7500 light-years from Earth, in a nebula full of newborn stars, lies Mystic Mountain, a massive column of gas and dust. Three light-years long, Mystic Mountain gets its name from its high, craggy landscape, which to the naked eye resembles a mountain. However, NASA Hubble's near-infrared view can peer through the gas and dust, keeping a ghostly outline while allowing astronomers to see the stars inside.

Hubble captured this image of Mystic Mountain in 2010 as it celebrated its 20th year in orbit. More recently, the Karina Nebula (home of Mystic Mountain) was the subject of one of the first full-color science images taken by NASA Webb.

Image description:

A pink and black mountain-like cloud extends upward from the center of this image. In and around it, numerous orange-red stars of various sizes (with four-point diffraction spikes) fill the rest of the image.

Credits: NASA, ESA, Hubble 20th Anniversary Team, Mario Livio (STScI)