Fly between the pillars of creation with NASA

MADRID, June 26 (EUROPE PRESS) –

NASA published new 3D visualization of the impressive celestial structures of the Pillars of Creation using data from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes.

This is a sequence at several wavelengths. the most complete and detailed to date these star birth clouds.

Pillars of Creation, in the heart of the Eagle Nebula, Made famous by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, they captured the world’s imagination with their ethereal and dazzling beauty.

“By flying next to and between the columns, viewers experience their three-dimensional structure and see how they look different in Hubble’s visible light compared to Webb’s infrared light,” he explained. this is a statement Lead imaging scientist Frank Summers of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, who led the film development team for NASA’s Learning Universe program. “The contrast helps them understand why we have more than one space telescope to look at different aspects of the same object.”

The four pillars of creation, composed mostly of cold molecular hydrogen and dust, are being destroyed by strong winds and damaging ultraviolet light from nearby hot young stars. Finger-like structures larger than the solar system protrude from the top of the columns. Embryonic stars may be embedded in these fingers. The tallest pillar extends three light years. three-quarters of the distance between our Sun and the next nearest star.

The film introduces visitors to the three-dimensional structures of the columns.. The video is not based on artistic interpretation, but on observational data from scientific work led by Anna McLeod, an assistant professor at the University of Durham in the UK. McLeod also served as a scientific consultant for the film project.

“We’ve always thought about creating a foundation for 3D creation. Webb data combined with Hubble data allowed us to look at the pillars in more detail,” said Director of Operations Greg Bacon of STScI. “Understanding the science and how best to present it allowed our small, talented team to rise to the challenge of visualizing this iconic structure.”

The new visualization helps viewers see how two of the world’s most powerful space telescopes work together to create a more complex and holistic picture of the pillars. Hubble sees objects that glow in visible light at temperatures of thousands of degrees. Webb’s infrared vision, sensitive to cooler objects at temperatures of just hundreds of degrees, breaks through the obscuring dust and sees stars embedded in the pillars.

“When we combine observations from NASA space telescopes at different wavelengths of light, we expand our understanding of the universe,” said Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The Pillars of Creation region continues to offer us new insights that sharpen our understanding of how stars form. Now, thanks to this new visualization, “Everyone can take a new look at this rich and exciting landscape.”

The visualization highlights the different stages of star formation. As viewers approach the central column, they see a baby protostar embedded in it at the top, which glows bright red in infrared light. Near the top of the left pillar is a diagonal stream of material ejected by the newborn star. Although the plane is evidence of the birth of a star, spectators cannot see the star itself. Finally, at the end of one of the “fingers” sticking out from the left column is a new shiny star.