The team of the James Webb Space Telescope has published a new photo of the Pillars of Creation in the mid-infrared range, which strikes with a terrifying view. The picture was published on October 28. The photo shows how different the image of a celestial object can look depending on the wavelength of light that the camera is tuned to.
Earlier this month, James Webb captured the Pillars of Creation using a near-infrared camera (NIRCam) and was able to create a fascinating 122-megapixel photograph of one of the most beautiful celestial objects that astronomers have observed. This time, JWST used its mid-infrared instrument (MIRI), which better demonstrates the saturation of this region with interstellar dust. The last, according to NASA, is the main ingredient for the formation of stars.
The red area at the top of the image, forming a V-shape, is where the cosmic dust is hotter. At the bottom of this photo, dark gray areas are depicted — this is the place where the cosmic dust is the coldest.
The viewer also notices the difference between a week-old photograph and a fresh photo of the Pillars of Creation, namely, the absence of a bright scattering of stars. This is because stars don’t emit much light in the mid-infrared spectrum. The James Webb team explains that luminaries are easier to detect in the ultraviolet, visible and near infrared range.
Data in the mid-infrared range helps researchers determine the amount of dust in the region and its composition, which will allow them to create more accurate models of the Pillars of Creation and help better understand how stars are formed in them.
Earlier we reported on how James Webb’s fascinating picture was turned into a joke.
According to Webb Telescope
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