ESA and NASA telescopes tell the story of the Orion Nebula
(ORDO NEWS) — The Orion Nebula can be seen in the new image, which combines previously released data from three telescopes.
The constellation of Orion, where this nebula is located, was named after a mighty hunter from Greek mythology who died from a scorpion sting.
But the history of the dusty region captured in the image, according to NASA, is no less dramatic.
The constellation of Orion is like a hunter raising his club and shield at an invisible target.
The line of three stars is known as Orion’s belt, and the area shown in the photo is located in Orion’s sword, which is perpendicular to the belt.
The two huge caverns that rise above the cloud were created by giant stars (not visible in this image) that can emit a million times more light than our Sun.
Their radiation splits the dust particles, creating a pair of cavities. Most of the remaining dust is blown away by winds from the stars or in supernova explosions.
Blue light in these areas indicates warm dust. The infrared observations were provided by NASA’s Spitzer and WISE space telescopes.
Along the edges of the two caves, the dust, which appears green in the image, is slightly cooler.
The red color indicates cold dust, the temperature of which reaches approximately -260 degrees Celsius. These data were obtained thanks to the Herschel Space Telescope of the ESA Observatory.
Between the two hollow regions are orange filaments where dust accumulates and forms new stars. Over time, these filaments can give rise to new giant stars that will reshape the region again.
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