|
Collection:
|
|
NASA Hubble Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Hubble Space Telescope Collection
Collection
|
|
Title:
|
|
Giant "Twisters" and Star Wisps in the Lagoon Nebula
Title
Giant "Twisters" and Star Wisps in the Lagoon Nebula
Title
|
|
Object Name:
|
|
M8
Object_Name
M8
Object Name
|
|
Object Name:
|
|
Lagoon Nebula
Object_Name
Lagoon Nebula
Object Name
|
|
Acknowledgement:
|
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement
|
|
Fast Facts:
|
|
|
|
note:
|
|
*Image Type:*: Astronomical
note
*Image Type:*: Astronomical
note
|
|
note:
|
|
*Release Date*:January 22, 1997 12:00 AM (EST)
note
*Release Date*:January 22, 1997 12:00 AM (EST)
note
|
|
note:
|
|
*Title*:Giant "Twisters" and Star Wisps in the Lagoon Nebula
note
*Title*:Giant "Twisters" and Star Wisps in the Lagoon Nebula
note
|
|
note:
|
|
*News Release Number:*: STScI-1996-38b
note
*News Release Number:*: STScI-1996-38b
note
|
|
note:
|
|
*Description*:
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image reveals a pair of one-half light-year long interstellar "twisters" ? eerie funnels and twisted-rope structures ? in the heart of the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8) which lies 5,000 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
The central hot O type star, Herschel 36 (lower right), is the primary source of the ionizing radiation for the brightest region in the nebula, called the Hourglass. Other hot stars, also present in the nebula, are ionizing the extended optical nebulosity. The ionizing radiation induces photo-evaporation of the surfaces of the clouds and drives away violent stellar winds tearing into the cool clouds.
Analogous to the spectacular phenomena of Earth tornadoes, the large difference in temperature between the hot surface and cold interior of the clouds, combined with the pressure of starlight, may produce strong horizontal shear to twist the clouds into their tornado-like appearance. Though the spiral shapes suggest the clouds are "twisting", future observations will be needed, perhaps with Hubble's next generation instruments, with the spectroscopic capabilities of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) or the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), to actually measure velocities.
The Lagoon Nebula and nebulae in other galaxies are sites where new stars are being born from dusty molecular clouds. These regions are the "space laboratories" for the astronomers to study how stars form and the interactions between the winds from stars and the gas nearby. By studying the wealth of data revealed by HST, astronomers will understand better how stars form in the nebulae.
These color-coded images are the combination of individual exposures taken in July and September, 1995 with Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) through three narrow-band filters (red light ? ionized sulphur atoms, blue light ? double ionized oxygen atoms, green light ? ionized hydrogen).
This work is based on public data retrieved from the HST Archive, cosmic-ray cleaned, calibrated and combined by Adeline Caulet (Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility, European Space Agency).
note
*Description*:
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image reveals a pair of one-half light-year long interstellar "twisters" ? eerie funnels and twisted-rope structures ? in the heart of the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8) which lies 5,000 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
The central hot O type star, Herschel 36 (lower right), is the primary source of the ionizing radiation for the brightest region in the nebula, called the Hourglass. Other hot stars, also present in the nebula, are ionizing the extended optical nebulosity. The ionizing radiation induces photo-evaporation of the surfaces of the clouds and drives away violent stellar winds tearing into the cool clouds.
Analogous to the spectacular phenomena of Earth tornadoes, the large difference in temperature between the hot surface and cold interior of the clouds, combined with the pressure of starlight, may produce strong horizontal shear to twist the clouds into their tornado-like appearance. Though the spiral shapes suggest the clouds are "twisting", future observations will be needed, perhaps with Hubble's next generation instruments, with the spectroscopic capabilities of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) or the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), to actually measure velocities.
The Lagoon Nebula and nebulae in other galaxies are sites where new stars are being born from dusty molecular clouds. These regions are the "space laboratories" for the astronomers to study how stars form and the interactions between the winds from stars and the gas nearby. By studying the wealth of data revealed by HST, astronomers will understand better how stars form in the nebulae.
These color-coded images are the combination of individual exposures taken in July and September, 1995 with Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) through three narrow-band filters (red light ? ionized sulphur atoms, blue light ? double ionized oxygen atoms, green light ? ionized hydrogen).
This work is based on public data retrieved from the HST Archive, cosmic-ray cleaned, calibrated and combined by Adeline Caulet (Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility, European Space Agency).
note
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Camera 2
facet_what
Camera 2
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
ESO
facet_what
ESO
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Sagittarius
facet_what
Sagittarius
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
NICMOS
facet_what
NICMOS
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Multi-Object Spectrometer
facet_what
Multi-Object Spectrometer
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Spectrometer
facet_what
Spectrometer
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS)
facet_what
Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS)
facet_what
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
January 22, 1997
facet_when
January 22, 1997
facet_when
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
September, 1995
facet_when
September, 1995
facet_when
|
|
facet_when_year:
|
|
1997
facet_when_year
1997
facet_when_year
|
|
facet_when_year:
|
|
1995
facet_when_year
1995
facet_when_year
|
|
UID:
|
|
SPD-HUBBLE-STScI-199 6-38b
UID
SPD-HUBBLE-STScI-199 6-38b
UID
|
|
original url:
|
original_url
original url
|
|
Release Date:
|
|
January 22, 1997 12:00 AM (EST)
Release_Date
January 22, 1997 12:00 AM (EST)
Release Date
|
