NASA shares stunning photos of majestic ‘Pillars of Creation’ from space

Also read: NASA shares stunning image: Hubble telescope captures triple-star system 550 light years away

The US space agency shared two photos of the ‘Pillars of Creation’, the first captured in visible light, and the second captured in low-infra-red light by the NASA Hubble Telescope.

What are the pillars of creation?

According to NASA, the Pillars of Creation are part of an active star-forming region within the Eagle Nebula. It is also the location of nascent stars in columns of dust and gas.

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These pillars are composed of cold molecular hydrogen and dust that are being destroyed by photoevaporation from ultraviolet light from relatively close and hot stars.

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“The Pillars of Creation are part of an active star-forming region within the Eagle Nebula, which hides newborn stars in columns of dust and gas. “In this image taken in visible light, blue represents oxygen, red sulfur and green both nitrogen and hydrogen,” NASA wrote on its Instagram post.

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NASA captured a second image in near-infrared light, helping researchers reframe their views on how new stars form in the nebula. By observing cosmic events at different wavelengths, scientists can get a more accurate count of the stars hidden within and beneath the pillars.

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The semi-opaque and rusty red color of the Pillars of Creation can be seen in the second image captured by the NASA telescope. The second and third columns are divided into dark brown with red outlines.

“The background is painted dark blue and black, and yellow and white stars of all sizes frame the entire scene. “Webb’s image was cropped and rotated to match Hubble’s view, so most of the upper right corner and a small portion of the left corner are left black,” NASA added in the Instagram post.

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Published: May 19, 2024, 07:41 am IST