NASA’s James Webb captures stunning photos of Pillars of Creation | 5 points - Hindustan Times
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NASA’s James Webb captures stunning photos of Pillars of Creation | 5 points

By | Edited by Poulomi Ghosh
Oct 20, 2022 01:09 PM IST

An active star-forming region within ‘Eagle Nebula’, these pillars are made of molecular hydrogen gas and dust and were first captured in 1995 by the Hubble Space Telescope.

American NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a lush, detailed view of the majestic ‘Pillars of Creation’ - the towering tendrils of dust and gas within the Eagle Nebula. The permeable pillars which look like solid rock formations are made of interstellar gases and occasionally appear semi-transparent in near-infrared light, NASA wrote unveiling the photos.

NASA's Hubble Telescope revisited the dust of clouds in 2014 for a clearer view (on the left) whilea new near-infrared-light view from James Webb at right shows further detailing in the star forming region.(NASA)
NASA's Hubble Telescope revisited the dust of clouds in 2014 for a clearer view (on the left) whilea new near-infrared-light view from James Webb at right shows further detailing in the star forming region.(NASA)

What are the Pillars of Creation? Explained in 5 points

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An active star-forming region - they are part of ‘Eagle Nebula’ located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Serpens. These fascinating pillars are located at the heart of Nebula (cloud of gas and dust in outer space) which in itself spans 70 by 55 light-years.

These pillars are made of molecular hydrogen gas and dust and were first captured in 1995 by the Hubble Space Telescope. The new detailed view will help the scientists to make precise counts of newly formed stars as well as the quantity of gas and dust present there, NASA informed.

On the formation of stars, NASA explains that turbulence within these clouds creates high-density regions called - knots. Once formed, these knots containing sufficient mass within the cloud, begin to collapse under their own gravity, creating new stars. It also described the wavy lines at the edge of some pillars as ejections. Acting like supersonic jets - they come from the stars still forming and collide with the pillars.

Also Read | ‘Stars, they're just like us’: Nasa shares how, posts viral pictures

The blue colour in the image indicates oxygen, while red sulphur and green nitrogen and hydrogen. The young stars located outside the frame illuminate the columns, giving dramatic visual effects which highlight the 3-D nature of the clouds. However, the winds from these stars are gradually eroding the pillars.

Still, these clouds have been able to survive the enormous ultraviolet light coming from all the hot, massive newborn stars. The Nebula - first discovered in 1745 by a Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe Loys de Chéseaux - can actually be spotted through telescopes under optimal conditions. The month of July has been found to be the best time to view it.

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    Trainee Content Producer at HT Digital. I read about feminism, late modern history, and globalisation of Korean music.

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