Spitzer View of the Core L1014

Spitzer_ssc2004-20a2_1024

spitzer_ssc2004-20a2 November 9th, 2004

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/N. Evans (Univ. of Texas at Austin)

The "Cores to Disks" Spitzer Legacy team is using the two infrared cameras on NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to search dense regions of interstellar molecular clouds (known as "cores") for evidence of star formation. Part of the study targeted a group of objects with no known stars to study the properties of such regions before any stars have formed. The first of these "starless cores" to be examined held a surprise: a source of infrared light appeared where none was expected.

The core is known as L1014, the 1,014th object in a list of dark, dusty "clouds" compiled by astronomer Beverly Lynds over 40 years ago. These have proved to be homes to a rich variety of molecules and are the birthplaces of stars and planets.

The Spitzer image is a 3.6 micron (blue), 8.0 micron (green) and 24.0 micron (red) composite image. The light seen in the infrared image originates from very different sources. The bright yellow object at the center of the image is the object detected in the "starless core". The red ring surrounding the object is an artifact of the reduced spatial resolution of the telescope at 24 microns.

At 3.6 microns the light comes mainly from the object at the heart of the core. At longer wavelengths, the light from the object becomes stronger, a signature that it is not a background star. Also in the longer wavelengths (8.0 to 24.0 microns), astronomers saw the glow from interstellar dust, glowing green to red in the Spitzer composite image. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The red color traces a cooler dust component. No previous observations showed any hint of a source in L1014.

The L1014 core lies in the direction of Cygnus. It is thought to be about 600 light years away, but the distance is somewhat uncertain.

The results from this study are published by C. Young and the "Cores to Disks" team in the Astrophysical Journal.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1333-ssc2004-20a2-Spitzer-View-of-the-Core-L1014

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

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Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
L1014
Subject - Milky Way
Nebula > Appearance > Dark > Molecular Cloud
Nebula > Type > Star Formation

Distance

Universescale1
650 light years
Spitzer_ssc2004-20a2_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 21h 24m 6.7s
DEC = 49° 58’ 11.5”
Orientation
North is 65.4° CW
Field of View
4.9 x 4.9 arcminutes
Constellation
Cygnus

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 3.6 µm
Green Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 8.0 µm
Red Spitzer (MIPS) Infrared (Mid-IR) 24.0 µm
Multiple image collage; colors refer to Spitzer image (right)
Spectrum_ir1
Blue
Green
Red
Spitzer_ssc2004-20a2_1280
×
ID
ssc2004-20a2
Subject Category
B.4.2.3.1.   B.4.1.2.  
Subject Name
L1014
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/N. Evans (Univ. of Texas at Austin)
Release Date
2004-11-09
Lightyears
650
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1333-ssc2004-20a2-Spitzer-View-of-the-Core-L1014
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Distance taken from Fast Facts.
Facility
Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
IRAC, IRAC, MIPS
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Red
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Near-IR, Mid-IR, Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
3600, 8000, 24000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
M
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
Reference Value
321.027942926, 49.9698717647
Reference Dimension
479, 479
Reference Pixel
158.42910862, 195.856796265
Scale
-0.00017065088956606, 0.00017065088956606
Rotation
-65.437373628521
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
ssc2004-20a2.tif
Metadata Date
2012-04-02
Metadata Version
1.1
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
650 light years

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