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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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Ring Beholds a Delicate Flower
Title
Ring Beholds a Delicate Flower
Title
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Description:
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NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope finds a delicate flower in the Ring Nebula, as shown in this image. The outer shell of this planetary nebula looks surprisingly similar to the delicate petals of a camellia blossom. A planetary nebula is a shell of material ejected from a dying star. Located about 2,000 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra, the Ring Nebula is also known as Messier Object 57 and NGC 6720. It is one of the best examples of a planetary nebula and a favorite target of amateur astronomers.
The "ring" is a thick cylinder of glowing gas and dust around the doomed star. As the star begins to run out of fuel, its core becomes smaller and hotter, boiling off its outer layers.
The telescope's infrared array camera detected this material expelled from the withering star. Previous images of the Ring Nebula taken by visible-light telescopes usually showed just the inner glowing loop of gas around the star. The outer regions are especially prominent in this new image because Spitzer sees the infrared light from hydrogen molecules. The molecules emit infrared light because they have absorbed ultraviolet radiation from the star or have been heated by the wind from the star.
Description
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope finds a delicate flower in the Ring Nebula, as shown in this image. The outer shell of this planetary nebula looks surprisingly similar to the delicate petals of a camellia blossom. A planetary nebula is a shell of material ejected from a dying star. Located about 2,000 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra, the Ring Nebula is also known as Messier Object 57 and NGC 6720. It is one of the best examples of a planetary nebula and a favorite target of amateur astronomers.
The "ring" is a thick cylinder of glowing gas and dust around the doomed star. As the star begins to run out of fuel, its core becomes smaller and hotter, boiling off its outer layers.
The telescope's infrared array camera detected this material expelled from the withering star. Previous images of the Ring Nebula taken by visible-light telescopes usually showed just the inner glowing loop of gas around the star. The outer regions are especially prominent in this new image because Spitzer sees the infrared light from hydrogen molecules. The molecules emit infrared light because they have absorbed ultraviolet radiation from the star or have been heated by the wind from the star.
Description
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Release Date:
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2005/02/11
Release_Date
2005/02/11
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. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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Messier 57
Object_name
Messier 57
Object name
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Object name:
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M57
Object_name
M57
Object name
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Object name:
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NGC 6720
Object_name
NGC 6720
Object name
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Object name:
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Ring Nebula
Object_name
Ring Nebula
Object name
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Object type:
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Planetary Nebula
Object_type
Planetary Nebula
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *18h53m34.80s *Dec: *33d01m44.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *18h53m34.80s *Dec: *33d01m44.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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2300 light-years or 700 pc
Distance
2300 light-years or 700 pc
Distance
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Constellation:
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Lyra
Constellation
Lyra
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), and 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
3.6 (blue), 4.5 (green), 5.8 (orange), and 8.0 (red) microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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10.7 x 8.8 arcmin
Image_scale
10.7 x 8.8 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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William B. Latter (SSC)
Massimo Marengo (CfA)
Giovanni G. Fazio (CfA)
Lori E. Allen (CfA)
Judith L. Pipher (Univ. of Rochester)
Observers
William B. Latter (SSC)
Massimo Marengo (CfA)
Giovanni G. Fazio (CfA)
Lori E. Allen (CfA)
Judith L. Pipher (Univ. of Rochester)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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20 April 2004
Exposure_Date
20 April 2004
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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260 seconds per sky position
Exposure_Time
260 seconds per sky position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is 15.8 dec CCW from up
Orientation
North is 15.8 dec CCW from up
Orientation
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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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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Lyra
facet_what
Lyra
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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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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20 April 2004
facet_when
20 April 2004
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2004
facet_when_year
2004
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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ssc2005-07a
Image_#
ssc2005-07a
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-ssc2005-07 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-07 a
UID
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