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Collection:
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Dark Globule in IC 1396
Title
Dark Globule in IC 1396
Title
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Description:
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NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope image of a glowing stellar nursery provides a spectacular contrast to the opaque cloud seen in visible light. The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is an elongated dark globule within the emission nebula IC 1396 in the constellation of Cepheus. Located at a distance of 2,450 light-years, the globule is a condensation of dense gas that is barely surviving the strong ionizing radiation from a nearby massive star. The globule is being compressed by the surrounding ionized gas. The dark globule is seen in silhouette at visible-light wavelengths, backlit by the illumination of a bright star located to the left of the field of view.
The Spitzer Space Telescope pierces through the obscuration to reveal the birth of new protostars, or embryonic stars, and previously unseen young stars. The infrared image, which transforms the dark cloud into a 'flying dragon,' was obtained by Spitzer's infrared array camera. The image is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). The filamentary appearance of the globule results from the sculpting effects of competing physical processes. The winds from a massive star, located to the left of the image, produce a dense circular rim comprising the 'head' of the globule and a swept-back tail of gas.
A pair of young stars (LkHa 349 and LkHa 349c) that formed from the dense gas has cleared a spherical cavity within the globule head. While one of these stars is significantly fainter than the other in the visible-light image, they are of comparable brightness in the infrared Spitzer image. This implies the presence of a thick and dusty disc around LkHa 349c. Such circumstellar discs are the precursors of planetary systems. They are much thicker in the early stages of stellar formation when the placental planet-forming material (gas and dust) is still present.
Description
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope image of a glowing stellar nursery provides a spectacular contrast to the opaque cloud seen in visible light. The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is an elongated dark globule within the emission nebula IC 1396 in the constellation of Cepheus. Located at a distance of 2,450 light-years, the globule is a condensation of dense gas that is barely surviving the strong ionizing radiation from a nearby massive star. The globule is being compressed by the surrounding ionized gas. The dark globule is seen in silhouette at visible-light wavelengths, backlit by the illumination of a bright star located to the left of the field of view.
The Spitzer Space Telescope pierces through the obscuration to reveal the birth of new protostars, or embryonic stars, and previously unseen young stars. The infrared image, which transforms the dark cloud into a 'flying dragon,' was obtained by Spitzer's infrared array camera. The image is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). The filamentary appearance of the globule results from the sculpting effects of competing physical processes. The winds from a massive star, located to the left of the image, produce a dense circular rim comprising the 'head' of the globule and a swept-back tail of gas.
A pair of young stars (LkHa 349 and LkHa 349c) that formed from the dense gas has cleared a spherical cavity within the globule head. While one of these stars is significantly fainter than the other in the visible-light image, they are of comparable brightness in the infrared Spitzer image. This implies the presence of a thick and dusty disc around LkHa 349c. Such circumstellar discs are the precursors of planetary systems. They are much thicker in the early stages of stellar formation when the placental planet-forming material (gas and dust) is still present.
Description
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Release Date:
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2003/12/18
Release_Date
2003/12/18
Release Date
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Press Release:
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Press_Release
Press Release
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Release Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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IC 1396 Globule
Object_name
IC 1396 Globule
Object name
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Object name:
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Trumpler 37
Object_name
Trumpler 37
Object name
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Object type:
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Dark globule inside emission nebula, Star forming region
Object_type
Dark globule inside emission nebula, Star forming region
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *21h38m8.70s *Dec: *57d26m48.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *21h38m8.70s *Dec: *57d26m48.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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2,450 light-years (750 parsecs)
Distance
2,450 light-years (750 parsecs)
Distance
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Constellation:
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Cepheus (the King)
Constellation
Cepheus (the King)
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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22.6 x 18.7 arcmin
Image_scale
22.6 x 18.7 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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William T. Reach, Principal Investigator (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Erick Young (University of Arizona)
Lori Allen (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Jeonghee Rho (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Sean Carey (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Luisa Rebull (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Susan Stolovy (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Alberto Noriega-Crespo (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Sergio Fajardo-Acosta (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Jocelyn Keene (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Thomas H. Jarrett (IPAC/California Institute of Technology)
Patrick Lowrance (IPAC/California Institute of Technology)
George H. Rieke (University of Arizona)
Lee Hartmann (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Aurora Sicilia Aguilar (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Tony Marston (European Space Agency)
Observers
William T. Reach, Principal Investigator (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Erick Young (University of Arizona)
Lori Allen (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Jeonghee Rho (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Sean Carey (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Luisa Rebull (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Susan Stolovy (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Alberto Noriega-Crespo (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Sergio Fajardo-Acosta (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Jocelyn Keene (SSC/California Institute of Technology)
Thomas H. Jarrett (IPAC/California Institute of Technology)
Patrick Lowrance (IPAC/California Institute of Technology)
George H. Rieke (University of Arizona)
Lee Hartmann (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Aurora Sicilia Aguilar (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Tony Marston (European Space Agency)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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November 5, 2003
Exposure_Date
November 5, 2003
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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8 seconds per position
Exposure_Time
8 seconds per position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is rotated 5 degrees clockwise from the vertical
Orientation
North is rotated 5 degrees clockwise from the vertical
Orientation
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Related links:
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Related_links
Related links
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note:
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*Spitzer/IRAC composite image of a dark globule in IC 1396. Emission from 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.6 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red) have been combined in a single image* Screen-Resolution (450x370): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1142x939): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)
note
*Spitzer/IRAC composite image of a dark globule in IC 1396. Emission from 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.6 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red) have been combined in a single image* Screen-Resolution (450x370): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1142x939): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech) note
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note:
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*Visible light image of IC 1396* Screen-Resolution (450x370): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06a2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1142x939): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope / J.-C. Cuillandre / Coelum, and the Digitized Sky Survey
note
*Visible light image of IC 1396* Screen-Resolution (450x370): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06a2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1142x939): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope / J.-C. Cuillandre / Coelum, and the Digitized Sky Survey note
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facet_what:
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Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Visible Light
facet_what
Visible Light
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Cepheus
facet_what
Cepheus
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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California
facet_where
California
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Arizona
facet_where
Arizona
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Hawaii
facet_where
Hawaii
facet_where
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facet_where:
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France
facet_where
France
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Canada
facet_where
Canada
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Stennis Space Center (SSC)
facet_where
Stennis Space Center (SSC)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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November 5, 2003
facet_when
November 5, 2003
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2003
facet_when_year
2003
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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ssc2003-06a
Image_#
ssc2003-06a
Image #
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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UID:
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SPD-SPITZ-ssc2003-06 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2003-06 a
UID
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