M16: A Star Forming Pillar from Webb
What’s happening inside this interstellar mountain?
Stars are forming.
The mountain is actually a column of gas and dust in the
picturesque Eagle Nebula (M16).
A pillar like this is so
low in density that you could easily
fly though it --
it only appears solid because of its high
dust
content and
great depth.
The glowing areas are lit internally by
newly formed stars.
These areas shine in
red and
infrared
light because
blue light
is scattered away by intervening
interstellar dust.
The featured image was captured recently in
near-infrared light in unprecedented detail by the
James Webb Space Telescope
(JWST),
launched late last year.
Energetic light, abrasive
winds,
and final
supernovas from
these young stars will
slowly destroy
this stellar birth column over
the next 100,000 years.