NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s mid-infrared view of the Pillars of Creation has a spooky tone. Thousands of stars that exist in this region disappear – and seemingly endless layers of gas and dust become the centerpiece. Credit: Science: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Image processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Webb highlights the velvety lining of dust throughout this star-forming region, including the shells around actively forming stars
As seen here, the Pillars of Creation appear otherworldly in mid-infrared light.[{” attribute=””>NASA’S
Compare NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope mid-infrared image of the Pillars of Creation to its near-infrared image in this short video tour. Thousands of stars have formed in this region, but interstellar dust blankets the scene in mid-infrared light, so most of the stars seem to be missing. A quick fade to the near-infrared image proves they’re still there, of course. While mid-infrared light specializes in detail where dust is found – and these pillars are filled with dust and gas – many stars in this region aren’t dusty enough to appear at these wavelengths. Instead, mid-infrared light reveals which of the young stars still have their dusty “mantles.” These are the crimson orbs towards the fringes of the pillars. By contrast, the blue stars that dot the scene are aging, meaning they’ve already lost most of their layers of gas and dust. What is the extent of this landscape? This bright red star and its dusty shroud are larger than the size of our entire solar system.
Haunting Portrait: NASA’s Webb Reveals the Dust and Structure of the Pillars of Creation
This image does not depict soot-tinged fingers reaching out. Nor is it an ethereal landscape of tombs forgotten by time. These pillars, densely filled with gas and dust, envelop stars that slowly form over several millennia. This eerie, extremely dusty view of the Pillars of Creation was captured in mid-infrared by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. It reveals a chilling new view of a familiar landscape.
Why does mid-infrared light create such a dark and creepy mood in Webb’s mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) image? Interstellar dust covers the scene. And while mid-infrared light specializes in detail where dust is found, stars aren’t bright enough at those wavelengths to show up. Instead, these ominous pillars of lead-hued gas and dust gleam around their edges, only hinting at the activity within.
In this region, thousands and thousands of stars have formed. This is made explicitly clear when examining recent Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) Image (see picture below). However, according to MIRI, the majority of stars appear to be missing. Why? Many newly formed stars are no longer surrounded by enough dust to be detected in the mid-infrared. Instead, MIRI observes young stars who have yet to shed their dusty “cloaks.” These are the crimson orbs towards the fringes of the pillars. On the other hand, the blue stars that dot the scene age. This means that they have already lost most of their layers of gas and dust.
The Pillars of Creation are highlighted in a kaleidoscope of color in the near infrared light view of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The pillars look like bows and arrows emerging from a desert landscape, but are filled with semi-transparent, ever-changing gas and dust. It’s a region where young stars are forming — or just emerging from their dusty cocoons as they continue to form. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI).
Mid-infrared light is particularly well suited for observing gases and dust in great detail. This is also unmistakable throughout the background. The darkest shades of gray are the densest areas of dust. The upward red region, which forms a strange V, like an owl with outstretched wings, is where the dust is diffused and cooler. Note that no background galaxies appear – the interstellar medium in the densest part of the[{” attribute=””>Milky Way’s disk is too swollen with gas and dust to allow their distant light to penetrate.
How vast is this landscape? Trace the topmost pillar, landing on the bright red star jutting out of its lower edge like a broomstick. This star and its dusty shroud are larger than the size of our entire solar system.
This scene was first captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 and revisited in 2014, but many other observatories, like NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, have also gazed deeply at the Pillars of Creation. Astronomers gain new information with every observation. Through their ongoing research, they build a deeper understanding of this star-forming region. Each wavelength of light and advanced instrument delivers far more precise counts of the gas, dust, and stars, which inform researchers’ models of how stars form. As a result of the new MIRI image, astronomers now have higher resolution data in mid-infrared light than ever before, and will analyze its far more precise dust measurements to create a more complete three-dimensional landscape of this distant region.
The Pillars of Creation is set within the vast Eagle Nebula, which is located around 6,500 light-years away from Earth.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful space telescope ever constructed and the world’s premier space science observatory. It will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).