Free Astronomy Magazine January-February 2023

15 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023 the fringes of the pillars. In con- trast, the blue stars that dot the scene are aging, which means they have shed most of their layers of gas and dust. Mid-infrared light excels at observ- ing gas and dust in extreme detail. This is also unmistakable through- out the background. The densest areas of dust are the darkest shades of gray. The red region to- ward the top, which forms an un- canny V, like an owl with out- stretched wings, is where the dust is diffuse and cooler. Notice that no background galaxies make an ap- pearance – the interstellar medium in the densest part of the Milky Way’s disk is too swollen with gas and dust to allow their distant light to penetrate. How vast is this land- scape? Trace the topmost pillar, landing on the bright red star jut- ting out of its lower edge like a broomstick. This star and its dusty shroud are larger than the size of our entire solar system. This scene was first captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 and revisited in 2014, but many other observatories, like NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, have also gazed deeply at the Pillars of Creation. With every observation, astronomers gain new information, and through their ongoing research build a deeper understanding of this star-forming region. Each wavelength of light and ad- vanced instrument delivers far more precise counts of the gas, dust, and stars, which inform researchers’ models of how stars form. As a result of the new MIRI image, astronomers now have higher reso- lution data in mid-infrared light than ever before, and will analyze its far more precise dust measure- ments to create a more complete three-dimensional landscape of this distant region. N ASA's James Webb Space Tel- escope produced this spec- tacular scene from the Pil- lars of Creation, where a “ghost” haunts the crag in the lower left, a gargoyle-like shape snarls toward the middle of the frame, and a dark horse’s head charges out of the edge of the second pillar. The newly formed stars take on the ap- pearance of protruding, bloodshot eyes. And in the background, dust dances like heavy, ancient curtains being pulled shut. Instead, dust in Webb’s image is like the dawn. It is an essential ingredient for star for- mation. Though cloaked, these pil- lars are bursting with activity. Newly forming stars hide within these dark gray chambers, and oth- ers, like red rubies, have jumped into view. Over time, Webb’s mid- infrared image will allow re- searchers to deeply explore the gas and dust in this region, and more precisely model how stars form over millions of years. Why does mid-infrared light set such a somber, chilling mood in Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) image? Interstellar dust cloaks the scene. And while mid-infrared light specializes in detailing where dust is, the stars aren’t bright enough at these wavelengths to appear. In- stead, these looming, leaden-hued pillars of gas and dust gleam at their edges, hinting at the activity within. Thousands and thousands of stars have formed in this region. This is made plain when examining Webb’s recent Near-Infrared Cam- era (NIRCam) image. In MIRI’s view, the majority of the stars appear missing. Why? Many newly formed stars are no longer surrounded by enough dust to be detected in mid- infrared light. Instead, MIRI ob- serves young stars that have not yet cast off their dusty “cloaks.” These are the crimson orbs toward !