NASAʼs James Webb Space Telescope photographed the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula. They had already been taken by Hubble before — this image became one of the most famous pictures of the telescope.
The "Pillars of Creation" are located in the constellation Serpent at a distance of approximately 7,000 light years from Earth. James Webb peered deeper into the Eagle Nebula than Hubble and revealed stars being born inside dense clouds of gas and dust.
The objects in the photo got the name "Pillars of Creation" because their gas and dust are involved in the process of forming new stars. At the same time, these clouds are destroyed under the light of stars that have already formed.
- On December 25, 2021, NASA launched the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, which would replace the Hubble telescope. It was sent to a distance of 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth — to the point L2. Scientists have high hopes for "James Webb" — it will help to look much deeper into the universe and study galaxies and planets in more detail.
- On December 29, 2021, NASA reported that the telescope would work longer than expected. The analysis of the trajectory showed that its fuel reserve would be enough for more than 10 years of operation.