The Lively Center of the Lagoon Nebula
Explanation:
The center of the Lagoon Nebula is a
whirlwind
of spectacular star formation.
Visible near the image center, at least two long funnel-shaped clouds,
each roughly half a
light-year long, have been formed by extreme
stellar winds
and intense
energetic starlight.
A tremendously bright nearby star,
Hershel 36, lights the area.
Vast walls of
dust hide and
redden
other hot young stars.
As energy from these stars pours into the
cool dust and gas,
large temperature differences in
adjoining regions can be created generating
shearing
winds which may cause the
funnels.
This picture, spanning about 15 light years,
features two colors detected by the
orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.
The
Lagoon Nebula, also known as
>M8, lies about 5000
light
years distant toward the
constellation of the
Archer
Sagittarius.
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.
