Hubble’s “Pillars of Creation” shot now more brilliant than ever
Posted by staff / January 6, 2015
If there’s one shot that stands head and shoulders above the rest that have been gleaned from the journey of the Hubble Space Telescope, it’s “Pillars of Creation,” and the jaw-droppingly striking photo has been given a star-worthy makeover.
And now, in celebration of its upcoming 25th anniversary in April, Hubble has revisited the famous pillars, providing astronomers with a sharper and wider view. As a bonus, the pillars have been photographed in near-infrared light, as well as visible light. The infrared view transforms the pillars into eerie, wispy silhouettes seen against a background of myriad stars. That’s because the infrared light penetrates much of the gas and dust, except for the densest regions of the pillars. Newborn stars can be seen hidden away inside the pillars. The new images are being unveiled at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Seattle.
This small section of M16, or the Eagle Nebula, is the scene of ongoing destruction and creation as new stars are formed and clouds of gas evaporate into space.
That NASA has been able to observe this dynamic phase in star development has been particularly fortunate in that it’s believed our own sun was formed under similar circumstances.
Full story at NASA.
Photo credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)/J. Hester, P. Scowen (Arizona State U.), Graphics credit: Canva
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