James Webb telescope captures images of 'pillars of creation'

NASA has posted images of 'pillars of creation' clicked by James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). These 'pillars' are huge structures of gas and dust that are teeming with stars.

The twinkling of thousands of stars illuminates the telescope's first shot of the gigantic gold, copper and brown columns standing in the midst of the cosmos.

Bright red lava-like spots can be seen at the ends of several pillars.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"These are ejections from stars that are still forming," only a few hundred thousand years old, NASA said in a statement.

These "young stars periodically shoot out supersonic jets that collide with clouds of material, like these thick pillars," added NASA.

These 'pillars of creation' in the Eagle Nebula in Milky Way Galaxy. The nebula is 6,500 light years away from Earth.

The pillars were first captured by Hubble Space Telescope, humanity's original 'eye-in-the-sky'. They were clicked first in 1995 and then again in 2014.

But thanks to Webb's infrared capabilities, the newer telescope -- launched into space less than a year ago -- can peer through the opacity of the pillars, revealing many new stars forming.

"By popular demand, we had to do the Pillars of Creation" with Webb, Klaus Pontoppidan, the science program manager at the Space Telescope Science Institute, said Wednesday on Twitter.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE