The stunning Eagle Nebula, often called the Pillars of Creation, is one of the universe’s most recognizable features. A renowned photograph captured by the Hubble Space Telescope showcases these majestic pillars, and to mark its 35th anniversary, Hubble has revisited the nebula to capture new imagery.
The image displayed below reveals an impressive formation of gas and dust, an intricate part of the Eagle Nebula. Towering at 9.5 light-years in height, this structure is composed of cold hydrogen gas, within which new stars are forming amid the nebula’s cloud-like formations.
This awe-inspiring formation of swirling gas and dark dust, while only a small segment of the Eagle Nebula, is striking in its beauty. It spans 9.5 light-years and lies 7,000 light-years away from our planet. This dusty marvel has been revitalized with new processing techniques, celebrated as part of ESA/Hubble’s 35th anniversary. ESA/Hubble & NASA, K. Noll
As Hubble scientists describe, “The core of the nebula, which lies beyond the view of this image, is home to a cluster of youthful stars. These stars have carved out a vast cavity at the nebula’s center, resulting in the creation of pillars and globules of dusty gas. One distinct feature of this area extends like a finger pointing towards the center, where the active young star cluster resides.”
This stellar activity contributes to the nebula’s sculpted appearance. Young stars shine brightly and give off significant amounts of radiation, along with a flow of particles known as stellar wind. This stellar wind shapes the surrounding clouds of dust and gas, leading to the remarkable formations seen in the image. Some of the gas becomes ionized due to the stars’ radiation, causing it to emit a radiant glow. Conversely, where dust is densely packed, it appears opaque, creating the dark silhouettes captured in the photograph.
The various hues present in the image represent different elemental compositions within the nebula. The blue tones primarily stem from ionized oxygen, while the red tones emerge from hydrogen. However, this dark structure is not eternal; over time, the radiation from young stars will gradually erode the pillars.
Our cosmos is filled with a variety of stunning and intriguing celestial objects, and we have the privilege of observing many of them through advanced instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope. A recent image captured by Webb presents a striking perspective of the Flame Nebula, an emission nebula nestled within the constellation Orion.
This nebula serves as a vibrant stellar nursery, teeming with the birth of new stars. However, in this instance, researchers were focused not on stars but on intriguing entities called brown dwarfs. These objects are larger than most planets yet smaller than stars, and they lack the mass necessary to initiate fusion in their cores. Therefore, they are often dubbed as failed stars.
The aim of the research was to establish the boundary between stars and brown dwarfs. Specifically, what is the minimum mass required for an object to begin fusion and become a star?
“The objective of this project was to investigate the fundamental low-mass threshold involved in star and brown dwarf formation. With Webb’s capabilities, we can analyze the faintest and lightest objects,” elucidated lead author Matthew De Furio from the University of Texas at Austin in a statement.
This near-infrared image of a portion of the Flame Nebula from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope highlights three low-mass objects, which are cooler than protostars and require Webb’s sensitive instruments for detection. These objects were analyzed to explore the lowest mass limits of brown dwarfs within the Flame Nebula.NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Michael Meyer (University of Michigan)
The Webb image focuses on three brown dwarfs. Although they may resemble protostars, these distinct objects were the primary subjects of the researchers’ studies.
Stars and brown dwarfs emerge from substantial molecular clouds that fragment into smaller pieces. When these fragments are subjected to gravitational pressure, they heat up, and with enough material, stars begin to form. Understanding the heat emitted by these objects is crucial in distinguishing between the formation of a star and that of a brown dwarf.
“The cooling of these clouds is significant because sufficient internal energy counteracts gravity,” explained fellow researcher Michael Meyer from the University of Michigan. “If the clouds cool effectively, they collapse and partition.”
Researchers believe that the transition point from star formation to brown dwarf formation may lie around two to three times the mass of Jupiter. However, identifying these relatively smaller objects poses a challenge, prompting them to leverage data from both the Hubble Space Telescope and Webb.
“Conducting this research on brown dwarfs down to ten Jupiter masses from Earth is quite challenging, particularly in areas like this,” remarked De Furio. “The wealth of Hubble data amassed over the last 30 years made us realize this is a valuable star-forming region to examine, and Webb is essential for our current scientific inquiries.”
This collage features a near-infrared light view from Hubble on the left, while the two insets on the right display near-infrared images captured by Webb. The Webb images provide a clearer view through previously obscured dark gas and dust, revealing a more luminous cloud with young stars and brown dwarfs.NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Michael Meyer (University of Michigan), Matthew De Furio (UT Austin), Massimo Robberto (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
This graphic illustrates how data from both Hubble and Webb can complement each other effectively.
“The advancements from Hubble to Webb represent a significant leap in our capabilities to comprehend these phenomena,” stated Massimo Robberto from the Space Telescope Science Institute. “Webb is truly unlocking a fresh realm of possibilities for understanding these celestial objects.”
The Hubble Space Telescope has recently captured a stunning image of the vibrant star-forming region known as the Tarantula Nebula. This nebula, named for its intricate, web-like structure, resides in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It is a focal point for astronomers studying the dynamics of star formation and evolution.
The latest image showcases the periphery of the nebula rather than its dense center. While the core is home to massive stars up to 200 times our sun’s mass, the outer edges present a more tranquil scene.
According to the Hubble scientists, “The area depicted in this image is characterized by soft blue gas, patches of brownish-orange dust, and a scattering of multicolored stars.” They elaborate that the stars obscured by the dust appear redder due to the dust’s tendency to absorb and scatter blue light more effectively than red light. As a result, the red light reaches our observations more readily. The image integrates various wavelengths, including ultraviolet, infrared, and visible light.
“By examining dusty nebulae in the Large Magellanic Cloud and other galaxies through Hubble’s observations, scientists can study distant cosmic dust grains, enhancing our understanding of their role in the birth of new stars and planets,” they add.
Hubble has previously photographed the Tarantula Nebula, with notable images released in 2023 and 2020. This nebula gained further recognition when the James Webb Space Telescope selected it as a significant target, producing a breathtaking image in 2022 that highlighted its rich details.
NASA reports: This mosaic spans 340 light-years and shows the Tarantula Nebula’s star-forming region in unprecedented detail, revealing tens of thousands of young stars previously hidden by cosmic dust, with the most active regions glowing in pale blue.NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team
Young stars emit significant amounts of radiation and shine brightly, often surpassing older stars like our sun. Star formation occurs when dense clusters of dust and gas form, gradually attracting more material through gravity, which leads to the creation of protostars.
While there is some debate about the exact rate of star formation in the Milky Way, it is generally accepted that our galaxy produces many more stars than the nearby Andromeda galaxy. The Large Magellanic Cloud, being a smaller galaxy, has a surprisingly high rate of star formation and is conveniently nearby, making it a prime location for studying how stars come to be. Telescopes like Hubble and James Webb are continuously unveiling new insights into star formation in this dynamic galactic neighbor.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the public’s attention over the past few years, but we must not overlook the venerable Hubble Space Telescope. While Webb boasts advanced technology and enhances our view of the cosmos, it is by no means a substitute for Hubble. New comparisons of images from both observatories highlight their unique strengths, showcasing the benefits of having both instruments working together for scientific exploration.
The spiral galaxy NGC 2090, featured in Webb’s image above, was captured using the MIRI and NIRCam instruments. These tools operate within the mid-infrared and near-infrared sections of the electromagnetic spectrum, resulting in the galaxy’s arms appearing bright red. This impressive display originates from swirling gas and dust, containing compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that emit an infrared glow. Meanwhile, the blue center indicates a region filled with young, hot stars.
This captivating image from NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope showcases the spiral galaxy NGC 2090 in the constellation Columba. ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker
In contrast, Hubble’s view of the same galaxy, captured in visible light, reveals a different perspective. Here, the spiral arms are less prominent, but patchy areas of dust forming the galaxy’s disc become more evident.
NGC 2090 is a dynamic galaxy characterized by ongoing star formation across various stages of star development. The diverse ages of stars present offer valuable insights for researchers studying stellar evolution, allowing them to observe the life cycles of stars in differing stages. This galaxy was chosen for Webb’s observation as part of a broader project focused on understanding stellar evolution in nearby galaxies that are still in the process of star formation.
Hubble’s observations of NGC 2090 also contribute to research on star formation and were utilized in an initiative called the Extragalactic Distance Scale Key Project. This project centers around a specific type of star, known as Cepheid variable stars, which play a crucial role in determining the universe’s expansion rate.
