“If true, the expanding shock waves would have destroyed the visible structures, including the famous pillars...”
Pardon my ignorance but would not something as powerful as the Hubble telescope bring images far closer than the “visible” 6500 light years away?
...an apparent age of 6,000 years. If true, the expanding shock waves would have destroyed the visible structures, including the famous pillars. But because the Eagle Nebula is some 6,500 light-years distant, their destruction won't be witnessed for hundreds of years.This particular nebula is about 6,500 light-years distant, which means the light travels for 6,500 years before it reaches us. The telescope doesn't reduce that travel time. :')