What looks much like craggy mountains on a moonlit evening is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals previously obscured areas of star birth.

Called the Cosmic Cliffs, the region is actually the edge of a gigantic, gaseous cavity within NGC 3324, roughly 7,600 light-years away. The cavernous area has been carved from the nebula by the intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from extremely massive, hot, young stars located in the center of the bubble, above the area shown in this image. The high-energy radiation from these stars is sculpting the nebula’s wall by slowly eroding it away.

NIRCam – with its crisp resolution and unparalleled sensitivity – unveils hundreds of previously hidden stars, and even numerous background galaxies. Several prominent features in this image are described below.

• The “steam” that appears to rise from the celestial “mountains” is actually hot, ionized gas and hot dust streaming away from the nebula due to intense, ultraviolet radiation.
• Dramatic pillars rise above the glowing wall of gas, resisting the blistering ultraviolet radiation from the young stars.
• Bubbles and cavities are being blown by the intense radiation and stellar winds of newborn stars.
• Protostellar jets and outflows, which appear in gold, shoot from dust-enshrouded, nascent stars.
• A “blow-out” erupts at the top-center of the ridge, spewing gas and dust into the interstellar medium.
• An unusual “arch” appears, looking like a bent-over cylinder.

This period of very early star formation is difficult to capture because, for an individual star, it lasts only about 50,000 to 100,000 years – but Webb’s extreme sensitivity and exquisite spatial resolution have chronicled this rare event.

Located roughly 7,600 light-years away, NGC 3324 was first catalogued by James Dunlop in 1826. Visible from the Southern Hemisphere, it is located at the northwest corner of the Carina Nebula (NGC 3372), which resides in the constellation Carina. The Carina Nebula is home to the Keyhole Nebula and the active, unstable supergiant star called Eta Carinae.

NIRCam was built by a team at the University of Arizona and Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center.

National park Sächsische Schweiz, Germany.

Adobe Lightroom CC.

Nikon D750.

Photo Settings: 24mm, f/8, 1/30 second, ISO 800.

Sunrise at Grand Teton National Park. I took this photo in June, 2018.

Location: Schwabacher's Landing.

Adobe Lightroom.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM.

Photo Settings: 28mm, f/16, 1/2 second, ISO 100.

Reflection of Mount Cook and the surrounding peaks on Lake Pukaki. The mountain was touched with the last sunrays of that day. Endless tranquility.

New Zealand, November 2014.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM.

Taken from Roppongi Hills, Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower is the second tallest structure in Japan.

Apple Aperture, Color Efex Pro.

Nikon D7000.

Photo Settings: 46mm, f/8, ISO 100.

This is a little waterfall hidden amongst the windy roads of Galicia, North Spain, named Mazo De Meredo. Despite visiting in July, there was not one other person here so it was perfect for getting some long exposure shots. The sounds of running water and nature in the surrounding woods was amazing.

Adobe Lightroom.

Nikon D5100.

Map: 43.4382, -6.9947

First time in Yosemite National Park and standing before this magnificent view point, I couldn't help but taking this picture.

Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop.

Nikon D610, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED.

I took this photo in the winter, north of Phoenix, Arizona. I didn't think it would turn out but you can see at least 24 stars which is nice. Obviously the entire Milky Way isn't visible that time of the year but there is a lot less chaos in the photo, as I personally prefer.

A tripod was used, as well as Adobe Lightroom.

Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM.

Photo Settings: 24mm, f/4, 15 seconds, ISO 3200.

I received my new drone a few days before the ending of 2016 but i couldn't fly it here in the Netherlands since we were hit by some heavy fog for a few days. finally on the 30th of December it was clearing up just a little but, which ended up being just enough so i could try out the drone and hover above some trees near my living place. All of the trees were covered in ice but it didn't cover up all the grass on the floor, resulting in some nice orange/red grass coming through the icy scenery.

DJI Phantom 4 Professional, Adobe Photoshop CC 2017.

A winter sunset clouds panorama over the Principality of Monaco, taken in February 2015. The original 433 megapixel ultra high resolution photograph is a 180 degree panorama taken from a cliff above Monaco.

Beautiful pink and purple clouds appear mostly during the sunsets of autumn, winter and early spring, when the Sun sets far out West, lighting up the sky in fabulous colours.

You may download a free high resolution version of this photograph for personal use. For commercial use please contact Crevisio.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM.

Photo Settings: 50mm, f/14, 10 seconds, ISO 50.