RCW 108: Massive Young Stars Trigger Stellar Birth

Chandra_405_1024

chandra_405 October 6th, 2008

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/CfA/S.Wolk et al

In Chandras X-ray image (blue) of RCW 108, over 400 sources of X-ray light are seen. Many of these X-ray sources are young stars undergoing massive flaring just as our Sun did billions of years ago. The infrared Spitzer image (red and orange) shows the clouds of dust and gas of this region. The bright knot just to the left of center is where a cluster of young stars is hidden behind a dense cloud of molecular hydrogen. Intense radiation from massive stars in another nearby cluster, just out of view to the left of this image, is destroying the cloud that contains this cluster. Ultimately, this will trigger a new generation of stars to form in RCW 108.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2008/rcw108/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html

View Options View Options

Download Options Download Options

Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
RCW 108
Subject - Milky Way
Star > Grouping > Cluster
Nebula > Type > Star Formation
Nebula > Appearance > Dark > Molecular Cloud

Distance Details Distance

Universescale1
4,000 light years
Chandra_405_128
 

Position Details Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 16h 39m 58.7s
DEC = -48° 51’ 54.2”
Orientation
North is up
Field of View
20.2 x 19.2 arcminutes
Constellation
Ara

Color Mapping Details Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Chandra (ACIS) X-ray 330.0 pm
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 3.5 µm
Green Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 5.8 µm
Red Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 8.0 µm
Spectrum_xray1
Blue
Blue
Green
Red
Chandra_405_1280
×
ID
405
Subject Category
B.3.6.4   B.4.1.2   B.4.2.3.1  
Subject Name
RCW 108
Credits
X-ray: NASA/CXC/CfA/S.Wolk et al
Release Date
2008-10-06
Lightyears
4,000
Redshift
4,000
Reference Url
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2008/rcw108/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Chandra, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
ACIS, IRAC, IRAC, IRAC
Color Assignment
Blue, Blue, Green, Red
Band
X-ray, Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
-, Near-IR, Mid-IR, Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
0.33, 3500, 5800, 8000
Start Time
2004-10-25, -, -, -
Integration Time
89950, -, -, -
Dataset ID
4503, -, -, -
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
2.4999454300268E+02, -4.8865044839142E+01
Reference Dimension
3300, 3135
Reference Pixel
1376.891, 1466.818
Scale
-9.72818198054E-05, 0.000102140349083
Rotation
0.00
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Chandra X-ray Observatory
URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu
Name
Chandra X-ray Observatory Center
Email
cxcpub@cfa.harvard.edu
Telephone
617.496.7941
Address
60 Garden St.
City
Cambridge
State/Province
MA
Postal Code
02138
Country
USA
Rights
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
Publisher
Chandra X-ray Observatory
Publisher ID
chandra
Resource ID
rcw108.tif
Resource URL
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2008/rcw108/rcw108.tif
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2012-04-05
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
4,000 light years

Providers | Sign In

NASA’s Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The award is part of NASA’s Science Activation program, which strives to further enable NASA science experts and content into the learning environment more effectively and efficiently with learners of all ages.