THE FAMOUS 'PILLARS OF CREATION' IN LEGO FORM

As part of the LEGO Go Beyond space campaign, images of the famous NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have been recreated in LEGO bricks and unveiled in LEGO form around the world. How great it would be if this image was made into a LEGO set that you can build. That's not that far yet... :-(

The campaign for which this model was created kicked off with the launch of the LEGO NASA® Space Shuttle Discovery, featuring both the shuttle and the famous NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

Ideal for adult builders, the new set is a detailed recreation of the STS-31 mission launched in 1990, which saw the Discovery Space Shuttle and its five crew launch the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope into the cosmos. Since then, the Hubble Space Telescope has shared stunning images of deep space, leading to breakthroughs in astrophysics and space exploration.

The LEGO Group has taken three variants of the famous Pillars of Creation image and recreated them as multi-dimensional LEGO brick works of art measuring a whopping 20x20 inches (50.8 cm LEGO stores can be seen. Brick lovers can also make their own versions at home, thanks to the instructions on LEGO.com/gobeyond

The aptly named Pillars of Creation, captured by NASA/ESA's Hubble Space Telescope, are part of an active star-forming region in the nebula, hiding newborn stars in their wispy columns.

Former NASA astronaut Dr. Kathy Sullivan, who was part of the original STS-31 mission and took part in an exclusive Q&A www.lego.com/gobeyond for the launch of the new LEGO space set, also discussed her favorite Hubble images: “There are so many spectacular images that the Hubble Space Telescope has been able to capture over the years. Some of my favorites are the Ultra Deep Field, which looked at a small patch of sky and found endless galaxies; The Light Echo, which captures the reflection of light through space caused by a star's outburst; and Pillars of Creation, because it looks at a region where stars are born. What the telescope has been able to capture over the years is truly extraordinary.”

The 3D structures can only be admired in selected LEGO stores around the world and can be viewed at Lego.com/gobeyond, where you can also sign up for LEGO VIP to watch the full interview with former NASA astronaut Dr. Sullivan on the original ST-13 mission and deployment of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.