Gallery: New Dimension: Nebulas Are Even More Amazing in 3-D
01ic-1396
As unbelievable as it may seem, space photos just got a bit more amazing. Normally, the celestial sights we gaze at -- such as ribbons of colorful gas and dust, wound around monstrous, dark caverns or splashed in front of star-studded skies -- are flat. Two dimensional. Now, Finnish astrophotographer J-P Metsavainio has rendered some spacescapes in three dimensions, using his own photographs as a starting point. "Objects in the images are not like paintings on the canvas, but really three-dimensional objects floating in the three-dimensional space," he said in an e-mail. First, Metsavainio collects information about how far away an object is, and carefully studies the stars and structures in and around it. Then, he creates a volumetric model of his subject -- usually a nebula, although he's rendered at least one globular star cluster. Finally, he animates the 3-D rendering, providing viewers with a tantalizing taste of what it might be like to fly a starship through these enormous astronomical ornaments. "How accurate the final model is, depends how much I have known and guessed right," Metsavainio said. Many of his renderings carry the statement: "NOTE: This is a personal vision about shapes and volumes, based on some scientific data and an artistic impression." In this gallery, we've collected some of our favorite animations. For more fanciful journeys, check out [Metsavainio's entire portfolio](http://astroanarchy.zenfolio.com/). *via [PetaPixel.com](http://www.petapixel.com/2013/02/20/amazing-animated-gifs-capture-nebulae-in-3d-using-artificial-parallax/)* __Above:__ IC 1396 ------- With a bright, bluish star at its center, the gassy star-forming region IC 1396 spans hundreds of light-years in the constellation Cepheus. *Animation: [J-P Metsavainio](http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2012/10/an-experimental-3d-animation-from-my.html)*
02dumbbell-nebula
Dumbbell Nebula --------------- The Dumbbell Nebula is big and bright, located only 1,360 light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula. Visible using binoculars, this nebula was discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier; it was the first object in a class now known, somewhat confusingly, as planetary nebulas. *Animation: J-P Metsavainio/[YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fZz9Com0piE)*
03ic-410
IC 410 ------- Visible in the northern sky, IC 410 is a dusty nebula that lies in the constellation Auriga, about 12,000 light-years away. *Animation: [J-P Metsavainio](http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2012/11/an-experimental-3d-animation-of-ic-410.html)*
04rosette-nebula-2
Rosette Nebula -------------- Located 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros, the Rosette Nebula is a stellar nursery whose central cavity spans 50 light-years. *Animation: J-P Metsavainio/[YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OiOgb1oQdWw)*
05globular-cluster
Globular Cluster ---------------- Roughly 10 billion years old -- or about three-quarters as old as the universe -- the globular cluster NGC 6752 is about 13,000 light-years from Earth. *Animation: [J-P Metsavainio](http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2012/10/an-experiental-3d-animation-from-my_15.html)*
06bubble-nebula-2
Bubble Nebula ------------- Like a giant soap bubble stretching 10 light-years across, the Bubble Nebula hovers about 11,000 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. *Animation: J-P Metsavainio/[YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9TIDL5qsWuw")*
07ngc-281-2
NGC 281 ------- Located 10,000 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia, NGC 281 is also known as the Pac-man Nebula. *Animation: J-P Metsavainio/[YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eC1HdmDBjcY)*
08pelican-nebula-2
Pelican Nebula -------------- The Pelican Nebula can be found 2,000 light-years away in the realm of the another cosmic bird: the constellation Cygnus, the swan. *Animation: [J-P Metsavainio](http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2012/11/an-experimental-3d-animation-of-pelican.html)*
09cats-eye-nebula-3
Cat's Eye Nebula ----------------- One of the most complex planetary nebulas known, the Cat's Eye is located some 3,000 light-years away in the constellation Draco. The intertwining structure is formed by the gusty sighs of a dying star. *Animation: J-P Metsavainio/[YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fei_ASq1w5c)*
10lagoon-nebula-2
Lagoon Nebula ------------- Located in the constellation Sagittarius, the Lagoon Nebula is a huge cloud of interstellar dust between 4,000 and 6,000 light-years from Earth. *Animation: [J-P Metsavainio](http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2012/11/an-experimental-3d-animation-of-lagoon.html)*
11veil-nebula-3
Veil Nebula ----------- Like billowing celestial fabric, the Veil Nebula swirls around a fallen star. About 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, the nebula is a large supernova remnant. *Animation: J-P Metsavainio/[YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Vdz7njiLvM0)*
