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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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All Pillars Point to Eta
Title
All Pillars Point to Eta
Title
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Description:
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This false-color image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the "South Pillar" region of the star-forming region called the Carina Nebula. Like cracking open a watermelon and finding its seeds, the infrared telescope "busted open" this murky cloud to reveal star embryos (yellow or white) tucked inside finger-like pillars of thick dust (pink). Hot gases are green and foreground stars are blue. Not all of the newfound star embryos can be easily spotted.
Though the nebula's most famous and massive star, Eta Carinae, is too bright to be observed by infrared telescopes, the downward-streaming rays hint at its presence above the picture frame. Ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from Eta Carinae and its siblings have shredded the cloud to pieces, leaving a mess of tendrils and pillars. This shredding process triggered the birth of the new stars uncovered by Spitzer.
The inset visible-light picture of the Carina Nebula shows quite a different view. Dust pillars are fewer and appear dark because the dust is soaking up visible light. Spitzer's infrared detectors cut through this dust, allowing it to see the heat from warm, embedded star embryos, as well as deeper, more buried pillars.
Eta Carinae is a behemoth of a star, with more than 100 times the mass of our Sun. It is so massive that it can barely hold itself together. Over the years, it has brightened and faded as material has shot away from its surface. Some astronomers think Eta Carinae might die in a supernova blast within our lifetime.
Eta Carinae's home, the Carina Nebula, is located in the southern portion of our Milky Way galaxy, 10,000 light-years from Earth. This colossal cloud of gas and dust stretches across 200 light-years of space. Though it is dominated by Eta Carinae, it also houses the star's slightly less massive siblings, in addition to the younger generations of stars.
This image was taken by the infrared array camera on Spitzer. It is a three-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 visible-light picture is from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory.
Description
This false-color image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the "South Pillar" region of the star-forming region called the Carina Nebula. Like cracking open a watermelon and finding its seeds, the infrared telescope "busted open" this murky cloud to reveal star embryos (yellow or white) tucked inside finger-like pillars of thick dust (pink). Hot gases are green and foreground stars are blue. Not all of the newfound star embryos can be easily spotted.
Though the nebula's most famous and massive star, Eta Carinae, is too bright to be observed by infrared telescopes, the downward-streaming rays hint at its presence above the picture frame. Ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from Eta Carinae and its siblings have shredded the cloud to pieces, leaving a mess of tendrils and pillars. This shredding process triggered the birth of the new stars uncovered by Spitzer.
The inset visible-light picture of the Carina Nebula shows quite a different view. Dust pillars are fewer and appear dark because the dust is soaking up visible light. Spitzer's infrared detectors cut through this dust, allowing it to see the heat from warm, embedded star embryos, as well as deeper, more buried pillars.
Eta Carinae is a behemoth of a star, with more than 100 times the mass of our Sun. It is so massive that it can barely hold itself together. Over the years, it has brightened and faded as material has shot away from its surface. Some astronomers think Eta Carinae might die in a supernova blast within our lifetime.
Eta Carinae's home, the Carina Nebula, is located in the southern portion of our Milky Way galaxy, 10,000 light-years from Earth. This colossal cloud of gas and dust stretches across 200 light-years of space. Though it is dominated by Eta Carinae, it also houses the star's slightly less massive siblings, in addition to the younger generations of stars.
This image was taken by the infrared array camera on Spitzer. It is a three-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 visible-light picture is from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory.
Description
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Release Date:
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2005/05/30
Release_Date
2005/05/30
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/N. Smith (Univ. of Colorado at Boulder)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/N. Smith (Univ. of Colorado at Boulder)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/N. Smith (University of Arizona)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/N. Smith (University of Arizona)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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South Pillar region
Object_name
South Pillar region
Object name
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Object name:
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Carina Nebula
Object_name
Carina Nebula
Object name
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Object name:
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NGC 3372
Object_name
NGC 3372
Object name
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Object type:
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Variable star, star forming region
Object_type
Variable star, star forming region
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *10h45m3.59s *Dec: *-59d41m4.26s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *10h45m3.59s *Dec: *-59d41m4.26s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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3,000 pc or 10,000 light-years
Distance
3,000 pc or 10,000 light-years
Distance
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Constellation:
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Carina (the Keel)
Constellation
Carina (the Keel)
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange), and 8.0 microns (red)
Wavelength
3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange), and 8.0 microns (red)
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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66x52 arcmin
Image_scale
66x52 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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N. Smith (University of Colorado)
E. B. Churchwell (University of Wisconsin)
B. Whitney (Space Science Institute)
M. Meade (University of Wisconsin)
B. Babler (University of Wisconsin)
J. Bally (University of Colorado)
K. G. Stassun (Vanderbilt University)
J. A. Morse (ASU)
R. D. Gehrz (University of Minnesota)
Observers
N. Smith (University of Colorado)
E. B. Churchwell (University of Wisconsin)
B. Whitney (Space Science Institute)
M. Meade (University of Wisconsin)
B. Babler (University of Wisconsin)
J. Bally (University of Colorado)
K. G. Stassun (Vanderbilt University)
J. A. Morse (ASU)
R. D. Gehrz (University of Minnesota)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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2005 January 22
Exposure_Date
2005 January 22
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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1.2 seconds
Exposure_Time
1.2 seconds
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is 44 deg CCW from up
Orientation
North is 44 deg CCW from up
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 Image* Screen-Resolution (450x354): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-12a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (6614x5196): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/N. Smith (Univ. of Colorado at Boulder)
note
*Spitzer Image* Screen-Resolution (450x354): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-12a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (6614x5196): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/N. Smith (Univ. of Colorado at Boulder) note
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note:
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*Visible-Light Comparison Image* Screen-Resolution (450x354): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-12a2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1715x1349): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NOAO
note
*Visible-Light Comparison Image* Screen-Resolution (450x354): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2005-12a2_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (1715x1349): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NOAO 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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Earth
facet_what
Earth
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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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Carina
facet_what
Carina
facet_what
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facet_what:
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MSX
facet_what
MSX
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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Minnesota
facet_where
Minnesota
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Wisconsin
facet_where
Wisconsin
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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Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where
Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Colorado
facet_where
Colorado
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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Image #:
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ssc2005-12a
Image_#
ssc2005-12a
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-ssc2005-12 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2005-12 a
UID
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