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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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The Tarantula Nebula
Title
The Tarantula Nebula
Title
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Description:
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NASA's new Spitzer Space Telescope, formerly known as the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, has captured in stunning detail the spidery filaments and newborn stars of the Tarantula Nebula, a rich star-forming region also known as 30 Doradus. This cloud of glowing dust and gas is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the nearest galaxy to our own Milky Way, and is visible primarily from the Southern Hemisphere. This image of an interstellar cauldron provides a snapshot of the complex physical processes and chemistry that govern the birth -- and death -- of stars.
At the heart of the nebula is a compact cluster of stars, known as R136, which contains very massive and young stars. The brightest of these blue supergiant stars are up to 100 times more massive than the Sun, and are at least 100,000 times more luminous. These stars will live fast and die young, at least by astronomical standards, exhausting their nuclear fuel in a few million years.
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 three-quarters the size of the full moon.
The Spitzer observations penetrate the dust clouds throughout the Tarantula to reveal previously hidden sites of star formation. Within the luminescent nebula, many holes are also apparent. These voids are produced by highly energetic winds originating from the massive stars in the central star cluster. The structures at the edges of these voids are particularly interesting. Dense pillars of gas and dust, sculpted by the stellar radiation, denote the birthplace of future generations of stars.
The Spitzer image provides information about the composition of the material at the edges of the voids. The surface layers closest to the massive stars are subject to the most intense stellar radiation. Here, the atoms are stripped of their electrons, and the green color of these regions is indicative of the radiation from this highly excited, or 'ionized,' material. The ubiquitous red filaments seen throughout the image reveal the presence of molecular material thought to be rich in hydrocarbons.
The Tarantula Nebula is the nearest example of a 'starburst' phenomenon, in which intense episodes of star formation occur on massive scales. Most starbursts, however, are associated with dusty and distant galaxies. Spitzer infrared observations of the Tarantula provide astronomers with an unprecedented view of the lifecycle of massive stars and their vital role in regulating the birth of future stellar and planetary systems.
Description
NASA's new Spitzer Space Telescope, formerly known as the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, has captured in stunning detail the spidery filaments and newborn stars of the Tarantula Nebula, a rich star-forming region also known as 30 Doradus. This cloud of glowing dust and gas is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the nearest galaxy to our own Milky Way, and is visible primarily from the Southern Hemisphere. This image of an interstellar cauldron provides a snapshot of the complex physical processes and chemistry that govern the birth -- and death -- of stars.
At the heart of the nebula is a compact cluster of stars, known as R136, which contains very massive and young stars. The brightest of these blue supergiant stars are up to 100 times more massive than the Sun, and are at least 100,000 times more luminous. These stars will live fast and die young, at least by astronomical standards, exhausting their nuclear fuel in a few million years.
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 three-quarters the size of the full moon.
The Spitzer observations penetrate the dust clouds throughout the Tarantula to reveal previously hidden sites of star formation. Within the luminescent nebula, many holes are also apparent. These voids are produced by highly energetic winds originating from the massive stars in the central star cluster. The structures at the edges of these voids are particularly interesting. Dense pillars of gas and dust, sculpted by the stellar radiation, denote the birthplace of future generations of stars.
The Spitzer image provides information about the composition of the material at the edges of the voids. The surface layers closest to the massive stars are subject to the most intense stellar radiation. Here, the atoms are stripped of their electrons, and the green color of these regions is indicative of the radiation from this highly excited, or 'ionized,' material. The ubiquitous red filaments seen throughout the image reveal the presence of molecular material thought to be rich in hydrocarbons.
The Tarantula Nebula is the nearest example of a 'starburst' phenomenon, in which intense episodes of star formation occur on massive scales. Most starbursts, however, are associated with dusty and distant galaxies. Spitzer infrared observations of the Tarantula provide astronomers with an unprecedented view of the lifecycle of massive stars and their vital role in regulating the birth of future stellar and planetary systems.
Description
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Release Date:
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2004/01/13
Release_Date
2004/01/13
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/B. Brandl (Cornell & University of Leiden)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/B. Brandl (Cornell & University of Leiden)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/B. Brandl (Cornell & University of Leiden)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/B. Brandl (Cornell & University of Leiden)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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Tarantula Nebula
Object_name
Tarantula Nebula
Object name
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Object name:
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30 Doradus
Object_name
30 Doradus
Object name
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Object name:
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NGC 2070
Object_name
NGC 2070
Object name
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Object type:
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Emission nebula, Star forming region
Object_type
Emission nebula, Star forming region
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *05h38m42.40s *Dec: *-69d06m2.80s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *05h38m42.40s *Dec: *-69d06m2.80s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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170,000 light-years
Distance
170,000 light-years
Distance
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Constellation:
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Dorado (the Dolphinfish)
Constellation
Dorado (the Dolphinfish)
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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28.3 x 18.6 arcmin
Image_scale
28.3 x 18.6 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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Bernhard R. Brandl (Cornell University & University of Leiden)
Sean Carey (SSC/Caltech)
Giovanni G. Fazio (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
James Houck (Cornell University)
S. Thomas Megeath (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
John Stauffer (SSC/Caltech)
Dan Weedman (NSF)
Observers
Bernhard R. Brandl (Cornell University & University of Leiden)
Sean Carey (SSC/Caltech)
Giovanni G. Fazio (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
James Houck (Cornell University)
S. Thomas Megeath (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
John Stauffer (SSC/Caltech)
Dan Weedman (NSF)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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6 November 2003
Exposure_Date
6 November 2003
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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36 seconds per position
Exposure_Time
36 seconds per position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is 43 degrees counterclockwise from vertical
Orientation
North is 43 degrees counterclockwise from vertical
Orientation
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Related links:
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Related_links
Related links
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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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Space Infrared Telescope Facility
facet_what
Space Infrared Telescope Facility
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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FAST
facet_what
FAST
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Dorado
facet_what
Dorado
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Moon
facet_what
Moon
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Snapshot
facet_what
Snapshot
facet_what
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facet_what:
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nebula
facet_what
nebula
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Tarantula Nebula
facet_what
Tarantula Nebula
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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Large Magellanic Cloud
facet_where
Large Magellanic Cloud
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 2003
facet_when
November 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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ssc2004-01a
Image_#
ssc2004-01a
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-ssc2004-01 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2004-01 a
UID
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