Young Stars in the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud
Explanation:
How do stars form?
To help find out, astronomers created this tantalizing
false-color composition of dust clouds and embedded newborn stars in
infrared wavelengths with WISE, the
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.
The cosmic canvas features
one of the closest star forming regions, part of the Rho Ophiuchi
cloud complex some 400 light-years distant
near the southern edge of the
pronounceable
constellation
Ophiuchus.
After forming along a large cloud of cold molecular
hydrogen gas, young stars heat the surrounding
dust to produce the infrared glow.
Stars in the process of formation, called young stellar objects or
YSOs,
are embedded in the compact pinkish nebulae seen here,
but are otherwise hidden from the
prying
eyes
of optical
telescopes.
An
exploration
of the region in penetrating infrared light has detected
emerging and newly formed stars whose average age
is estimated to be a mere 300,000 years.
That's extremely young compared to the
Sun's age of 5 billion years.
The prominent reddish nebula at the lower right surrounding
the star
Sigma Scorpii
is a reflection nebula produced by dust scattering starlight.
This view from WISE, released in 2012,
spans
almost 2 degrees and covers about 14
light-years at the estimated distance of the
Rho Ophiuchi cloud.
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.
