Pressemeddelelse
Et kig på støv nær Orions bælte
2. maj 2012
Et nyt billede af området omkring refleksionstågen Messier 78, lige nord for Orions bælte, viser skyer af kosmisk støv, der strækker sig gennem tågen, som perler på en snor. Observationerne, der er lavet med Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) teleskopet [1], udnytter varmegløden fra interstellare støvkorn til at vise astronomer, hvor nye stjerner bliver dannet.
Støv lyder umiddelbart kedeligt og uinteressant – snavs på overfladen, der skjuler en genstands skønhed. Men dette nye billede af Messier 78 og dens omgivelser, der afslører stråling med submillimeter-bølgelængder fra støvkorn i rummet, viser, at støv kan være blændende. Støv er vigtigt for astronomer, da tætte skyer af gas og støv er fødesteder for nye stjerner.
I midten af billedet ses Messier 78, der også er kendt som NGC 2068. Set i synligt lys er dette område en refleksionståge, hvor vi ser den blege blå glød af stjernelys, der reflekteres fra skyer af støv. APEX-observationerne (gengivet i orange farver) er lagt oven på billedet optaget i synligt lys. APEX, der er Følsomt overfor stråling med længere bølgelængder end synligt lys, afslører den svage glød fra tætte kolde klumper af støv, hvoraf nogle endda er koldere end -250 °C. I synligt lys er dette støv mørkt og blokerer for lys. Det er grunden til, at teleskoper som APEX er så vigtige for at studere de støvede skyer, hvor stjerner fødes.
Et filament set af APEX ses i synligt lys som en mørk stribe af støv, der går på tværs af Messier 78. Det fortæller os, at det tætte støvbånd ligger foran refleksionstågen og blokerer dens blålige lys. Et andet fremtrædende område af glødende støv set af APEX, overlapper med det synlige lys fra Messier 78 ved tågens nedre kant. Fraværet af et tilsvarende mørkt støvbånd på billedet taget i synlige lys fortæller, at dette tætte område af støv ligger bag refleksionstågen.
Observationer af gassen i disse skyer afslører gas, der med høj hastighed strømmer ud af nogle af de tætte klumper. Disse udstrømninger skydes ud fra unge stjerner, mens stjernerne stadig er ved at blive dannet af den omgivende sky. Deres tilstedeværelse er derfor tegn på, at disse klumper aktivt danner stjerner.
Øverst i billedet ses en anden refleksionståge, NGC 2071. Mens de nederste områder i billedet kun indeholder lette unge stjerner, indeholder NGC 2071 en tung ung stjerne. Den har en anslået masse, der er fem gange større end Solens og ses som dem klareste lysplet i APEX-observationerne.
APEX-observationerne, der er gengivet i dette billede, blev ledet af Thomas Stanke (ESO), Tom Megeath (University of Toledo, USA) og Amy Stutz (Max Planck Institut for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Tyskland). For mere information om hvordan dette område ser ud i synligt lys, herunder den nyligt opdagede – og meget variable – McNeils Tåge, se eso1105.
Noter
[1] APEX er et samarbejde mellem Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR), Onsala Space Observatory (OSO) og ESO. ESO står for driften af APEX på Chajnantor. APEX baner vejen for næste generation af submillimeter-teleskoper, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).
Mere information
I år 2012 er der 50-års jubilæum for grundlæggelsen af det Europæiske Syd Observatorium (ESO). ESO er den mest fremtrædende internationale astronomi-organisation i Europa og verdens mest produktive astronomiske observatorium. ESO har i dag følgende 15 medlemslande: Belgien, Brasilien, Danmark, Finland, Frankrig, Holland, Italien, Portugal, Schweiz og Storbritannien, Spanien, Sverige, Tjekkiet, Tyskland og Østrig. ESO’s aktiviteter er fokuseret på design, konstruktion og drift af jordbaserede observationsfaciliteter for at muliggøre vigtige videnskabelige opdagelser inden for astronomi. ESO spiller også en ledende rolle for at fremme og organisere samarbejdet inden for astronomisk forskning. I Chile driver ESO tre unikke observatorier i verdensklasse: La Silla, Paranal og Chajnantor. På Paranal driver ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT), der er verdens mest avancerede astronomiske observatorium til observationer i synligt lys samt to kortlægningsteleskoper. VISTA arbejder i infrarødt lys og er verdens største kortlægningsteleskop, mens VLT Survey Telescope (VST) er det største teleskop, der udelukkende er bygget til at kortlægge himlen i synligt lys. ESO er den europæiske partner i et revolutionerede astronomisk teleskop kaldet ALMA, det største igangværende astronomiske projekt. ESO planlægger i øjeblikket et 40 meter optisk/nær-infrarødt teleskop kaldet European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), der vil blive ”verdens største øje mod himlen”.
Links
Kontakter
Thomas Stanke
ESO
Garching, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6116
E-mail: tstanke@eso.org
Douglas Pierce-Price
ESO ALMA/APEX Public Information Officer
Garching, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6759
E-mail: dpiercep@eso.org
Ole J. Knudsen (Pressekontakt Danmark)
ESOs formidlingsnetværk
og Aarhus Space Centre, Aarhus Universitet
Aarhus, Danmark
Tel: +45 8715 5597
E-mail: eson-denmark@eso.org
Om pressemeddelelsen
| Pressemeddelelse nr.: | eso1219da |
| Navn: | M 78, Messier 78, NGC 2068, Orion |
| Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Reflection |
| Facility: | Atacama Pathfinder Experiment |
Billeder
Videoer
Billedesammenligning
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