NASA Releases Star Trek Nebulae Images
NASA‘s Spitzer Space Telescope captured two images that are now being referred to as Star Trek nebulae. The nebulae, named IRAS 19340+2016 and IRAS19343+2026, boast a striking resemblance to both the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) from the original 1966 series, and the Enterprise-D (NCC-1701-D) from The Next Generation. These images, which were created using data from Spitzer’s surveys of the Milky Way, were released in 2016 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek.
Though the Star Trek nebulae earned their name for resembling the iconic ships, what we’re looking at is simply a matter of coincidence. The nebulae in question are the result of star formation hidden behind a haze of dust. But when outlines of the USS Enterprise and the Enterprise-D are superimposed over the photos, the resemblance is striking.
NASA has released images of nebulae with striking resemblances to iconic Star Trek ships.
Setting our sights to the skies and imagining images that we’re familiar with is a practice that’s as old as time itself. The phenomenon is known as pareidolia, which is defined as “the tendency to perceive a specific, meaningful image in a random or ambiguous pattern.”
Just like Taurus the Bull – the 17th largest constellation in the sky – was discovered by Ptolemy in the second century, the Star Trek Nebulae was captured by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope in 2016.
The USS Enterprise’s iconic design was imagined by Matt Jeffries, the art director for Star Trek…
Ironically enough, the Star Trek nebulae is something that we could get behind when you consider other forms of pareidolia that have manifested in recent decades. Though 2004 may sound like ancient history, a Florida Woman sold a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich that she preserved and held onto since 1994 because of its striking resemblance to the Virgin Mary. In this extreme example, the woman sold the sandwich on eBay for $28,000.
At least the Star Trek nebulae are within the same wheelhouse as the series that they are said to resemble. It’s not too far of a reach to relate series about traveling through space to something that’s actually in space.
We have always been visual creatures, and often try to digest images beyond our comprehension through pareidolia.
The USS Enterprise’s iconic design was imagined by Matt Jeffries, the art director for Star Trek, who used his background in aviation under the guidance of Gene Roddenberry to design a space ship that was never seen before by science-fiction audiences.
So the design that we’re familiar with wasn’t directly inspired by these images, but rather the Star Trek nebulae just so happen to resemble the Enterprise ships as a result of them being head-canon for Trekkies working for NASA.
In other words, as much as we wish that the Star Trek nebulae were a direct inspiration for the original design and development of the USS Enterprise, this is simply not the case. If the Star Trek universe never existed, then astronomers would have never made the connection to the series. If the initial design of the USS Enterprise took on a different shape or form, then we’d have a totally different perspective.
We have always been visual creatures, and often try to digest images beyond our comprehension through pareidolia. The Star Trek nebulae are a shining example of how our imaginations can connect the dots, and relate far off images from space to something we’re familiar with. If you’re not able to make the connection, the nebulae are still stunning to look at, and are worthy of your attention.
