Changing Face of the North America Nebula

Autor:

NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Rebull (SSC/Caltech)

Shortlink:

https://czwiki.cz/b/5e5f6

Zdroj:

Wikimedia Commons

Formát:

6000 x 6003 Pixel (17753901 Bytes)

Popis:

This layout of images reveals how the appearance of the North America nebula can change dramatically using different combinations of visible and infrared observations from the Digitized Sky Survey and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, respectively.

In this progression, the visible-light view (upper left) shows a striking similarity to the North America continent. Each is cropped to the easterly bulk (thus also the quasi-"Gulf of Mexico" region). The red region to the right is known as the "Pelican nebula," after its resemblance in visible light to a pelican.

The view at upper right includes both visible and infrared observations. The hot gas comprising the North America continent and the Pelican now takes on a vivid blue hue, while red colours display the infrared light. Inky black dust features start to glow in the infrared view.

In the bottom two images, only infrared light from Spitzer is shown -- data from the infrared array camera is on the left, and data from both the infrared array camera and the multi-band imaging photometer, which sees longer wavelengths, is on the right. These pictures look different in part because infrared light can penetrate dust whereas visible light cannot. Dusty, dark clouds in the visible image become transparent in Spitzer's view. In addition, Spitzer's infrared detectors pick up the glow of dusty cocoons enveloping baby stars.

Licence:

Public domain

Credit:

NASA JPL

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