This dear James Webb returns to the charge this weekend with a sublime shot. And the star present in this picture is well known, since it is once again the pillars of creation!
But there are obviously new elements to observe compared to the previous photo published.
A spookier vibe
On October 19, NASA unveiled the latest feat of the James Webb Telescope. This then offered us a masterful photograph of the pillars of creation. These columns of gas, which extend over about 4 light-years, are in fact areas in which many stars form. If the first photo of the space telescope displayed shimmering colors, the game changes radically with this new preview.
As we can see above, the rendering is now much darker. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that James Webb captured the photo in the mid-infrared via the MIRI instrument, and not in the near-infrared using NIRCam. The interstellar dust is then considerably highlighted in relation to the stars in the background. At such a wavelength, the stars are simply less noticeable.
Place for youth
In its article, NASA mentions the fact that MIRI primarily captures the envelope of gas coated by the youngest stars. These are the reddest observable on the image (see below). As for the blue ones, they are obviously older, since they have lost a large part of their gas mantle. Finally, the dark gray areas are those loaded with dense dust. The bright red at the top of the photo (with a sort of V emerging) indicates the place where the dust is both diffuse and fresh.
A real treat for the eyes… If you want to obtain a magnificent wallpaper for your smartphone, don’t hesitate to download this snapshot of the pillars of creation in its maximum definition at this address.
Source : NASA
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