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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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A Slice of Orion
Title
A Slice of Orion
Title
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Description:
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This image composite shows a part of the Orion constellation surveyed by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The shape of the main image was designed by astronomers to roughly follow the shape of Orion cloud A, an enormous star-making factory containing about 1,800 young stars. This giant cloud includes the famous Orion nebula (bright circular area in "blade" part of hockey stick-shaped box at the bottom), which is visible to the naked eye on a clear, dark night as a fuzzy star in the hunter constellation's sword.
The region that makes up the shaft part of the hockey stick box stretches 70 light-years beyond the Orion nebula. This particular area does not contain massive young stars like those of the Orion nebula, but is filled with 800 stars about the same mass as the sun. These sun-like stars don't live in big "cities," or clusters, of stars like the one in the Orion nebula; instead, they can be found in small clusters (right inset), or in relative isolation (middle inset).
In the right inset, developing stars are illuminating the dusty cloud, creating small wisps that appear greenish. The stars also power speedy jets of gas (also green), which glow as the jets ram into the cloudy material.
Since infrared light can penetrate through dust, we see not only stars within the cloud, but thousands of stars many light-years behind it, which just happen to be in the picture like unwanted bystanders. Astronomers carefully separate the young stars in the Orion cloud complex from the bystanders by looking for their telltale infrared glow.
The infrared image shows light captured by Spitzer's infrared array camera. Light with wavelengths of 8 and 5.8 microns (red and orange) comes mainly from dust that has been heated by starlight. Light of 4.5 microns (green) shows hot gas and dust; and light of 3.6 microns (blue) is from starlight.
Description
This image composite shows a part of the Orion constellation surveyed by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The shape of the main image was designed by astronomers to roughly follow the shape of Orion cloud A, an enormous star-making factory containing about 1,800 young stars. This giant cloud includes the famous Orion nebula (bright circular area in "blade" part of hockey stick-shaped box at the bottom), which is visible to the naked eye on a clear, dark night as a fuzzy star in the hunter constellation's sword.
The region that makes up the shaft part of the hockey stick box stretches 70 light-years beyond the Orion nebula. This particular area does not contain massive young stars like those of the Orion nebula, but is filled with 800 stars about the same mass as the sun. These sun-like stars don't live in big "cities," or clusters, of stars like the one in the Orion nebula; instead, they can be found in small clusters (right inset), or in relative isolation (middle inset).
In the right inset, developing stars are illuminating the dusty cloud, creating small wisps that appear greenish. The stars also power speedy jets of gas (also green), which glow as the jets ram into the cloudy material.
Since infrared light can penetrate through dust, we see not only stars within the cloud, but thousands of stars many light-years behind it, which just happen to be in the picture like unwanted bystanders. Astronomers carefully separate the young stars in the Orion cloud complex from the bystanders by looking for their telltale infrared glow.
The infrared image shows light captured by Spitzer's infrared array camera. Light with wavelengths of 8 and 5.8 microns (red and orange) comes mainly from dust that has been heated by starlight. Light of 4.5 microns (green) shows hot gas and dust; and light of 3.6 microns (blue) is from starlight.
Description
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Release Date:
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2006/08/14
Release_Date
2006/08/14
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/T. Megeath (University of Toledo)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (University of Toledo)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (University of Toledo)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (University of Toledo)
Image Credit
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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: *05h35m14.10s *Dec: *-5d22m23.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *05h35m14.10s *Dec: *-5d22m23.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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1450 light-years
Distance
1450 light-years
Distance
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Constellation:
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Orion
Constellation
Orion
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0 microns
Wavelength
3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0 microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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4.6 x 1.6 deg
Image_scale
4.6 x 1.6 deg
Image scale
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Observers:
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Tom Megeath (University of Toledo)
Rob Gutermuth (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Joe Hora (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Lori Allen (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Kevin Flaherty (Steward Observatory)
John Stauffer (SSC)
Lee Hartmann (University of Michigan)
James Muzerolle (Steward Observatory)
Phil Myers (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Nick Siegler (Steward Observatory)
Erick Young (Steward Observatory)
Giovanni Fazio (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Observers
Tom Megeath (University of Toledo)
Rob Gutermuth (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Joe Hora (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Lori Allen (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Kevin Flaherty (Steward Observatory)
John Stauffer (SSC)
Lee Hartmann (University of Michigan)
James Muzerolle (Steward Observatory)
Phil Myers (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Nick Siegler (Steward Observatory)
Erick Young (Steward Observatory)
Giovanni Fazio (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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February 16 and 18, 2004, March 9, 2004, October 8, 12, and 27, 2004
Exposure_Date
February 16 and 18, 2004, March 9, 2004, October 8, 12, and 27, 2004
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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41.6 seconds per position
Exposure_Time
41.6 seconds per position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is 52 deg CW from up
Orientation
North is 52 deg CW from up
Orientation
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note:
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*Full-resolution (85 MB) image* Screen-Resolution (450x157): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2006-16d1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (19937x6972): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (University of Toledo)
note
*Full-resolution (85 MB) image* Screen-Resolution (450x157): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2006-16d1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (19937x6972): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (University of Toledo) 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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Orion
facet_what
Orion
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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Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Michigan
facet_where
Michigan
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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March 9, 2004
facet_when
March 9, 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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ssc2006-16d
Image_#
ssc2006-16d
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-ssc2006-16 d
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2006-16 d
UID
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