The Pillars of Creation is the 24th Interstellar Object, the 7th Nebula and the 3rd Diffuse obtained in The Beyond Bubble Universe, which can generate Stardust. (Unlocked at Rank 24, branching off of Eagle Nebula)
In-Game Description[]
"Rocketed to fame by a Hubble Space Telescope image, these twisting columns of gas and dust rise 4 to 5 light years inside the Eagle Nebula. Their theatrical glow is courtesy of a nearby star cluster, whose UV energy is gradually eroding the tops of the pillars."
Traits[]
Common[]
- Piercing Clouds (Speed):
"The pillars fade when viewed in infrared, a wavelength that zips through dust like X-rays through flesh, revealing a field of background stars. Note the big, young stars inside the columns and the bright red spots, which are new stars forming."
- Past Their Prime (Payout):
"X-ray images from the Chandra space telescope bring super high-energy stars to light. There are relatively few inside the Pillars of Creation, which means their prime star-making days have passed."
Rare[]
- Cosmic Dust (Payout):
"Cosmic dust goes everywhere: It’s in interstellar space, between galaxies and stars and planets, orbiting bodies, and even falling to Earth as meteoroids. The particles can be organic or inorganic matter, and most of them are extremely tiny—a few molecules or so."
Epic[]
- Cosmology (Speed):
"The scientific study of the universe asks the very biggest questions. How did it form? What came before? How does it work? Is it infinite? Will it die? All the pieces we observe—comets, moons, planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, and even voids—provide some answers."
- Dark Matter (Payout):
"Dark matter acts like a superhero. It’s everywhere in space and yet invisible. Its gravity distorts huge objects that we can see. It can even buttress a dwarf galaxy against annihilation by a giant one. The duo of dark matter and dark energy make up 95% of the universe."
- Dark Energy (Discount):
"Little is known about dark energy, except that it’s repulsive. Opposing gravity, this strange force causes matter to scatter rather than attract, pushing our universe to expand faster and faster. Dark energy makes up 68% of the universe’s mass-energy density."
Constellations[]
- Eridanus (1.5x Speed):
"Eridanus, The River, is the longest constellation in the sky. It starts near Rigel and twists and turns all the way to its brightest star, Achernar (“River’s End” in Arabic). It was named after Eridu, an early Sumerian city in the marshes of what is now southern Iraq."
- Perseus (2x Speed):
"With his pointy head and boxy chest, Greek hero Perseus stands by Andromeda, his wife. In mid-August, during Earth’s annual whoosh through the dust of comet Swift-Tuttle, gaze their way at the Perseid meteor shower. It’s visible worldwide but flashiest in the north."
- Serpens (1.5x Speed):
"The long belly of the Serpent is hidden by the grasping hands and body of Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer. Only its tail (left) and V-shaped head emerge, marked by a triangle of bright stars. The Eagle Nebula, visible with a small telescope, nests in the tail."
Achievements[]
- Rho Ophiuchi (Rank 3):
"This chaotic nursery popped into view thanks to Webb’s infrared camera. Polar gas jets from new stars crisscross the complex clouds. Some youngsters have protoplanetary disks, and a heavyweight star called S2 has carved out its own glowing cave at the center."
- Low Birth Rate (Rank 6):
"With some 400 billion stars already, how often does the Milky Way gain new ones? Every year roughly four solar masses’ worth of gas ignite into seven stars, give or take. Most of the stars are red dwarfs, smaller than the Sun."
