The National Aeronautics and Space Administration recently shared a mesmerising image of the ‘Pillars of Creation’ in the Eagle Nebula. Home to billions of new-borne stars, the Pillars of Creation stretch several light-years in length and are 7,000 light-years away from Earth in the direction of the constellation Serpens.
The US space agency shared two images of the ‘Pillars of Creation’ The first was captured in visible light, and the NASA Hubble telescope captured the second in low-infra-red light.
What are the Pillars of Creation?
According to NASA, the Pillars of Creation are a part of an active star-forming region within the Eagle Nebula. It is also the place of newborn stars in the columns of dust and gas
These pillars are made of cool molecular hydrogen and dust that are being eroded by photoevaporation from the ultraviolet light of relatively close and hot stars.
“The Pillars of Creation are part of an active star-forming region within the Eagle Nebula, hiding newborn stars in the columns of dust and gas. In this image captured in visible light, blue represents oxygen, red sulfur, and green is both nitrogen and hydrogen,” wrote NASA on its Instagram post.
View Full Image
NASA captured the second image in near-infrared light, helping researchers revamp their ideas on how new stars form in nebulae. By viewing the cosmic phenomena in different wavelengths, scientists can get a more precise count of stars hidden within and beneath the pillars.
View Full Image
In the second image captured by the NASA telescope one can see the semi-opaque and rusty-red colour of the Pillars of Creation. The second and third pillars are set off in darker shared of brown with red outlines.
“The background is cast in darker blues and blacks, and stars in yellow and white of all sizes speckle the entire scene. Webb’s image was cropped and rotated to match Hubble’s view, so much of the top right corner and a small portion of the left corner has been left black,” added NASA in Instagram post.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it’s all here, just a click away! Login Now!
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More
Less
Published: 19 May 2024, 07:41 AM IST