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Pillars of Creation Resources for Learners and Educators

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Mosaic of the Pillars of Creation visualization model, composed of 4 rectangular strips oriented 45 degrees clockwise from vertical. Strips alternate between Hubble and Webb views of the visualization model, with each strip labeled: “Hubble” at lower right corners of first and third strips; “Webb” at upper left corners of the second and fourth strips. Webb strips have drop shadows that make it look like they are overlaid on top of larger Hubble image. Mosaic shows 3 vertical structures (pillars) of thick smoke-like material. Pillar edges are glowing, with thin wisps of material moving away into space. In Hubble strips, pillars are dark brown and opaque, on greenish blue background. In Webb strips, pillars are bright orange to brown with a distinct area of bright red at the top of middle pillar. A red star appears at the tip of a peak in the left pillar and the background is deep blue.
June 2024

About This Article

Made famous in 1995 by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, the Pillars of Creation, a star-forming region in the heart of the Eagle Nebula, has captured imaginations worldwide for its arresting, ethereal beauty.

NASA’s Universe of Learning has released a new 3D visualization, 3D model, and page of resources focusing on these towering space structures. The visualization, which uses data from NASA’s Hubble, James Webb, and Spitzer space telescopes, as well as the Chandra X-ray Observatory, is the most comprehensive and detailed multiwavelength movie yet of this star-birthing region. The movie takes visitors into the three-dimensional structures of the pillars. Rather than an artistic interpretation, the video is based on observational data from a science paper led by Anna McLeod, an associate professor at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. McLeod also served as a scientific advisor on the movie project.

The 3D model was created using the same 3D model as the visualization. All the parts are available to be printed using a 3D printer and assembled yourself!

All of these resources and more can be found on the Pillars of Creation resource page. The page contains videos, activities, and other resources to explore the science of the Pillars of Creation as well as the life cycle of stars. 

Read more about these resources here