|
Collection:
|
|
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
|
|
Title:
|
|
NGC 7129
|
|
Description:
|
|
A cluster of newborn stars herald their birth in this interstellar Valentine's Day commemorative picture obtained with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. These bright young stars are found in a rosebud-shaped (and rose-colored) nebulosity known as NGC 7129. The star cluster and its associated nebula are located at a distance of 3300 light-years in the constellation Cepheus.
A recent census of the cluster reveals the presence of 130 young stars. The stars formed from a massive cloud of gas and dust that contains enough raw materials to create a thousand Sun-like stars. In a process that astronomers still poorly understand, fragments of this molecular cloud became so cold and dense that they collapsed into stars. Most stars in our Milky Way galaxy are thought to form in such clusters.
The Spitzer Space Telescope image was obtained with an infrared array camera that is sensitive to invisible infrared light at wavelengths that are about ten times longer than visible light. In this four-color composite, emission at 3.6 microns is depicted in blue, 4.5 microns in green, 5.8 microns in orange, and 8.0 microns in red. The image covers a region that is about one quarter the size of the full moon.
As in any nursery, mayhem reigns. Within the astronomically brief period of a million years, the stars have managed to blow a large, irregular bubble in the molecular cloud that once enveloped them like a cocoon. The rosy pink hue is produced by glowing dust grains on the surface of the bubble being heated by the intense light from the embedded young stars. Upon absorbing ultraviolet and visible-light photons produced by the stars, the surrounding dust grains are heated and re-emit the energy at the longer infrared wavelengths observed by Spitzer. The reddish colors trace the distribution of molecular material thought to be rich in hydrocarbons.
The cold molecular cloud outside the bubble is mostly invisible in these images. However, three very young stars near the center of the image are sending jets of supersonic gas into the cloud. The impact of these jets heats molecules of carbon monoxide in the cloud, producing the intricate green nebulosity that forms the stem of the rosebud.
Not all stars are formed in clusters. Away from the main nebula and its young cluster are two smaller nebulae, to the left and bottom of the central "rosebud," each containing a stellar nursery with only a few young stars.
Astronomers believe that our own Sun may have formed billions of years ago in a cluster similar to NGC 7129. Once the radiation from new cluster stars destroys the surrounding placental material, the stars begin to slowly drift apart.
Description
A cluster of newborn stars herald their birth in this interstellar Valentine's Day commemorative picture obtained with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. These bright young stars are found in a rosebud-shaped (and rose-colored) nebulosity known as NGC 7129. The star cluster and its associated nebula are located at a distance of 3300 light-years in the constellation Cepheus.
A recent census of the cluster reveals the presence of 130 young stars. The stars formed from a massive cloud of gas and dust that contains enough raw materials to create a thousand Sun-like stars. In a process that astronomers still poorly understand, fragments of this molecular cloud became so cold and dense that they collapsed into stars. Most stars in our Milky Way galaxy are thought to form in such clusters.
The Spitzer Space Telescope image was obtained with an infrared array camera that is sensitive to invisible infrared light at wavelengths that are about ten times longer than visible light. In this four-color composite, emission at 3.6 microns is depicted in blue, 4.5 microns in green, 5.8 microns in orange, and 8.0 microns in red. The image covers a region that is about one quarter the size of the full moon.
As in any nursery, mayhem reigns. Within the astronomically brief period of a million years, the stars have managed to blow a large, irregular bubble in the molecular cloud that once enveloped them like a cocoon. The rosy pink hue is produced by glowing dust grains on the surface of the bubble being heated by the intense light from the embedded young stars. Upon absorbing ultraviolet and visible-light photons produced by the stars, the surrounding dust grains are heated and re-emit the energy at the longer infrared wavelengths observed by Spitzer. The reddish colors trace the distribution of molecular material thought to be rich in hydrocarbons.
The cold molecular cloud outside the bubble is mostly invisible in these images. However, three very young stars near the center of the image are sending jets of supersonic gas into the cloud. The impact of these jets heats molecules of carbon monoxide in the cloud, producing the intricate green nebulosity that forms the stem of the rosebud.
Not all stars are formed in clusters. Away from the main nebula and its young cluster are two smaller nebulae, to the left and bottom of the central "rosebud," each containing a stellar nursery with only a few young stars.
Astronomers believe that our own Sun may have formed billions of years ago in a cluster similar to NGC 7129. Once the radiation from new cluster stars destroys the surrounding placental material, the stars begin to slowly drift apart.
Description
|
|
Release Date:
|
|
2004/02/12
Release_Date
2004/02/12
Release Date
|
|
Press Release:
|
Press_Release
Press Release
|
|
Release Credit:
|
|
NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Release Credit
|
|
Image Credit:
|
|
NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Image Credit
|
|
Object name:
|
|
NGC 7129
Object_name
NGC 7129
Object name
|
|
Object type:
|
|
Star forming region in reflection nebula
Object_type
Star forming region in reflection nebula
Object type
|
|
Position (J2000):
|
|
*RA: *21h42m56.00s *Dec: *66d06m12.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *21h42m56.00s *Dec: *66d06m12.00s
Position (J2000)
|
|
Distance:
|
|
3,300 light-years (1.01 kiloparsecs)
Distance
3,300 light-years (1.01 kiloparsecs)
Distance
|
|
Constellation:
|
|
Cepheus (the King)
Constellation
Cepheus (the King)
Constellation
|
|
Wavelength:
|
|
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
|
|
Image scale:
|
|
12 x 14 arcmin
Image_scale
12 x 14 arcmin
Image scale
|
|
Observers:
|
|
Tom Megeath (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Rob Gutermuth (University of Rochester)
James Muzerolle (Steward Observatory/Universi ty of Arizona)
Lori Allen (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Judy Pipher (University of Rochester)
Phil Myers (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Observers
Tom Megeath (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Rob Gutermuth (University of Rochester)
James Muzerolle (Steward Observatory/Universi ty of Arizona)
Lori Allen (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Judy Pipher (University of Rochester)
Phil Myers (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Observers
|
|
Instrument:
|
|
IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
|
|
Exposure Date:
|
|
December 24, 2003
Exposure_Date
December 24, 2003
Exposure Date
|
|
Exposure Time:
|
|
48 seconds per position
Exposure_Time
48 seconds per position
Exposure Time
|
|
Orientation:
|
|
North is 129 degrees counterclockwise from vertical
Orientation
North is 129 degrees counterclockwise from vertical
Orientation
|
|
Related links:
|
Related_links
Related links
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Visible Light
facet_what
Visible Light
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
TRACE
facet_what
TRACE
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Moon
facet_what
Moon
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Cepheus
facet_what
Cepheus
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
NGC
facet_what
NGC
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
NGC 7129
facet_what
NGC 7129
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Arizona
facet_where
Arizona
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where
Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
3300
facet_when
3300
facet_when
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
December 24, 2003
facet_when
December 24, 2003
facet_when
|
|
facet_when_year:
|
|
2003
facet_when_year
2003
facet_when_year
|
|
facet_when_year:
|
|
3300
facet_when_year
3300
facet_when_year
|
|
Image #:
|
|
ssc2004-02a
Image_#
ssc2004-02a
Image #
|
|
original url:
|
original_url
original url
|
|
UID:
|
|
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2004-02 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2004-02 a
UID
|
