The Pillars of Creation star in new visualization from NASA’s Hubble and Webb telescopes

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

NASA has released a new 3D visualization of these imposing celestial structures using data from NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. This is the most comprehensive and detailed multi-wavelength film to date of these star-giving clouds.

“By hovering over and between the pillars, viewers learn about their three-dimensional structure and see how they appear differently in the visible light view of the Hubble Telescope compared to the infrared light view of the Webb Telescope,” explains Frank Summers, a research scientist in visualization at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, which led the development team for NASA’s Universe of Learning film. “The contrast helps them understand why we have more than one space telescope to observe different aspects of the same object. »

The four pillars of creation, made mostly of cold molecular hydrogen and dust, are eroded by strong winds and punishing ultraviolet light from hot young stars nearby. Finger-shaped structures, larger than the solar system, protrude from the tops of the pillars. Embryonic stars may be embedded inside these fingers. The tallest pillar spans three light years, or three-quarters of the distance between our sun and the nearest star.

The film takes visitors into the three-dimensional structures of the pillars. Rather than an artistic interpretation, the video is based on observational data from a scientific paper led by Anna McLeod, an associate professor at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. McLeod also served as scientific advisor on the film project.

“The Pillars of Creation have always been on our minds to create in 3D. The Webb data combined with the Hubble data allowed us to see the Pillars in greater detail,” said Greg Bacon, STScI production manager. “Understanding the science and how to best represent it allowed our small, talented team to rise to the challenge of visualizing this iconic structure.”

The new visualization helps viewers discover how two of the world’s most powerful space telescopes work together to provide a more complex and holistic portrait of the pillars. Hubble sees objects shining in visible light, thousands of degrees away. Webb’s infrared vision, which is sensitive to cooler objects with temperatures of only a few hundred degrees, pierces the obscuring dust to see the stars embedded in the pillars.

“When we combine observations from NASA space telescopes of 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 advance our understanding of star formation. Now, with this new visualization, everyone can experience this rich and captivating landscape in a new way.

Produced for NASA by STScI with partners at Caltech/IPAC and developed by NASA’s Universe of Learning’s AstroViz project, the 3D visualization is part of a longer, narrated video that combines a direct link to science and NASA astrophysics mission scientists with attention to the needs of audiences of youth, families, and lifelong learners. It allows viewers to explore fundamental questions in science, experience how science is done, and discover the universe for themselves.

Several stages of star formation are highlighted in the visualization. As viewers approach the central pillar, they see at its summit an embedded infant protostar glowing bright red in infrared light. Near the top of the left pillar is a diagonal jet of material ejected from a newborn star. Although the jet is proof of the birth of a star, spectators cannot see the star itself. Finally, at the end of one of the protruding “fingers” of the left pillar is a brand new blazing star.

A bonus product of this visualization is a new 3D printable model of the Pillars of Creation. The basic model of the four pillars used in the visualization has been adapted to the STL file format, so viewers can download the model file and print it on 3D printers. Examining the structure of the pillars in this tactile and interactive way adds new perspectives and information to the overall experience.

Further visualizations and connections between nebula science and learners can be explored through other products produced by NASA’s Universe of Learning, such as ViewSpace, a video exhibit currently on display in nearly 200 museums and planetariums across the United States. Visitors can go beyond video to explore images produced by space telescopes with interactive tools now available to museums and planetariums.