Pillars of Creation
NASA / ESA / Hubble, 2014
Dark columns. Bright rims. Stars trying to get out of a cloud that is eating itself. What looks solid is a shadow of gas, already leaving.
About this work
The Pillars of Creation are columns of interstellar gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula, in the constellation Serpens, some 6,500–7,000 light-years from Earth. They were first recorded by John Charles Duncan in 1920 at Mount Wilson Observatory, but they became famous through a Hubble Space Telescope photograph taken on April 1, 1995 by Jeff Hester and Paul Scowen of Arizona State University. The name refers to the fact that the gas and dust are forming new stars even as light from nearby young stars erodes them. This image is Hubble's return visit, made in 2014 with the Wide Field Camera 3 installed in 2009. It combines several exposures into a sharper and wider view that shows more of the base of the columns. According to the release, the towering pillars are about 5 light-years tall, and the dark, finger-like feature at lower right may be a smaller version of the giant pillars. The region was later photographed by the James Webb Space Telescope in 2022.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikimedia Commons
Print facts
- Native resolution
- 6,780 × 7,071 px
- Sharp at 150 ppi up to
- 45 × 47 in
- Sizes
- Small (19 × 20 in) · $100 · 354 ppi
Medium (23 × 24 in) · $150 · 295 ppi
Large (35 × 36 in) · $300 · 194 ppi - Price includes
- Frame and US shipping · 14–21 days · 30-day returns
FAQ
Where can I buy a framed print of Pillars of Creation?
Here. Pillars of Creation is available as a framed print in three sizes: Small (19 × 20 in) for $100, Medium (23 × 24 in) for $150 and Large (35 × 36 in) for $300. Prices include the frame and US shipping; delivery takes 14–21 days, with 30-day returns.
What size works best for Pillars of Creation?
The file is 6,780 × 7,071 px, so every size is sharp: even Large (35 × 36 in) prints at 194 ppi. Choose Large (35 × 36 in) for a large wall; Small (19 × 20 in) suits a narrower space.
Is it legal to print Pillars of Creation?
Yes. The image was released by NASA, ESA and the Space Telescope Science Institute. NASA and STScI material is not protected by copyright in the United States unless noted, and ESA publishes its copy under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, so it can be printed with credit to NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA). A print does not imply endorsement by NASA or ESA.
