The latest image released from the Spitzer Space Telescope shows infant stars “hatching” in the head of Orion. Astronomers think that a supernova 3 million years ago sent shockwaves through the region, collapsing clouds of gas and dust, and beginning a new generation of star formation.
The region imaged by Spitzer is called Barnard 30, located about 1,300 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Orion. More specifically, it’s located right beside the star considered to be Orion’s head, Lambda Orionis.
Since the region is shrouded in dark clouds of gas and dust that obscure visible light images, this was an ideal target for Spitzer, which can peer right through them in the infrared spectrum. The tints of orange-red glow are dust particles warmed by the newly forming stars. The reddish-pink dots are the young stars themselves, embedded in the clouds of gas and dust.
Original Source: Spitzer News Release
Recent Posts
Flowing Martian Water was Protected by Sheets of Carbon Dioxide
Mars' ancient climate is one of our Solar System's most perplexing mysteries. The planet was…
Japan Launches the First Wooden Satellite to Space
Space debris, which consists of pieces of spent rocket stages, satellites, and other objects launched…
You Can Build a Home Radio Telescope to Detect Clouds of Hydrogen in the Milky Way
If I ask you to picture a radio telescope, you probably imagine a large dish…
A Space Walking Robot Could Build a Giant Telescope in Space
The Hubble Space Telescope was carried to space inside the space shuttle Discovery and then…
New Report Details What Happened to the Arecibo Observatory
In 1963, the Arecibo Observatory became operational on the island of Puerto Rico. Measuring 305…
We Understand Rotating Black Holes Even Less Than We Thought
The theory of black holes has several mathematical oddities. Recent research shows our understanding of…