[MUSIC PLAYING] NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has snapped this view of the Pillars of Creation in mid-infrared light, showing us a new view of a familiar landscape. Thousands of stars have formed in this region. This is made clear when examining Webb's recent near-infrared image. But in mid-infrared light, the majority of these stars appear to be missing. 

The pillars are flush with gas and dust. While mid-infrared light specializes in detailing where dust is, the stars aren't bright enough at these wavelengths to appear. Instead, mid-infrared light excels at observing gas and dust, like young stars that still have their dusty cloaks. 

These are the crimson orbs toward the fringes of the pillars. In contrast, the blue stars that dot the scene are aging, which means they have already shed most of their layers of gas and dust. How vast is this landscape? This bright red star and its dusty shroud are larger than the size of our entire solar system.