Star cluster RCW38 was hiding. This open cluster [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] of stars is located about 5000 light years away towards the constellation of Vela [ http://www.astro.wi…]. Looking there will not normally reveal most of the stars in this cluster, though. The reason is that the open cluster [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] is so young that it is still shrouded in thick dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that absorbs visible light. This dust typically accompanies the gas that condenses to form young stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. When viewed in infrared light [ http://www.ipac.cal…], however, the star cluster in RCW38 [ http://adsbit.harva…] is revealed, because dust is less effective at absorbing infrared light. The above photograph [ http://www.eso.org/…] was one of the first ever taken with the new Infrared Spectrometer and Array Camera [ http://www.eso.org/…] (ISAAC) affixed to the 8.2-meter Very Large Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…].
Explanation
Star cluster RCW38 was hiding. This open cluster [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] of stars is located about 5000 light years away towards the constellation of Vela [ http://www.astro.wi…]. Looking there will not normally reveal most of the stars in this cluster, though. The reason is that the open cluster [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] is so young that it is still shrouded in thick dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that absorbs visible light. This dust typically accompanies the gas that condenses to form young stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. When viewed in infrared light [ http://www.ipac.cal…], however, the star cluster in RCW38 [ http://adsbit.harva…] is revealed, because dust is less effective at absorbing infrared light. The above photograph [ http://www.eso.org/…] was one of the first ever taken with the new Infrared Spectrometer and Array Camera [ http://www.eso.org/…] (ISAAC) affixed to the 8.2-meter Very Large Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…].
