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 majority of the stars appear to be missing. A quick dissolve to the near-infrared image proves they are still there, of course.

While mid-infrared light specializes in detailing where dust is – and these pillars are flush with dust and gas – many stars in this region aren’t dusty enough to appear at these wavelengths.

Instead, mid-infrared light reveals which of the young stars still have their dusty “cloaks.” These are the crimson orbs toward the fringes of the pillars. In contrast, the blue stars that dot the scene are aging, which means they have already shed most of their layers of gas and dust.

How vast is this landscape? This bright red star and its dusty shroud are larger than the size of our entire solar system.

Read more about Webb's mid-infrared image of the Pillars of Creation.