Extracts from the VISTA infrared image of the Orion Nebula

Eso_eso1006b_1024

eso_eso1006b February 10th, 2010

Credit: ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA. Acknowledgment: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit

On the upper-left, the central region of VISTA’s view of the Orion Nebula is shown, centred on the four dazzling stars of the Trapezium. A rich cluster of young stars can be seen here that is invisible in normal, visible light images. In the lower-right panel the part of the nebula to the north of the centre is shown. Here there are many young stars embedded in the dust clouds that are only apparent because their infrared glow can penetrate the dust and be detected by the VISTA camera. Many outflows, jets and other interactions from young stars are apparent, seen in the infrared glow from molecular hydrogen and showing up as red blobs. On the upper-right, a region to the west of centre is shown. Here the fierce ultraviolet light from the Trapezium is sculpting the gas clouds into curious wavy shapes. A distant edge-on spiral galaxy is also seen shining right through the nebula. At the lower-left a region south of the centre is shown. Each extract covers a region of sky about nine arcminutes across.

Provider: European Southern Observatory

Image Source: https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1006b/

Curator: European Southern Observatory, Garching bei München, Germany

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Messier 42 Orion Nebula
Subject - Milky Way
Nebula > Type > Star Formation

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Red Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VIRCAM) Optical (K) -
Green Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VIRCAM) Optical (J) -
Blue Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VIRCAM) Infrared (Z) -
Eso_eso1006b_1280
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ID
eso1006b
Subject Category
B.4.1.2  
Subject Name
Messier 42, Orion Nebula
Credits
ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA. Acknowledgment: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit
Release Date
2010-02-10T12:00:00
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1006b/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Distance Notes
Distance in light years from ESO.
Facility
Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy, Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy, Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy
Instrument
VIRCAM, VIRCAM, VIRCAM
Color Assignment
Red, Green, Blue
Band
Optical, Optical, Infrared
Bandpass
K, J, Z
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
3400.0, 3400.0
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
European Southern Observatory
URL
http://www.eso.org/
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
City
Garching bei München
State/Province
Postal Code
D-85748
Country
Germany
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Publisher
European Southern Observatory
Publisher ID
eso
Resource ID
eso1006b
Metadata Date
2010-02-05T11:49:30+01:00
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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