The “Mystic Mountain” in Carina | Hubble

The “Mystic Mountain” in Carina | Hubble

This craggy fantasy mountaintop enshrouded by wispy clouds looks like a bizarre landscape from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image, which is even more dramatic than fiction, captures the chaotic activity atop a pillar of gas and dust, three light-years tall, which is being eaten away by the brilliant light from nearby bright stars. The pillar is also being assaulted from within, as infant stars buried inside it fire off jets of gas that can be seen streaming from towering peaks.

This turbulent cosmic pinnacle lies within a tempestuous stellar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7,500 light-years away in the southern constellation of Carina. This image celebrated the 20th anniversary of Hubble's launch and deployment into an orbit around the Earth in 2010.

Scorching radiation and fast winds (streams of charged particles) from super-hot newborn stars in the nebula are shaping and compressing the pillar, causing new stars to form within it. Streamers of hot ionized gas can be seen flowing off the ridges of the structure, and wispy veils of gas and dust, illuminated by starlight, float around its towering peaks. The denser parts of the pillar are resisting being eroded by radiation.

Nestled inside this dense mountain are fledgling stars. Long streamers of gas can be seen shooting in opposite directions from the pedestal at the top of the image. Another pair of jets is visible at another peak near the center of the image. These jets, (known as HH 901 and HH 902, respectively, are signposts for new star birth and are launched by swirling gas and dust discs around the young stars, which allow material to slowly accrete onto the stellar surfaces.

Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 observed the pillar on February 1-2, 2010. The colors in this composite image correspond to the glow of oxygen (blue), hydrogen and nitrogen (green), and sulphur (red).

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency, M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)

Release Date: April 23, 2010

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Hubble #MysticMountain #HerbigHaro #HH901 #HH902 #CarinaNebula #Carina #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

The Golden Era to Study Stellar Births | ESO

The Golden Era to Study Stellar Births | ESO

This week, we feature an image of the spiral galaxy NGC 4303, also known as Messier 61, which is one of the largest galactic members of the Virgo Cluster. Being a so-called starburst galaxy, it has an unusually high amount of stars being born, and has been used by astronomers as a laboratory to better understand the fascinating phenomena of star formation.

Stars form when clouds of cold gas collapse. The energetic radiation from newly born stars will heat and ionize the surrounding remaining gas. The ionized gas will shine, acting as a beacon of ongoing star formation. In this stunning and jewel-like image, this glowing gas can be seen as the whirlpool of gold: the direct traces of stars being born. 

The golden glow is a result of combining observations taken at different wavelengths of light with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. Here gas clouds of ionized oxygen, hydrogen and sulphur are shown in blue, green and red, respectively. The observations are done as part of the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) project, aiming to reveal nearby galaxies across all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/PHANGS

Release Date: August 1, 2022

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Galaxy #Spiral #Stars #Messier61 #NGC4303 #VirgoCluster #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #Telescope #ParanalObservatory #PHANGS #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Star-Studded Skyfield | Hubble

Star-Studded Skyfield | Hubble

This star-studded image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope shows the heart of the globular cluster NGC 6638 in the constellation Sagittarius. The star-strewn observation highlights the density of stars at the heart of globular clusters, which are stable, tightly bound clusters of tens of thousands to millions of stars. To capture the data in this image, Hubble used two of its cutting-edge astronomical instruments: Wide Field Camera 3 and the Advanced Camera for Surveys. 

Hubble revolutionized the study of globular clusters, as it is almost impossible to clearly distinguish the stars in globular clusters with ground-based telescopes. The blurring caused by Earth’s atmosphere makes it impossible to tell one star from another, but from Hubble’s location in low Earth orbit the atmosphere no longer poses a problem. As a result, Hubble has been used to study what kind of stars globular clusters are made up of, how they evolve, and the role of gravity in these dense systems.

The NASA/ESA/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope will further our understanding of globular clusters by peering into those globular clusters that are currently obscured by dust. Webb will predominantly observe at infrared wavelengths, which are less affected by the gas and dust surrounding newborn stars. This will allow astronomers to inspect star clusters that are freshly formed, providing insights into stellar populations before they have a chance to evolve. 

Credit: European Space Agency/Hubble & NASA, R. Cohen

Release Date: August 1, 2022

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Hubble #NGC6638 #GlobularClusters #Sagittarius #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Nichelle Nichols: Woman on a NASA Mission (1932-2022)

Honoring Nichelle Nichols: Woman on a NASA Mission (1932-2022)

NASA celebrates the life and career of Nichelle Nichols, famous for her role of Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek. Nichelle passed away on July 30, 2022. This video tribute was produced before her death.  

Not only did Nichols portray a character that was an incredible role model, but in 1977, she also partnered with NASA to recruit minority and female personnel for the space agency's shuttle program.

Nichols symbolized to so many what was possible and inspired young minds to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. 

Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

Video Producer: Sonnet Apple

Music: Universal Production Music

Duration: 3 minutes, 21 seconds

Release Date: December 4, 2021

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Television #TV #Film #StarTrek #NichelleNichols #Uhura #Actor #Actress #Leader #Pioneer #RoleModel #Women #AfricanAmerican #ScienceFiction #GeneRoddenberry #Science #Technology #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Exploring The Carina Nebula with Laser Optics | European Southern Observatory

Exploring The Carina Nebula with Laser Optics | European Southern Observatory

At first glance, this image looks both awesome and intimidating, with the enormous beams of light resembling some terrible cosmic weapon. Fortunately, that is not the case! This image shows something far more benign—a mixture of gas, dust, and powerful lasers.

Among the largest nebulae in the southern night sky, the Carina Nebula is a perfect viewing target for the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). In this image, the nebula appears as a stunning pink cloud in the clear sky above ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile, home of the VLT. The Carina Nebula is a vast cloud of dust and gas—this gas is ionized and made to glow by the stars within the nebula itself. 

The cutting-edge Adaptive Optics Facility installed on one of the 8.2-meter Unit Telescopes (UTs) of the VLT is in full operation here. The orange laser beams are sent from the UTs into the Earth's atmosphere where they excite sodium particles, causing them to glow. This creates artificial ‘stars’ that can be used to measure the blurring effects caused by Earth’s atmosphere, which are then corrected by the telescope.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/G. Hüdepohl

Release Date: November 9, 2020

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Earth #Atmosphere #AdaptiveOptics #Lasers #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #Telescope #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

A Wider View of The Carina Nebula | ESO

A Wider View of The Carina Nebula (infrared) | ESO

This wider coverage area reveals even more stars from the crowded neighborhood surrounding the Carina Nebula. Captured by VISTA, the world’s largest infrared survey telescope, we witness the dramatic evolution of this living stellar city, where stars form and perish side by side.

Credit: European Southern Observatory/J. Emerson/M. Irwin/J. Lewis

Release Date: August 29, 2018

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Infrared #Stars #EtaCarinae #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

The Carina Nebula & Our Galaxy's Brightest Star: Eta Carinae | ESO

The Carina Nebula & Our Galaxy's Brightest Star: Eta Carinae | ESO

The Carina Nebula is a large bright nebula that surrounds several clusters of stars. It contains two of the most massive and luminous stars in our Milky Way galaxy, Eta Carinae and HD 93129A. Located 7,500 light years away, the nebula itself spans some 260 light years across, about 7 times the size of the Orion Nebula, and is shown in all its glory in this mosaic. It is based on images collected with the 1.5-m Danish telescope at the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory.

Being brighter than one million Suns, Eta Carinae (the brightest star in this image) is the most luminous star known in the Galaxy, and has most likely a mass over 100 times that of the Sun. It is the closest example of a luminous blue variable, the last phase in the life of a very massive star before it explodes in a fiery supernova. Eta Carinae is surrounded by an expanding bipolar cloud of dust and gas known as the Homunculus ('little man' in Latin), which astronomers believe was expelled from the star during a great outburst seen in 1843.

Credit: European Southern Observatory / IDA / Danish 1.5 m/R.Gendler, J-E. Ovaldsen, C. Thöne, and C. Feron

Release Date: December 3, 2009

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Stars #EtaCarinae #HD93129A #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #Telescope #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

The Carina Nebula's Hidden Secrets Revealed (infrared) | ESO

The Carina Nebula's Hidden Secrets Revealed (infrared) | ESO

This broad image of the Carina Nebula, a region of massive star formation in the southern skies, was taken in infrared light using the HAWK-I camera on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. Many previously hidden features, scattered across a spectacular celestial landscape of gas, dust and young stars, have emerged.

Credit: European Southern Observatory/T. Preibisch

Release Date: February 8, 2012

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Infrared #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #Telescope #HAWKI #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

The Cool Clouds of Carina | APEX Telescope

The Cool Clouds of Carina | APEX Telescope

Observations made with the APEX telescope in submillimeter-wavelength light at a wavelength of 870 µm reveal the cold dusty clouds from which stars form in the Carina Nebula. This site of violent star formation, which plays host to some of the highest-mass stars in our galaxy, is an ideal arena in which to study the interactions between these young stars and their parent molecular clouds.

The APEX observations, made with its LABOCA camera, are shown here in orange tones, combined with a visible light image from the Curtis Schmidt telescope at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory. The result is a dramatic, wide-field picture that provides a spectacular view of Carina’s star formation sites. The nebula contains stars equivalent to over 25,000 Suns, and the total mass of gas and dust clouds is that of about 140,000 Suns.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/APEX/T. Preibisch et al. (Submillimetre); N. Smith, University of Minnesota /NOAO / AURA / NSF (Optical)

Release Date: November 16, 2011

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Star #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #APEXTelescope #CerroTololoInteramericanObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

The Wolf–Rayet Star WR 22 in The Carina Nebula | ESO

The Wolf–Rayet Star WR 22 in The Carina Nebula | ESO

This image of part of the Carina Nebula was created from images taken through red, green and blue filters with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. It is centered on the unusual hot massive young star Wolf–Rayet (WR) 22, a member of the rare class of Wolf–Rayet stars. The field of view is 0.55 x 0.55 degrees, covering a 72 x 72 light-year region at the distance of the nebula.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Release Date: July 28, 2010

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #WolfRayet #WR22 #Star #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

A Tour of The Carina Nebula (wide-field) | European Southern Observatory

A Tour of The Carina Nebula (wide-field) | European Southern Observatory

Color-composite image of the Carina Nebula, revealing exquisite details in the stars and dust of the region. Several well known astronomical objects can be seen in this wide field image—to the bottom left of the image is one of the most impressive binary stars in the Universe, Eta Carinae, with the famous Keyhole Nebula just adjacent to the star. The collection of very bright, young stars above and to the right of Eta Carinae is the open star cluster Trumpler 14. A second open star cluster, Collinder 228 is also seen in the image, just below Eta Carinae. The Carina Nebula also bears the NGC 3372 designation. On this image, North is up and East is to the left. The field of view is 0.55 x 0.55 degrees, covering a 72 x 72 light-year region at the distance of the nebula.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Release Date: February 12, 2009

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

The Carina Nebula | VLT Survey Telescope

The Carina Nebula | VLT Survey Telescope

The spectacular star-forming Carina Nebula has been captured in great detail by the VLT Survey Telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory. This picture was taken with the help of Sebastián Piñera, President of Chile, during his visit to the observatory on June 5, 2012, and released on the occasion of the new telescope’s inauguration in Naples on December 6, 2012.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Acknowledgement: VPHAS+ Consortium / Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit

Release Date: December 6, 2012

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Stars and Dust in The Carina Nebula | ESO

Stars and Dust in The Carina Nebula | ESO

ESOcast 175 Light: The VISTA telescope has allowed us to peer through the hot gas and dark dust shrouding the spectacular Carina nebula to show us myriad stars, both newborn and in their death throes.

The ESOcast Light is a series of short videos bringing you the wonders of the Universe in bite-sized pieces.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Directed by: Nico Bartmann  

Editing: Nico Bartmann

Web and technical support: Mathias André and Raquel Yumi Shida

Written by: Ivana Kurecic and Calum Turner 

Music: tonelabs 

Footage and photos: ESO, G. Hüdepohl (atacamaphoto.com), DSS, N. Risinger (skysurvey.org), M. Kornmesser.  

Executive producer: Lars Lindberg Christensen

Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds

Release Date: August 29, 2018

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #Europe #STEM #Education #Visualization #3D #HD #Video

3D View of The Carina Nebula | ESO VISTA

3D View of The Carina Nebula | ESO VISTA

The Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) has allowed us to peer through the hot gas and dark dust shrouding the spectacular Carina Nebula to show us myriad stars, both newborn and in their death throes. This visualization shows a 3D conversion of images of the Carina Nebula.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO), M. Kornmesser

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: May 5, 2022

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Carina #Constellation #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #Europe #STEM #Education #Visualization #3D #HD #Video

Zoom into The Carina Nebula | Hubble

Zoom into The Carina Nebula | Hubble

The Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) is a large, complex area of bright and dark nebulosity in the constellation Carina, located in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. The nebula is approximately 8,500 light-years (2,600 pc) from Earth.

Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Duration: 23 seconds

Release Date: December 31, 2014

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Hubble #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Carina #Constellation #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Heart of The Carina Nebula | SSO Europa Telescope

The Heart of The Carina Nebula | SSO Europa Telescope

This first light image from the Europa telescope at the SPECULOOS Southern Observatory (SSO) shows the heart of the Carina Nebula. The Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) is a large, complex area of bright and dark nebulosity in the constellation Carina, located in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. The nebula is approximately 8,500 light-years (2,600 pc) from Earth.

The SSO is installed at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in the vast Atacama Desert, Chile, and consists of four 1-meter planet-hunting telescopes. The project’s telescopes are named after Jupiter’s Galilean moons, and are neighbors of ESO's Very Large Telescope and VISTA. SPECULOOS will focus on detecting Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby ultra-cool stars and brown dwarfs.

Credit: SPECULOOS Team/E. Jehin/European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Release Date: December 5, 2018

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #SPECULOOS #Nebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #EuropaTelescope #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education