M16: A Star Forming Pillar from Webb
What's happening inside this interstellar mountain? Stars are forming. The mountain is actually a column of gas and dust in the picturesque Eagle Nebula (M16). A pillar like this is so low in density that you could easily fly though it -- it only appears solid because of its high dust content and great depth . The glowing areas are lit internally by newly formed stars . These areas shine in red and infrared light because blue light is scattered away by intervening interstellar dust . The featured image was captured recently in near-infrared light in unprecedented detail by the James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST ), launched late last year. Energetic light, abrasive wind s, and final supernova s from these young stars will slowly destroy this stellar birth column over the next 100,000 years . Astrophysicists: Browse 2,900+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library