In 1995, the Hubble Space Telescope released images of the Pillars of Creation – stunning, erupting clouds of interstellar dust and gas, where stars are born.
Now, merge the data from Hubble And the James Webb Space TelescopeNASA has released a stunning 3D visualization of cosmic structures in visible and infrared light.
“By flying through and between the pillars, viewers experience their 3D structure and see how they look different in Hubble’s visible-light view versus Webb’s infrared view,” said lead visualization scientist Frank Summers. He said in a statement.
He added, “The contrast helps them understand why there is more than one space telescope to observe different aspects of the same object.”
the Pillars of Creation, Located about 5,700 light-years from Earth, the pillars are made up of cold molecular hydrogen and dust. Due to strong winds and radiation from nearby hot stars, the pillars are beginning to strip away their contents. Long, finger-like structures can be seen protruding from the top of the pillars, which are larger than our own. Solar System.
Within these structures, hydrogen and dust collapse under gravity to form new, baby stars. These new stars will add to the steady stream of material within the pillars. The longest pillars extend 3 Light years From top to bottom – three-quarters of the distance between the Sun and our nearest star.
The newly released video is based on observational data collected for a study authored by Anna McLeod of Durham University in England, who also served as a scientific advisor for the visualization project.
“When we combine observations from NASA space telescopes across different wavelengths of light, we expand our understanding of… UniverseMark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said:
“The Pillars of Creation region continues to provide us with new insights that enhance our understanding of how stars form,” Clampin added. “Now, with this new visualization, everyone can experience this rich and captivating landscape in a new way.”
During the visualization, viewers can catch glimpses of stars in different stages of formation. For example, at the top of the central column, viewers can see a compact, newborn protostar, which is bright red when seen in infrared light. Near the top of the left column is a diagonal jet of material being ejected from a newborn star, although viewers cannot see the star itself. And at the end of the “fingers” of the left column, viewers can see a glowing, newly formed star.
