The "Pillars of Creation" refer to a famous astronomical image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, showcasing towering columns of interstellar gas and dust within the Eagle Nebula (also known as Messier 16 or M16). The Eagle Nebula is located about 7,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Serpens.
These pillars are immense structures, several light-years in length, and they are primarily composed of hydrogen gas and dust. The image highlights the ongoing process of star formation within the pillars, where new stars are born from the gravitational collapse of dense regions within the gas and dust clouds.
The striking appearance of the Pillars of Creation is due to a combination of factors. The intense ultraviolet radiation from nearby young, massive stars causes the gas to glow, and the pillars themselves cast shadows across the nebula. Over time, the energetic radiation from these stars will also erode and sculpt the pillars.
While the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula are particularly iconic, similar structures can be found in other regions of space. These formations, known as "elephant trunks" or "interstellar pillars," are relatively common in star-forming regions throughout the universe. They occur where dense molecular clouds are sculpted by the intense radiation and stellar winds from nearby hot, massive stars.
Examples of other prominent pillars include those found in the Carina Nebula and the Cone Nebula. These structures provide valuable insights into the processes of star birth and the interaction between massive stars and their surrounding environments. As our telescopes and observational capabilities continue to improve, we will likely discover and study more of these intriguing formations in different parts of the universe.