The Cosmic Cliffs, revealed by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in July 2022, showcase a stunning celestial scene—towering clouds of gas and dust sculpted by intense radiation and winds from young stars. This mesmerizing image offers a window into star formation, highlighting Webb’s incredible ability to peer through cosmic dust and unveil hidden structures in deep space.
Now, NASA’s Universe of Learning has created a new 3D visualization of the Cosmic Cliffs using data from Webb. They titled it ‘Exploring the Cosmic Cliffs in 3D’. The visualization breathes new life into an iconic Webb image.
The Cosmic Cliffs are part of the nebula Gum 31, home to the young star cluster NGC 3324. Both belong to the massive Carina Nebula Complex, a busy hub of star formation. Powerful ultraviolet light and stellar winds from NGC 3324’s stars have carved out a giant bubble in Gum 31, with part visible just above the Cosmic Cliffs.
The Cosmic Cliffs appear shrouded in mist, with “steam” seemingly rising from their peaks. These wisps are streams of hot, ionized gas and dust pushed away by intense ultraviolet radiation.
Bright yellow streaks and arcs mark outflows from newborn stars still forming within the nebula, while a striking protostellar jet is visible in the upper right of the image.
Frank Summers of the AstroViz Project highlights the power of visualization in helping the public grasp the three-dimensional nature of space, turning a flat image into a dynamic window into the universe.
