Pillars Of Creation are massive pillars of gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula, which are about 4 light-years tall and 6 light-years wide. They were first discovered in 1995 by the Hubble Space Telescope. The Pillars Of Creation are composed of molecular hydrogen, atomic helium, dust, and other trace elements.
The pillars get their name from their resemblance to church columns or pillars. They are also sometimes called “Eagle’s Nest” because they are located in the Eagle Nebula.
The Pillars Of Creation are thought to be sites of star formation. In fact, many stars have already been formed within them. The mostmassive stars in the pillars are about 100 times more massive than our Sun. These massive stars emit ultraviolet radiation that ionizes the surrounding gas and dust, making it glow.
The Glow is caused by fluorescence when high-energy photons strike molecules of gas. This makes the gas glow with colors that depend on the type of molecule that is hit by the photon. For example, molecular hydrogen (H2) will fluoresce with a red color, while atomic oxygen (O) will fluoresce greenish-blue.
The Pillars Of Creation are not static structures; they are constantly changing as new stars form within them and existing stars die off or leave the area. Additionally, the ultraviolet radiation from nearby star formations is slowly eroding away at the pillars. Scientists believe that eventually, over a period of millions of years, the Pillars Of Creation will be completely destroyed