"Pillars of Creation" Vaporized by a Supernova Explosion 6,000 Years Ago

"Pillars of Creation" --A Cosmic Artifact Vaporized by a Supernova Explosion 6,000 Years Ago:
"In early 2007, scientists using the Spitzer discovered evidence that potentially indicates the famed three Pillars of Creation photographed by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 in the Eagle Nebula were destroyed by a nearby supernova explosion about 6,000 years ago, but the light showing the new shape of the nebula will not reach Earth for another thousand years."

10 images from NASA's Spitzer telescope

10 images from NASA's Spitzer telescope: Sombrero | MNN - Mother Nature Network:

"Because Spitzer's instruments are so sensitive, it can see objects that optical telescopes cannot, such as exoplanets, failed stars and giant molecule clouds. "Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes joined forces to create this striking composite image of one of the most popular sights in the universe," according to NASA. The Sombrero Galaxy, named after its resemblance to the Mexican hat, is 28 million light-years away from Earth. At the center of this galaxy, a black hole is believed to exist that is 1 billion times larger than our sun."

Distance measurement is key to producing first "complete description" of a black hole - Astronomy Magazine

Distance measurement is key to producing first "complete description" of a black hole - Astronomy Magazine:

"For the first time, astronomers have produced a complete description of a black hole, a concentration of mass so dense that not even light can escape its powerful gravitational pull. Their precise measurements have allowed them to reconstruct the history of the object from its birth some six million years ago."

Image of the Day: The Enduring Mystery of Supernova 1987A

Image of the Day: The Enduring Mystery of Supernova 1987A:

"Supernova 1987A exploded on 1987 February 23, in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Because of its relative proximity to us (a mere 168,000 light years) SN 1987A is by far the best-studied supernova of all time. Immediately after the discovery was announced, literally every telescope in the southern hemisphere started observing this exciting new object."

Proposed NASA Budget Bill Would Cancel James Webb Space Telescope

The James Web Space Telescope (JWST) was supposed to cost $1.6 billion and launch this year. Now NASA says the telescope can't launch until at least 2018 with a price tag of up to $6.8 billion.

Proposed NASA Budget Bill Would Cancel James Webb Space Telescope

The US House Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee has proposed a NASA spending bill that would put NASA’s budget at pre-2008 levels and cancel the over-budget James Webb Space Telescope. Space News reports that the proposal would cut $1.6 billion from NASA’s current budget, which is nearly $2 billion less than President Obama’s 2012 budget request for NASA, giving the space agency just $16.8 billion to work with.