Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2026 May 3 [2]A field of stars on the left is mirred by a wall of opaque brown dust on the right. Jutting out from the wall is a long pillar with a rounded end that has a prominent light- colored jet emanating toward the upper left. The stellar background toward the upper left is dark blue. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Trifid Pillars and Jets Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]STScI; Processing: [6]J. DePasquale ([7]STScI) Explanation: Dust pillars are like [8]interstellar mountains. They survive because they are more dense than their surroundings, but they are slowly being [9]eroded away by a hostile environment. Visible in the [10]featured picture by the [11]Hubble Space Telescope is the end of a huge gas and dust pillar in the [12]Trifid Nebula (M20), punctuated by a smaller pillar pointing up and an unusual [13]jet pointing to the upper left. Many of the bright dots are [14]newly formed stars. A star near the small pillar's end is slowly being stripped of its [15]accreting gas by radiation from a tremendously brighter [16]star situated off the top of the image. The [17]jet extends nearly a [18]light-year and would not be visible without external illumination. As gas and [19]dust evaporate from the pillars, the [20]hidden stellar source of this [21]jet will likely be uncovered, possibly over the next 20,000 years. Explore the Universe: [22]Random APOD Generator Tomorrow's picture: inside Earth __________________________________________________________________ [23]< | [24]Archive | [25]Submissions | [26]Index | [27]Search | [28]Calendar | [29]RSS | [30]Education | [31]About APOD | [32]Discuss | [33]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell ([37]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [38]Specific rights apply. [39]NASA Web Privacy, [40]Accessibility, [41]Notices; A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC, [45]NASA Science Activation & [46]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2605/TrifidPillar_Hubble_4074.jpg 3. https://www.nasa.gov/ 4. https://www.esa.int/ 5. https://www.stsci.edu/ 6. https://jdepasquale.com/ 7. https://www.stsci.edu/ 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241022.html 9. https://youtu.be/ChEHQUMEkXw?t=20 10. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-dazzles-with-young-stars-in-trifid-nebula/ 11. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/ 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifid_Nebula 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251205.html 14. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/science-highlights/exploring-the-birth-of-stars/ 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240507.html 16. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/ 17. https://youtu.be/QFwfV2A1ZgY 18. https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html 20. https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ce/fb/c2/cefbc2fb4ca5022aa7f0d5b77d426c50.jpg 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250528.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260502.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 29. https://apod.com/feed.rss 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 32. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260503 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260504.html 34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 40. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 41. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 43. https://www.nasa.gov/ 44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 46. http://www.mtu.edu/