In 1995, the Hubble Space Telescope released images of the Pillars of Creation, spectacular effervescent clouds of interstellar dust and gas that are the place where stars are born.
Now, combine the data from Hubble And the James Webb Space TelescopeNASA has released a stunning 3D visualization of cosmic structures in both visible and infrared light.
“By flying through and between the columns, viewers experience their 3D structure and see how different they look in Hubble’s visible light show versus Webb’s infrared show,” lead visualization scientist Frank Summers said. He said in a statement:.
“The contrast helps them understand why there is more than one space telescope to observe different sides of the same object,” he continued.
the Pillars of Creation, The plumes, located about 5,700 light-years from Earth, are composed of cold molecular hydrogen and dust. Due to strong winds and radiation from young, hot nearby stars, the columns began to be stripped of their contents. Long, finger-like structures can be seen emerging from the top of the columns, which are larger than earth columns. Solar System.
Inside these structures, hydrogen and dust collapse gravitationally to form new baby stars. These new stars will contribute to the continued dispersion of material within the columns. The longest column extends over an area of 30… Light year From top to bottom – three-quarters of the distance between the Sun and our nearest star.
The newly released video is based on observational data collected for a study authored by Anna MacLeod of Durham University in England, who also served as scientific advisor to the visualization project.
“When we combine observations from NASA space telescopes across different wavelengths of light, we expand our understanding of… UniverseMark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said:
“The Pillars of Creation area continues to provide us with new insights that advance our understanding of how stars form,” Clampin added. “Now, with this new visualization, everyone can experience this rich and captivating landscape in a new way.”
During the visualization, viewers can catch glimpses of stars in different stages of formation. For example, at the top of the central column, viewers can see a compact infant protostar, which is bright red when seen in infrared light. Near the top of the left column is a radial jet of material being ejected from a newborn star, although viewers cannot see the star itself. And at the end of the “fingers” of the left columns, viewers can see a glowing, newly formed star.
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