Robby
03-13-2008, 01:04 AM
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0803/etacar_spitzer_c800.jpg (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0803/etacar_spitzer_f2048.jpg)
Sculpting the South Pillar
Credit: Nathan Smith (Univ. of Colorado (http://casa.colorado.edu/)), et al (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2005-12/ quickfacts.shtml)., SSC (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/), JPL (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), Caltech (http://www.caltech.edu/), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/)
Explanation: Eta Carinae, one of the most massive and unstable stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, has a profound effect on its environment. Found in (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ ssc2005-12/ssc2005-12v1.shtml) the the South Pillar region of the Carina Nebula, these fantastic pillars (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2005-12/ release.shtml) of glowing dust and gas with embedded newborn stars were sculpted by the intense wind and radiation from Eta Carinae and other massive stars. Glowing brightly (http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/nebulae/ngc3372.html) in planet Earth's southern sky, the expansive Eta Carinae Nebula (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071027.html) is a mere 10,000 light-years distant. Still, this remarkable cosmic vista is largely obscured by nebular dust and only revealed here in penetrating infrared light (http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ ir_tutorial/importance.html) by the Spitzer (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/about/ index.shtml) Space Telescope. Eta Carinae itself is off the top left of the false-color image, with the bright-tipped dust pillars (http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0411178) pointing suggestively toward the massive star's position. The Spitzer image spans almost 200 light-years at the distance of Eta Carinae (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021010.html).
(Via NASA (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080313.html))
Sculpting the South Pillar
Credit: Nathan Smith (Univ. of Colorado (http://casa.colorado.edu/)), et al (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2005-12/ quickfacts.shtml)., SSC (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/), JPL (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), Caltech (http://www.caltech.edu/), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/)
Explanation: Eta Carinae, one of the most massive and unstable stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, has a profound effect on its environment. Found in (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ ssc2005-12/ssc2005-12v1.shtml) the the South Pillar region of the Carina Nebula, these fantastic pillars (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2005-12/ release.shtml) of glowing dust and gas with embedded newborn stars were sculpted by the intense wind and radiation from Eta Carinae and other massive stars. Glowing brightly (http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/nebulae/ngc3372.html) in planet Earth's southern sky, the expansive Eta Carinae Nebula (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071027.html) is a mere 10,000 light-years distant. Still, this remarkable cosmic vista is largely obscured by nebular dust and only revealed here in penetrating infrared light (http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ ir_tutorial/importance.html) by the Spitzer (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/about/ index.shtml) Space Telescope. Eta Carinae itself is off the top left of the false-color image, with the bright-tipped dust pillars (http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0411178) pointing suggestively toward the massive star's position. The Spitzer image spans almost 200 light-years at the distance of Eta Carinae (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021010.html).
(Via NASA (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080313.html))