The Orion Nebula in Infrared from HAWK I
Explanation:
The deepest infrared image of the Orion Nebula has uncovered a bonanza of previously
unknown low-mass stars and -- quite possibly -- free floating planets.
The
picturesque
nebula is best known in
visible light where it shows a many
bright stars and bright glowing gas.
Catalogued as
M42, the
Orion
Nebula at a distance of
1300
light years is the closest major star forming region to Earth.
One can
peer into Orion's pervasive dust
in
infrared light, as was done again recently with the sophisticated
HAWK-I
camera attached to one of the
European Southern Observatory's
Very Large Telescopes
in the high mountains of
Chile.
High resolution versions of the
featured infrared deep image
show many points of light, many of which are surely
brown dwarf stars but some of which are best fit by an unexpectedly high abundance
of
free-floating
planets.
Understanding
how these low mass objects formed is important to
understanding
star formation generally and may even help humanity to better understand the
early years of our Solar System.
Remastered version of this image:
Recolored and in greater detail
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
