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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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New Views of a Familiar Beauty
Title
New Views of a Familiar Beauty
Title
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Description:
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This image composite compares the well-known visible-light picture of the glowing Trifid Nebula (left panel) with infrared views from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (remaining three panels). The Trifid Nebula is a giant star-forming cloud of gas and dust located 5,400 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius.
The false-color Spitzer images reveal a different side of the Trifid Nebula. Where dark lanes of dust are visible trisecting the nebula in the visible-light picture, bright regions of star-forming activity are seen in the Spitzer pictures. All together, Spitzer uncovered 30 massive embryonic stars and 120 smaller newborn stars throughout the Trifid Nebula, in both its dark lanes and luminous clouds. These stars are visible in all the Spitzer images, mainly as yellow or red spots. Embryonic stars are developing stars about to burst into existence. Ten of the 30 massive embryos discovered by Spitzer were found in four dark cores, or stellar "incubators," where stars are born. Astronomers using data from the Institute of Radioastronomy millimeter telescope in Spain had previously identified these cores but thought they were not quite ripe for stars. Spitzer's highly sensitive infrared eyes were able to penetrate all four cores to reveal rapidly growing embryos.
Astronomers can actually count the individual embryos tucked inside the cores by looking closely at the Spitzer image taken by its infrared array camera (top right). This instrument has the highest spatial resolution of Spitzer's imaging cameras. The Spitzer image from the multiband imaging photometer (bottom right), on the other hand, specializes in detecting cooler materials. Its view highlights the relatively cool core material falling onto the Trifid's growing embryos. The middle panel is a combination of Spitzer data from both of these instruments.
The embryos are thought to have been triggered by a massive "type O" star, which can be seen as a white spot at the center of the nebula in all four images. Type O stars are the most massive stars, ending their brief lives in explosive supernovas. The small newborn stars probably arose at the same time as the O star, and from the same original cloud of gas and dust.
The Spitzer infrared array camera image is a three-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 and 8.0 microns (red). The Spitzer multiband imaging photometer image shows 24-micron emissions. The Spitzer mosaic image combines data from these pictures, showing light of 4.5 microns (blue), 8.0 microns (green) and 24 microns (red). The visible-light image is from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, Ariz.
Description
This image composite compares the well-known visible-light picture of the glowing Trifid Nebula (left panel) with infrared views from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (remaining three panels). The Trifid Nebula is a giant star-forming cloud of gas and dust located 5,400 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius.
The false-color Spitzer images reveal a different side of the Trifid Nebula. Where dark lanes of dust are visible trisecting the nebula in the visible-light picture, bright regions of star-forming activity are seen in the Spitzer pictures. All together, Spitzer uncovered 30 massive embryonic stars and 120 smaller newborn stars throughout the Trifid Nebula, in both its dark lanes and luminous clouds. These stars are visible in all the Spitzer images, mainly as yellow or red spots. Embryonic stars are developing stars about to burst into existence. Ten of the 30 massive embryos discovered by Spitzer were found in four dark cores, or stellar "incubators," where stars are born. Astronomers using data from the Institute of Radioastronomy millimeter telescope in Spain had previously identified these cores but thought they were not quite ripe for stars. Spitzer's highly sensitive infrared eyes were able to penetrate all four cores to reveal rapidly growing embryos.
Astronomers can actually count the individual embryos tucked inside the cores by looking closely at the Spitzer image taken by its infrared array camera (top right). This instrument has the highest spatial resolution of Spitzer's imaging cameras. The Spitzer image from the multiband imaging photometer (bottom right), on the other hand, specializes in detecting cooler materials. Its view highlights the relatively cool core material falling onto the Trifid's growing embryos. The middle panel is a combination of Spitzer data from both of these instruments.
The embryos are thought to have been triggered by a massive "type O" star, which can be seen as a white spot at the center of the nebula in all four images. Type O stars are the most massive stars, ending their brief lives in explosive supernovas. The small newborn stars probably arose at the same time as the O star, and from the same original cloud of gas and dust.
The Spitzer infrared array camera image is a three-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 and 8.0 microns (red). The Spitzer multiband imaging photometer image shows 24-micron emissions. The Spitzer mosaic image combines data from these pictures, showing light of 4.5 microns (blue), 8.0 microns (green) and 24 microns (red). The visible-light image is from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, Ariz.
Description
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Release Date:
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2005/01/12
Release_Date
2005/01/12
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/J. Rho (SSC/Caltech)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Rho (SSC/Caltech)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/J.R ho(SSC/Caltech)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/J.R ho(SSC/Caltech)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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Messier 20
Object_name
Messier 20
Object name
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Object name:
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M20
Object_name
M20
Object name
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Object name:
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Trifid Nebula
Object_name
Trifid Nebula
Object name
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Object type:
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Nebula, Star forming region
Object_type
Nebula, Star forming region
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *18h02m23.40s *Dec: *-23d01m50.10s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *18h02m23.40s *Dec: *-23d01m50.10s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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5,500 light-years or 1.67 kpc
Distance
5,500 light-years or 1.67 kpc
Distance
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Constellation:
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Sagittarius
Constellation
Sagittarius
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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IRAC: 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 microns; MIPS: 24 microns
Wavelength
IRAC: 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 microns; MIPS: 24 microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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about 20x25 arcmin
Image_scale
about 20x25 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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J. Rho - Principal Investigator (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)
W. T. Reach (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)
B. Lefloch (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique, Observatoire de Grenoble)
G. Fazio (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Observers
J. Rho - Principal Investigator (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)
W. T. Reach (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)
B. Lefloch (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique, Observatoire de Grenoble)
G. Fazio (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC MIPS
Instrument
IRAC MIPS
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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IRAC: 2004-03-31; MIPS: 2004-04-11
Exposure_Date
IRAC: 2004-03-31; MIPS: 2004-04-11
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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IRAC: 8 sec per sky position; MIPS: 48sec per sky position
Exposure_Time
IRAC: 8 sec per sky position; MIPS: 48sec per sky position
Exposure Time
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note:
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*Visible-Light Image* Screen-Resolution (276x450): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-02a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (867x1412): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NOAO
note
*Visible-Light Image* Screen-Resolution (276x450): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-02a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (867x1412): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NOAO note
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note:
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*Spitzer IRAC-MIPS Infrared Image* Screen-Resolution (276x450): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-02a2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (867x1412): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Rho (SSC/Caltech)
note
*Spitzer IRAC-MIPS Infrared Image* Screen-Resolution (276x450): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-02a2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (867x1412): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Rho (SSC/Caltech) note
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note:
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*Spitzer IRAC-Only Infrared Image* Screen-Resolution (288x450): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-02a3_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1136x1774): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Rho (SSC/Caltech)
note
*Spitzer IRAC-Only Infrared Image* Screen-Resolution (288x450): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-02a3_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1136x1774): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Rho (SSC/Caltech) note
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note:
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*Spitzer MIPS-only Infrared Image* Screen-Resolution (276x450): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-02a4_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (867x1412): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Rho (SSC/Caltech)
note
*Spitzer MIPS-only Infrared Image* Screen-Resolution (276x450): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-02a4_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (867x1412): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Rho (SSC/Caltech) 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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MIPS
facet_what
MIPS
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Sagittarius
facet_what
Sagittarius
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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Spain
facet_where
Spain
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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Image #:
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ssc2005-02a
Image_#
ssc2005-02a
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-ssc2005-02 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-02 a
UID
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