NASA has released a new 3D visualization of the Pillars of Creation, using data from the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. This detailed, multiwavelength movie, reported by Science Daily, offers the most comprehensive view of these star-forming clouds to date.
The Pillars of Creation, located in the heart of the Eagle Nebula, became famous through images captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, captivating imaginations worldwide with their ethereal beauty.

“By flying past and amongst the pillars, viewers experience their three-dimensional structure and see how they look different in the Hubble visible-light view versus the Webb infrared-light view,” explained Frank Summers, principal visualization scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore. Summers, who led the movie development team for NASA’s Universe of Learning, added, “The contrast helps them understand why we have more than one space telescope to observe different aspects of the same object.“
The Pillars of Creation, primarily composed of cool molecular hydrogen and dust, are being eroded by fierce winds and intense ultraviolet light from nearby hot, young stars. Finger-like structures, larger than our solar system, extend from the tops of the pillars, potentially housing embryonic stars. The tallest pillar spans three light-years, equivalent to three-quarters of the distance between our Sun and the nearest star.
