If you’ve ever wanted to take a walk into deep space, this might be as close as you can get.
In this stunning animation, NASA lets the viewer wander through the trunks of the “Pillars of Creation” in a nebula 6,500 light-years from Earth.
This is the most detailed and comprehensive video ever produced of these star-forming clouds, described as “rising filaments” of cosmic dust and gas.
This was made possible by combining observations from NASA’s two most powerful space telescopes, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Hubble Space Telescope.
And with JWST’s infrared spectrum, you can even peer inside the three light-year-tall pillars to see young stars being born.
This animation was created by combining observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. In this image you can see a comparison between the two different observations
This ground-breaking animation captures for the first time the 3D structure of these massive formations, allowing the viewer to soar through light years of space.
However, this is not just a fantastic impression of an artist, but a work of scientific research.
Using observations made by Anna McLeod, associate professor at Durham University, NASA was able to accurately reconstruct the location of the pillars.
Rendered in 3D, you can clearly see that the columns are not aligned, but actually stretched over a large area of space.
Frank Summers, chief visualization scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), said: “Flying past and among the columns, viewers experience their three-dimensional structure and see how they look different in Hubble’s visible-light view versus the Webb’s infrared view.”
The Pillars of Creation are part of the Eagle Nebula, a structure just under 7,000 light-years from Earth – first observed by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1985.
This animation was created by combining observations from the infrared-imaging James Webb Space Telescope (left) with visible-light images from the Hubble Space Telescope (right)
However, this latest animation combines images taken by Hubble with recent observations from JWST.
Not only does this depict the pillars of creation in the highest detail ever imaged, it also provides a new perspective on the formation of stars like our own sun.
Each of the three pillars is composed of cool molecular hydrogen and clouds of interstellar dust.
Stretching free light-years in length—three-quarters of the way from our sun to the nearest star—these vast clouds make perfect stellar nurseries.
The Pillars of Creation are 6,500 light-years away in a regional space known as the Eagle Nebula
Thanks to the 3D animation, viewers can see that the pillars are not flat, but are actually arranged in a large regional space
While the interior of these structures is hidden in the visible light spectrum, infrared light penetrates the dense dust.
Mr Summers says: “The contrast helps them understand why we have more than one space telescope to observe different aspects of the same object.”
By using JWST to collect information in the infrared spectrum, we can peer into dust clouds to observe young stars in various stages of growth.
In the animation, you can see them as bright spots of light visible through the dust or shown clearly in the infrared spectrum.
the visible light spectrum clearly shows the clouds of dust and cool molecular hydrogen that make up the Pillars of Creation
Infrared imaging allows scientists to peer into dust clouds to see protostars in their early stages of formation
In one of the pillars we can see a brand new star ejecting a jet of material into space, while in the largest pillar a ‘protostar’ (a very young star that is still gaining mass) can be seen.
Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said: “When we combine observations from NASA’s space telescopes at different wavelengths of light, we expand our understanding of the universe.
“The Pillars of Creation region continues to provide us with new insights that advance our understanding of how stars form.
“Now, with this new visualization, everyone can experience this rich, captivating landscape in a new way.”
The Pillars of Creation provide one of the most famous cosmic views in astronomical history
The original Hubble Space Telescope image of the famous Pillars of Creation was taken two decades ago and immediately became one of the most famous and emotional pictures.
The prominent structures, along with a nearby star cluster, NGC 6611, are part of a star-forming region called the Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16 or M16.
Resembling a ghostly hand, the Pillars of Creation are part of the Eagle Nebula – which is 6,500 light-years from Earth – and are known to be a source of star formation
The nebula and associated objects are located about 7,000 light-years away in the constellation Serpens (the Serpent).
The Pillars of Creation are a classic example of column-like shapes that develop in the giant clouds of gas and dust that are the birthplaces of new stars.
The plumes form when massive, newly formed blue-white O and B stars emit intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds that blow away less dense material from their vicinity.
However, denser pockets of gas and dust can resist this erosion for longer.
Behind such thicker pockets of dust, the material is shielded from the harsh, withering glow of O and B stars.
This shielding creates dark “tails” or “elephant trunks” that we see as a dark pillar body that points away from the bright stars.
