From the Spitzer Space Telescope: "A Nebula Seen in Different Light"

[pmbryant]

A beautiful new image from a space telescope of the Trifid Nebula, where stars are being formed. Not from Hubble this time, but from Spitzer—the infrared space telescope. With infrared light, we are able to peer through the dusty veil and see into the heart of the star-forming region.

?x

Caption:

In the visible spectrum, left, the 20-lightyear- wide Trifid Nebula glows pink and blue, with dark arms of dust and gas stretching out from its center. Astronomers have now seen the nebula in a different light — longer wavelength infrared — and discovered that it is about to give birth to a family of new stars. In the infrared image, right, taken by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, 30 embryonic stars, including 10 that had been obscured by the dust, appear as points of light. Dr. Jeonghee Rho, the principal investigator, said the future stars were still warming up and would not ignite for tens of thousands of years. KENNETH CHANG

Here's the original press release for anyone who wants to know more about this: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2005-02/release.shtml

--Peter

[Aiptasia]

1. Pretty...

[havocmom]

2. WAY cool! Thanks for the post and links

am an old nebula fan from way back.

Stood in line for ages at University of Az one night during the time the comets hit Jupiter. The armature astronomers were out in force with their scopes and probably 2000-4000 people viewing. Great to see parents with kids everywhere!

Sadly, by the time I made my way in line to the big university planetarium scope, Jupiter had set. Poor me, I had to look at the Orion Nebula through that big ol scope, whose' mirror had just been refinished!

SOOOOOOO COOL!

[pmbryant]

4. A different view of the Orion Nebula

Psychedelic...

?x

The Orion Nebula through a big scope has got to be more spectacular than Jupiter anyway. :-)

Though Jupiter ain't bad.

--Peter

[havocmom]

6. Uof A during the time of the comets smashing into Jupiter was a jumping

place! I bopped to the planetarium as much as I could after work. Happened to be there a day or two before comets hit; just in time to see one astronomer running in, yelling that the mirror was done for the big scope. Two others joined in, jumping, hugging, carrying on like 3 little kids who just got bicycles!

They set up TV with the live NASA feed and a bunch of chairs for the hits and the whole dept was there. Cool place to hang out.

Orion through a big scope on the desert: priceless.
If you ever get to Tucson, there's lots of sky watching goin on! The U and its various observatories, The new scopes on Mt Graham to the east, Kitt Peak scopes to the southwest and a really fine armatures club which is very active and involved in getting the community interested. Kicking place!

[prolesunited]

3. You may know all the hows and whys of these

but I'll just say "wow"

Thanks for sharing. :-)

[pmbryant]

5. I wish I knew

I say "wow" myself quite often these days.

:-)