Pillars of Creation, MIRI image

Pillars of Creation, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) image by its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). These towering columns are formed of interstellar hydrogen gas and dust. They are part of the Eagle Nebula (M16), a region of active star formation located 6500 light years away in the Serpens constellation. Thousands of stars that exist in the region are not seen in this image because they do not typically emit much mid-infrared light. However, two types of stars can be seen. The stars at the end of the thick, dusty pillars which have recently eroded most of the more distant material surrounding them, but they can be seen in mid-infrared light because they are still surrounded by cloaks of dust. In contrast, blue tones indicate stars that are older and have shed most of their gas and dust., by NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. DePasquale (STScI), A. Pagan (STScI)/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY