Sharpless 140
Explanation:
Three young, massive stars will eventually
emerge from
this
natal cloud of dust and gas, but their presence is
already revealed in
this false-color image from the
Spitzer
Space Telescope.
The picture offers a penetrating
infrared view of an
emission nebula cataloged as
Sharpless 140
which
lies about 3,000 light-years away toward the
constellation Cepheus.
The young stars are otherwise obscured in visible light
images by the dusty environs.
Sculpted by winds and radiation from hot stars in the region,
the
majestic arcing structures
pictured here are
tens of light-years across and contain surprisingly complex
molecules - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(
PAHs) - that glow in the infrared.
An amazingly detailed record of
cosmic markers of star
formation, the image hints at the wealth of infrared
data now freely available in the Spitzer Space Telescope
archive.
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.
