NASA Unveils New 3D Visualization of the Majestic Pillars of Creation Captured by Hubble and Webb

NASA has unveiled a new 3D visualization of the majestic and iconic Pillars of Creation, using data from the Hubble and James Webb Space telescopes.

These towering structures originate from the heart of the Eagle Nebula and were first discovered by Hubble in 1995. They fascinate people worldwide with their ethereal beauty.

Most Detailed Multi-Wavelength Video of the Pillars of Creation

NASA said the recently released visualization offers the most detailed multi-wavelength video of these star-forming clouds. The visualization allows viewers to experience the three-dimensional structure of the pillars and observe the differences between Hubble's visible-light view and Webb's infrared-light view.

The Pillars of Creation are primarily composed of cool molecular hydrogen and dust. They are gradually being eroded by intense winds and ultraviolet radiation from nearby young stars. Finger-like structures larger than our solar system also extend from the tops of these cosmic pillars, with embryonic stars embedded within them.

According to NASA, the tallest of these pillars spans three light-years, roughly three-quarters of the distance between the Sun and the nearest star.

This new video embarks viewers into the depths of the pillars, providing a perspective based on observational data from a study led by Anna McLeod, an associate professor at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom.

Webb and Hubble Power Up

The visualization highlights the collaboration between two of the world's most powerful space telescopes, showcasing how they work together to provide a more comprehensive picture of the pillars.

Hubble captures objects glowing in visible light at thousands of degrees, while Webb's infrared vision detects cooler objects, with temperatures in the hundreds of degrees, penetrating the dust to reveal stars within the pillars.

Greg Bacon of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) led the movie's production. He noted that the combination of Webb and Hubble data allowed the team to see the Pillars in unprecedented detail. The challenge was to represent the science accurately, which the team at STScI managed to achieve.

Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, emphasized the importance of combining observations from different wavelengths of light to expand our understanding of the universe.

The Pillars of Creation continue to provide new insights into the process of star formation with the latest visualization allowing everyone to experience its majestic landscape in an engaging way.

This 3D visualization is part of an extended, narrated video created by NASA by STScI in collaboration with Caltech/IPAC and developed by the AstroViz Project of NASA's Universe of Learning.

The video integrates direct insights from NASA's Astrophysics missions, aiming to allow viewers to delve into fundamental scientific questions, observe the scientific process, and explore the universe on their own.

"By flying past and amongst the pillars, viewers experience their three-dimensional structure and see how they look different in the Hubble visible-light view versus the Webb infrared-light view," principal visualization scientist Frank Summers of the STScI said in a statement. "The contrast helps them understand why we have more than one space telescope to observe different aspects of the same object."