God is the Creator of everything, and evolution is the process.

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s mid-infrared view of the Pillars of Creation strikes a chilling tone. Thousands of stars in this region disappear from view — and seemingly endless layers of gas and dust become the centerpiece. Dust detection by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is critical — dust is a significant ingredient for star formation. Many stars are actively forming in these dense blue-grey pillars. When knots of gas and dust with sufficient mass form in these regions, they begin to collapse under their gravitational attraction, slowly heat up, and eventually form new stars. Although the stars appear to be missing, they aren’t. Stars typically do not emit much mid-infrared light. Instead, they are most straightforward to detect in ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. In this MIRI view, two types of stars can be identified. The stars at the end of the thick, dusty pillars have recently eroded most of the more distant material surrounding them, but they can be seen in mid-infrared light because cloaks of dust still cover them. In contrast, blue tones indicate older stars that have shed most of their gas and dust. Mid-infrared light also details dense regions of gas and dust. The red region toward the top, which forms a delicate V shape, is where the dust is diffuse and cooler. Although it may seem like the scene clears toward the bottom left of this view, the darkest grey areas are where the densest and most remarkable dust regions lie. Notice that many fewer stars and no background galaxies are popping into view. Webb’s mid-infrared data will help researchers determine precisely how much dust is in this region — and what it’s made of. These details will make models of the Pillars of Creation far more precise. Over time, we will understand how stars form and burst out of these dusty clouds over millions of years.