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Pillars of Creation (MIRI Compass Image)

Titled James Webb Space Telescope, Pillars of Creation, M16. Graphic elements added to image are compass arrows, scale bar, and color key. Below the image is a color key showing which MIRI filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter.

This image of the Pillars of Creation, captured by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), shows compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference. It lies within the Eagle Nebula, which is also known as Messier 16 (M16).

The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from below) is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground (as seen from above).

The scale bar is labeled in light-years, which is the distance that light travels in one Earth-year. (It takes 2 years for light to travel a distance equal to the length of the scale bar.) One light-year is equal to about 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers. The field of view shown in this image is approximately 7 light-years across.

This image shows invisible mid-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colors. The color key shows which MIRI filters were used when collecting the light. The color of each filter name is the visible light color used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.

Read the full image caption.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    18:18:48.17
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -13:48:26.03
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Serpens
  • Distance
    DistanceThe 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.
    6,500 light-years (2,000 parsecs)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    Image is approximately 7 light-years across

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: 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.

    This image was created from JWST data from proposal: 2739 (K. Pontoppidan)

  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    JWST>MIRI
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    14 Aug 2022
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F770W, F1130W, F1500W
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    M16, Eagle Nebula, NGC 6611
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Emission Nebula
  • Release Date
    October 28, 2022
  • Science Release
    Haunting Portrait: NASA’s Webb Reveals Dust, Structure in Pillars of Creation
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

Downloads

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Titled James Webb Space Telescope, Pillars of Creation, M16. Graphic elements added to image are compass arrows, scale bar, and color key. Below the image is a color key showing which MIRI filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter.
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

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

Related Images & Videos

Semi-opaque layers of blue and gray gas and dust start at the bottom left and rise toward the top right. There are three prominent pillars. The left pillar is the largest and widest. The peaks of the second and third pillars are set off in darker shades of blue outlines. Few red stars appear within the pillars. Some blue and white stars dot the overall scene.

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...

The video starts zoomed in to the center of the image, which shows semi-opaque layers of blue and gray gas and dust in three prominent pillars. The left pillar is the largest and widest. The peaks of the second and third pillars are set off in darker shades of blue. Few red stars appear within the pillars. Some blue and white stars dot the overall scene. At 17 seconds, the screen dissolves to show Webb’s near-infrared image, which has layers of semi-opaque rusty red colored gas and dust that also form three prominent pillars. At the edges of the pillars are wavy red lines that look like lava. At 28 seconds, the video transitions back to the mid-infrared image, zooming in toward the top of the frame. At 46 seconds, three labels that each read young star appear toward the left of the frame, pointing to the edges of the pillars. At 52 seconds, three stars that appear whiter and outside the pillars are labeled aging star. At 58 seconds, a circle highlights a bright red star at the right edge of the topmost pillar

The Pillars of Creation in Mid-Infrared Light

Compare NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope mid-infrared light image of the Pillars of Creation to its near-infrared light image in this short video tour. Thousands of stars have formed in this region, but interstellar dust cloaks the scene in mid-infrared light, which is why the...

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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Science Credit

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Image Processing Credit

Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

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