Uploaded June 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Made famous in 1995 by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the Pillars of Creation in the heart of the Eagle Nebula have captured imaginations worldwide with their arresting, ethereal beauty.
Now, NASA has released a new 3D visualization of these towering celestial structures using data from NASA's Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. This is the most comprehensive and detailed multiwavelength movie yet of this star-birthing region.
The movie takes visitors into the three-dimensional structures of the pillars. Rather than an artistic interpretation, the video is based on observational data from a science paper led by Anna McLeod, an associate professor at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. McLeod also served as a scientific advisor on the movie project.
The 3D structures are approximations for how the pillars are lined up in space like a row of trees, based on observational data. The goal is to give viewers an experiential view, so that they can better interpret the otherwise flat, two-dimensional images from telescopes.
Read more: science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/new-hubble-webb-pillars-of-creation-visualization
Credit:
Greg Bacon (STSci): Producer
Frank Summers (STSci): Director
Anna McLeod(Durham): Science Advisor
Visualization:
Greg Bacon, Ralf Crawford, Joseph DePasquale, Leah Hustak, Danielle Kirshenblat, Christian Nieves, Joseph Olmsted, Alyssa Pagan, Frank Summers(STSci), Robert Hurt (Caltech/IPAC)
Music Credit:
"Adrift” by Joseph DePasquale (STSci)
While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit: nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html
Made famous in 1995 by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the Pillars of Creation in the heart of the Eagle Nebula have captured imaginations worldwide with their arresting, ethereal beauty.
Now, NASA has released a new 3D visualization of these towering celestial structures using data from NASA's Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. This is the most comprehensive and detailed multiwavelength movie yet of this star-birthing region.
The movie takes visitors into the three-dimensional structures of the pillars. Rather than an artistic interpretation, the video is based on observational data from a science paper led by Anna McLeod, an associate professor at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. McLeod also served as a scientific advisor on the movie project.
The 3D structures are approximations for how the pillars are lined up in space like a row of trees, based on observational data. The goal is to give viewers an experiential view, so that they can better interpret the otherwise flat, two-dimensional images from telescopes.
Read more: science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/new-hubble-webb-pillars-of-creation-visualization
Credit:
Greg Bacon (STSci): Producer
Frank Summers (STSci): Director
Anna McLeod(Durham): Science Advisor
Visualization:
Greg Bacon, Ralf Crawford, Joseph DePasquale, Leah Hustak, Danielle Kirshenblat, Christian Nieves, Joseph Olmsted, Alyssa Pagan, Frank Summers(STSci), Robert Hurt (Caltech/IPAC)
Music Credit:
"Adrift” by Joseph DePasquale (STSci)
While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit: nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html
