Astronomers used images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to create a new 3D visualization of the Pillars of Creation, three towers of gas and dust within the Eagle Nebula.
The Pillars of Creation are three towers of gas and dust located about 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.
These are fascinating but relatively small features of the Eagle Nebula (also known as Messier 16), discovered in 1745 by Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe Roy de Chéseaux.
The Pillars of Creation are approximately 4-5 light years long, and the nebula is 55-70 light years wide.
They are caused by massive, newly formed, blue-white O and B type stars emitting intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds that blow away less dense material from around them.
“By flying between the pillars, viewers will experience the 3D structure of the pillars and see how they look different in Hubble's visible light view and Webb's infrared light view,” said Dr. Frank Summers, principal visualization scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute.
“This contrast helps us understand why we need multiple space telescopes to observe different aspects of the same object.”
“The four pillars of creation are made mostly of cold molecular hydrogen and dust, eroded away by violent winds and intense ultraviolet radiation from nearby hot young stars.”
“Protruding from the top of the pillar is a finger-like structure larger than our solar system. Embedded within this finger may be a newborn star.”
“The tallest pillar stretches for three light years, which is three-quarters of the distance between the Sun and the next nearest star.”
Mosaic of visible (Hubble) and infrared (Webb) light images of the same frame from the Pillars of Creation visualization. Image credit: Greg Bacon / Ralf Crawford / Joseph DePasquale / Leah Hustak / Christian Nieves / Joseph Olmsted / Alyssa Pagan / Frank Summers, STScI / NASA Universe of Learning.
The film takes visitors through a 3D structure of the Pillars of Creation.
“Making the Pillars of Creation in 3D was always something we had in mind,” said Dr Greg Bacon, also of the Space Telescope Science Institute.
“By combining the Webb data with the Hubble data, we were able to get a much more detailed look at the pillars.”
“Understanding the science and knowing how to best represent it enabled our small, talented team to rise to the challenge of visualizing this iconic structure.”
This new visualization allows viewers to experience how two of the world's most powerful space telescopes work together to provide a more complex and holistic portrait of the pillar.
Hubble will observe objects glowing in visible light at thousands of degrees, while Webb's infrared vision is sensitive to cooler objects at temperatures of hundreds of degrees, allowing it to penetrate the obscuring dust and see the stars embedded in the pillar.
“The combined observations from NASA's space telescopes across many wavelengths of light expand our understanding of the universe,” said Dr. Mark Crumpen, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters.
“The Pillars of Creation region continues to provide us with new insights that improve our understanding of how stars form.”
“This new visualization now allows everyone to experience this rich and captivating landscape in a new way.”
Source: www.sci.news
