Left half of the image: Visible light shows a black to rusty-brown cloud outlined by illuminated, golden clouds. The nebula is sent against a glowing blue cloud dotted with stars. Right half of the image: Infrared light shows a dust cloud dotted with a few bright stars. Hazy pillars of gas and dust rise up toward the right. A bluish-white glow fills the lower-right quadrant. The haze is more transparent as you move toward the upper right corner. Background is dotted with stars.

Visible and Infrared Comparison of NGC 2174

This graphic compares visible-light and infrared views of the same detailed area in the star-forming nebula NGC 2174 from the Hubble Space Telescope. On the left is a visible-light image made by WFPC2 in 2001 and on the right is an image made by the WFC3 infrared camera. Infrared light penetrates more dust and gas than visible light, allowing main details to become visible. A jet of material from a newly forming star is visible in one of the pillars, just above and left of center in the right-hand image. Several galaxies are seen in the infrared view, much more distant than the columns of dust and gas.

Credits: NASA and ESA; Acknowledgment: The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) and J. Hester
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Image CreditNASA and ESA; Acknowledgment: The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) and J. Hester
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