The Southern Cliff in the Lagoon
Image Credit: Julia I. Arias and Rodolfo H. Barba’ (Dept. Fisica, Univ. de La Serena), ICATE-CONICET, Gemini Observatory/AURA
Explanation: Undulating bright ridges and dusty clouds cross this close-up of the nearby star forming region M8, also known as the Lagoon Nebula. A sharp, false-color composite of narrow band visible and broad band near-infrared data from the 8-meter Gemini South Telescope, the entire view spans about 20 light-years through a region of the nebula sometimes called the Southern Cliff. The highly detailed image explores the association of many newborn stars imbedded in the tips of the bright-rimmed clouds and Herbig-Haro objects. Abundant in star-forming regions, Herbig-Haro objects are produced as powerful jets emitted by young stars in the process of formation heat the surrounding clouds of gas and dust. The cosmic Lagoon is found some 5,000 light-years away toward the constellation Sagittarius and the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. (For location and scale, check out this image superimposing the close-up of the Southern Cliff within the larger Lagoon Nebula. The scale image is courtesy R. Barba’.)
Tomorrow’s picture: and beyond
礁湖星云的南崖
影像提供: Julia I. Arias and Rodolfo H. Barba’ (Dept. Fisica, Univ. de La Serena), ICATE-CONICET, Gemini Observatory/AURA
说明: 在这幅邻近恒星形成区M8（礁湖星云）的特写影像里，绵延起伏的亮脊与尘埃云横贯整片视野。这幅呈现礁湖星云南崖、宽约20光年区域的清晰组合假色影像，整合来自8米南双子望远镜窄波段可见光与宽波段近红外光数据。这张高解析影像，用于探索诞生于亮缘云气顶端的新恒星与赫比格-哈罗（HH）天体之间的关联。恒星形成区很常见的赫比格-哈罗天体，是恒星在诞生过程中发出的强大喷流，加热激发周围云气和尘埃发光所形成的景观。礁湖星云位在人马座及银河中心 方向约5,000光年远之处。 （参考叠合南崖特写和大范围礁湖星云、由R. Barba提供的影像，可获知这片景观的位置和尺度。）
明日的图片: and beyond
