Light from forming stars shines through in this near-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope of the Pillars of Creation. Several newly formed stars within the pillars appear red. Stars are created as knots of gas and dust within the pillars collapse, heat up, and eventually begin shining brightly.
This region appears shrouded in dust to the human eye. But the near-infrared light emitted from the stars within the dusty pillars can be detected by Webb’s instruments.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI).
