Spitzer Views the Orion Nebula

 

Spitzer Zooms in on the Orion Nebula

Spitzer zooms in on the Orion Nebula, a vast stellar nursery located approximately 1,500 light-years away. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Using infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers created a new false-color image of the Orion Nebula.

Few cosmic vistas excite the imagination like the Orion Nebula, an immense stellar nursery some 1,500 light-years away. This stunning false-color view spans about 40 light-years across the region, constructed using infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope. Compared to its visual wavelength appearance, the brightest portion of the nebula is likewise centered on Orion’s young, massive, hot stars, known as the Trapezium Cluster. But the infrared image also detects the nebula’s many protostars, still in the process of formation, seen here in red hues. In fact, red spots along the dark dusty filament to the left of the bright cluster include the protostar cataloged as HOPS 68, recently found to have crystals of the silicate mineral olivine within its protostellar envelope.

 

Be the first to comment on "Spitzer Views the Orion Nebula"

Leave a comment

Email address is optional. If provided, your email will not be published or shared.