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Star Birth

Eagle Nebula (M16)

As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to far infrared light to x-ray light. In visible light: The illumination of the inside of a kind of "cavern" of gas and dust. In far infrared light: Taken by the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory, it reveals the massive, sculpted cavern walls that Webb will see in high definition. In x-ray light: Taken by ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, it shows the massive stars doing the sculpting, pouring off hot, ionizing winds that push back the gas and dust. As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to far infrared light to x-ray light. In visible light: The illumination of the inside of a kind of "cavern" of gas and dust. In far infrared light: Taken by the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory, it reveals the massive, sculpted cavern walls that Webb will see in high definition. In x-ray light: Taken by ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, it shows the massive stars doing the sculpting, pouring off hot, ionizing winds that push back the gas and dust. As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to far infrared light to x-ray light. In visible light: The illumination of the inside of a kind of "cavern" of gas and dust. In far infrared light: Taken by the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory, it reveals the massive, sculpted cavern walls that Webb will see in high definition. In x-ray light: Taken by ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, it shows the massive stars doing the sculpting, pouring off hot, ionizing winds that push back the gas and dust.
Visible: Default View
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X-ray:
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Eagle Nebula (M16)

The Pillars of Creation sit inside a large region of gas and dust being pushed from the inside out by powerful stellar winds. The winds blow back the edges of the cloud, creating dense regions that then collapse under their own gravity to form stars. The characteristic fingers of the Pillars are some of the densest gas in this region, hanging on against the strong winds. In the visible-light view (taken by a ground-based telescope), they are entirely in shadow. The visible view shows the illumination of the inside of a kind of 'cavern' of gas and dust. The infrared view (taken by the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory) reveals the massive, sculpted cavern walls that Webb will see in high definition. ESA's XMM-Newton shows the massive stars doing the sculpting, pouring off hot, ionizing winds that push back the gas and dust.
Visible: The illumination of the inside of a kind of "cavern" of gas and dust.
Far Infrared: Taken by the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory, it reveals the massive, sculpted cavern walls that Webb will see in high definition.
X-ray: Taken by ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, it shows the massive stars doing the sculpting, pouring off hot, ionizing winds that push back the gas and dust.
CREDITS: Visible: MPG/ESO. Infrared: ESA/Herschel/PACS/SPIRE/Hill, Motte, HOBYS Key Programme Consortium. X-ray: ESA/XMM-Newton/EPIC/XMM-Newton-SOC/Boulanger. Web page design credit M. Merin (Pludo) and B. Merin.