INCREDIBLE Wanderers by Eric Wernqist seen here. It’s a visual journey through humanity’s journey out into the solar system. Chilling.
• For the best man-made image of space. My vote is for the one below by Lightfarm studios. If you’re curious here's a video showing the “Making Of”.

• Now I could go on for ages about the many beautiful photos of space. But instead I’ll share my personal favourite one. It’s of what’s known as the “Pillars of Creation”.

As Wikipedia puts it:

“Pillars of Creation is a photograph taken by the Hubble Space Telescope of elephant trunks of intersteller gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula, some 6,500-7,000 light years from Earth. They are so named because the gas and dust are in the process of creating new stars, while also being eroded by the light from nearby stars that have recently formed.”

It looks EXACTLY like giant space hand. That’s what I find brilliant. We’re wired to see patterns everywhere - and even GIANT CLOUDS OF COSMIC DUST. Just look like things we’re familiar seeing.

Look at how incredible that is, and the scale of it! It’s beyond comprehension. It looks like the universe is reaching to pluck an apple from a tree.

If the universe were smart it would design a machine to pluck those apples more efficiently. Then use the excess labour to get other space limbs to produce art and science. Imagine the possibilities…

Foolish universe hand! It doesn’t even understand business.

God I love this stuff.