02 October 2010
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Povich (Penn State Univ.)
NASA recently published an interesting infrared image of a dragon-shaped cosmic cloud of dust, which belongs to our Galaxy, the Milky Way. The image was acquired by the sophisticated space-based Spitzer Space Telescope (SST). The cloud, termed M17 SWex, seems to fly out from a bright explosion.
Spitzer’s observations have demonstrated that stars are forming within M17 SWex at a high rate, but the most massive type of stars, technically designated O stars, have not yet been born. However, giant O stars light up a bright nebula, known as M17, at image center. Their radiation have also blown a huge "bubble", in M17's luminous left edge.
The stars and clouds in this region are now moving though the Sagittarius spiral arm of the Milky Way, from right to left. The most recent episode of star formation is occurring inside M17 SWex, as it enters the spiral arm. Over time, this area will brighten like the M17 nebula, due to the radiation of young, massive stars.
The false-color image was produced by combining observations from two Spitzer instruments. The colors represent the different radiations, detected by the SST’s instruments.
References
SST Press Release
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/3189-sig10-009a-The-Evolution-of-Star-Formation-around-the-M17-Nebula
Aymen Mohamed Ibrahem
Senior Astronomy Specialist