Pillars of Creation (MIRI Image)

Pillars of Creation (MIRI Image)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s mid-infrared view of the Pillars of Creation strikes a chilling tone. Thousands of stars that exist in this region disappear – and seemingly endless layers of gas and dust become the centerpiece.

The detection of dust by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is extremely important – dust is a major ingredient for star formation. Many stars are actively forming in these dense blue-gray pillars. When knots of gas and dust with sufficient mass form in these regions, they begin to collapse under their own gravitational attraction, slowly heat up – and eventually form new stars.

Although the stars appear missing, they aren’t. Stars typically do not emit much mid-infrared light. Instead, they are easiest to detect in ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. In this MIRI view, two types of stars can be identified. The stars at the end of the thick, dusty pillars have recently eroded the material surrounding them. They show up in red because their atmospheres are still enshrouded in cloaks of dust. In contrast, blue tones indicate stars that are older and have shed most of their gas and dust.

Mid-infrared light also details dense regions of gas and dust. The red region toward the top, which forms a delicate V shape, is where the dust is both diffuse and cooler. And although it may seem like the scene clears toward the bottom left of this view, the darkest gray areas are where densest and coolest regions of dust lie. Notice that there are many fewer stars and no background galaxies popping into view.

Webb’s mid-infrared data will help researchers determine exactly how much dust is in this region – and what it’s made of. These details will make models of the Pillars of Creation far more precise. Over time, we will begin to more clearly understand how stars form and burst out of these dusty clouds over millions of years.

Contrast this view with Webb’s near-infrared light image.

MIRI was contributed by ESA and NASA, with the instrument designed and built by a consortium of nationally funded European Institutes (the MIRI European Consortium) in partnership with JPL and the University of Arizona.

Credits

Science

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Image Processing

Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

About The Object
Object Name M16, Eagle Nebula, NGC 6611
Object Description Emission Nebula
R.A. Position 18:18:48.17
Dec. Position -13:48:26.03
Constellation Serpens
Distance 6,500 light-years (2,000 parsecs)
Dimensions Image is approximately 7 light-years across
About The Data
Data Description This image was created from JWST data from proposal: (K. Pontoppidan)
Instrument JWST>MIRI
Exposure Dates 14 Aug 2022
Filters F770W, F1130W, F1500W
About The Image
Color Info These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the James Webb Space Telescope using the MIRI instrument. Several filters were used to sample different infrared wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are:    Blue: F770W, Green: F1130W, Red: F1500W
Compass Image Many layers and pillars of semi-opaque gas and dust overlay one another. These regions appear light blue and dark gray-blue. The first pillar starts at the bottom left and extends to the top right. There is one prominent red star, with tiny spikes at its tip. Lower on this pillar, there are several darker areas of dust that jut out, many with bright red stars that appear as small red dots at their ends. Below the top pillar are two slightly smaller pillars, both ending in dark gray-blue regions. The second pillar has a dark arch that looks like an upside-down L halfway down. The background of this scene is washed in shades of red. Toward the top center is a V shape. At its lowest point, the V is a brilliant red. There are only several dozen tiny bright white and blue stars in this overall scene. Larger stars appear redder and are embedded in the pillars. Please reference the extended text description for more details.
About The Object
Object Name A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
Object Description The type of astronomical object.
R.A. Position Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
Dec. Position Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
Constellation One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
Distance The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
Dimensions The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
About The Data
Data Description
  • Proposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
  • Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
Instrument The science instrument used to produce the data.
Exposure Dates The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
Filters The camera filters that were used in the science observations.
About The Image
Image Credit The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content.
Publication Date The date and time the release content became public.
Color Info A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.
Orientation The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere.

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