According to a report by the UK's Daily Mail on January 5, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the famous "Pillars of Creation" photo, the Hubble Telescope has taken new images. NASA recently released the latest pictures of the towering columns of interstellar gas and dust within the Eagle Nebula, showcasing their incredibly stunning imagery.
Under infrared light, the outlines of the "Pillars of Creation" can be seen.
The original "Pillars of Creation" photo was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 and is one of its most classic images. The new image captured by Hubble is clearer than before and has a wider field of view. It also reveals the base of the gas pillars for the first time.
Astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to photograph the same area under both visible light and infrared conditions. Under infrared light, the outlines of the gas pillars can be seen against a star-studded background, and newborn stars hidden within the pillars are also visible, as infrared light can penetrate most of the gas and dust except in the densest areas of the pillars.
Researchers said: "Although such pillar-like formations are common in star-forming regions, the gas pillars in the Eagle Nebula are by far the most photogenic and thought-provoking." The "Pillars of Creation" are extremely popular and have appeared multiple times in movies or TV programs, as well as on T-shirts, pillows, and stamps.
Researchers pointed out that these pillar-shaped structures come into being very fleetingly, making them all the more impressive. Paul Scowen of Arizona State University and Jeff Hester, a former member of the Hubble team that observed the Eagle Nebula, explained: "We captured these gas pillars at a very unique and fleeting moment in their evolution."
The latest photos taken by the Hubble Telescope show that the "Pillars of Creation" are clearer than in the original image and have a wider field of view.