Two Views of the Eagle Nebula - Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes

Description:
View the Eagle Nebula in different kinds of light thanks to the Hubble and Webb space telescopes.

First observed by Hubble in 1995, this captivating scene was revisited in 2014 by the telescope. Hubble’s reexamination of this region, seen here, shows a sharper and wider view than its original image. In visible light, the dark brown pillars seem multi-layered and opaque, with only a few red stars able to peek through the columns of gas and dust.

In 2022, astronomers used Webb to observe this same area, knowing its near-infrared imaging capabilities would help reveal details and features unseen in visible light. Webb’s view of the Eagle Nebula reveals many more stars within the thick dust clouds.

The colors of the images’ backgrounds also differ. Hubble’s light green and blue background denotes the oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen gas, as well as the dust in the nebula surrounding the pillars, which mutes most background stars. In contrast, Webb’s bright blue background, which highlights the presence of hydrogen atoms, contains many stars.

It’s important to note that both telescope images are scientifically valuable, each showing the Eagle Nebula and its structure in a different light. The Eagle Nebula is located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Hubble Heritage Project (STScI, AURA).

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