The Eagle Nebula, located in the constellation Serpens, has repeatedly served as a subject for photography. It contains an object of indescribable beauty — the Pillars of Creation.
Now, thanks to a visualization from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the agency lets everyone take a close look at these pillars and fly around them.
The first iconic images of the Pillars of Creation were taken in 1995 by the Hubble Space Telescope. The larger James Webb Space Telescope, operating since 2021, also targeted the Eagle Nebula and imaged it in 2022.
NASA combined images from both telescopes to create a stunning 3D animation of a flight through the nebula.
The Pillars of Creation are primarily composed of cold molecular hydrogen and dust. Strong winds and ultraviolet radiation from hot young stars within the nebula are eroding the pillars. The formations, which resemble giant fingers, have distinct branches at their tops.
The captivating 3D animation takes viewers on a journey through these structures. The short film is based on observations and research by a team led by Anna MacLeod, a lecturer at Durham University in the UK.
The video shows the results of combining the two telescopes’ views. Hubble captures visible-light emissions from very hot objects, while the James Webb’s infrared instruments, which are sensitive to cooler sources, can penetrate dust and reveal stars hidden inside.
Watching the video brings you closer to the central pillar, where a young protostar appears near the top. In the infrared image, it glows bright red, according to Science Alert.
Next to the top of the left pillar, a diagonal stream of material is being ejected by a newborn star that itself is not visible. At the tip of that pillar, a newly formed star shines brightly and is clearly visible.
