Space Pictures
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Space Pictures,
When
one looks heavenward, the sky's utter vastness is astounding; it
seems almost impossible, then, that there are those who have
journeyed beyond the perimeters of our world and into space.
Most have made this journey through the lenses of
super-sensitive telescopes; a heroic few have traveled there
within the confines of a shuttle. Each of these voyages,
whether in person or by proxy, has provided mankind
with new views of our world, the galaxy around us, and distant
realms of space we would otherwise never have experienced.
Many wonders of the universe seemed impossibly beyond our reach in the not-so-distant past. However, with the invention of the telescope there came a revolution; although crude in its rudimentary stages, this invention made it possible for scientists to begin performing the unheard of - the classification of celestial bodies. Thanks to the constant forward march of scientific progress, our knowledge and understanding of the universe began moving towards reason and away from mythology.
In
the 1800's it became feasible to combine the science of
astronomy with the art of photography, and the first pictures of
space began to appear. As the types of film and lenses
available became more and more sophisticated, better and more powerful telescopes
could be built. This trend
produced perhaps its first truly astounding invention when the
Hubble telescope was created. Named after its inventor,
Edwin Hubble, this powerful tool finally gave scientists
concrete proof that certain objects seen in the sky were
actually galaxies far beyond our own.
Before, a galaxy might easily have been confused with a nebula, even though the two are quite different entities; a galaxy is a large aggregation of stars that are held together by gravitational pull; nebulae are diffuse masses of gas and interstellar dust.
Digital Picture Printing & Frames offers many beautiful examples of both nebulae and galaxies, including the Andromeda Galaxy, Stephan’s Quintet (which, as the name implies, contains five galaxies), the exquisitely colored Rosette Nebula, or the striking Horsehead Nebula. Most of these space photographs were taken from here on Earth, and we celebrate the observatories that made such sights possible with our large selection of stunning photos.
Digital Picture Printing & Frames also has a selection of pictures that commemorate the monumental shuttle launches and their crews of brave men and women who put themselves at risk in order to bring back answers from the unknown. Space shuttle pictures, pictures of the earth from space, and even pictures of the astronauts on the moon are all a part of our space pictures collection.
The technology created and research done by NASA to allow manned space travel also afforded the astronauts the opportunity to photograph space from inside the shuttle. Therefore, the term "space picture" encompasses a great many things, much like space itself. As well as pictures of the earth, the astronauts took excellent photographs of lunar landings, the natural surface of the moon, the other planets in our solar system and far-off star systems.
We here at Digital Picture Printing & Frames
chose the space pictures we consider the cream of the crop and have
made them available to you here on the site. The brilliant
colors and breathtaking views shown in our space pictures might be
perfectly complemented by a striking mat and frame, or simply
could adorn your wall as is. Finally - as always - your print can be made any size you wish.
Margaret McGuire and Jeff James, 2004
