NGC 7000
FYNebulas
FYNebulas
NGC 7000
NGC 7000
Disappearing Act
This swirling landscape of stars is known as the North America Nebula. In visible light, the region resembles North America, but in this new infrared view from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, the continent disappears.
The reason you don’t see it in Spitzer’s view is due, in part, to the fact that infrared light can penetrate dust whereas visible light cannot. Dusty, dark clouds in the visible image become transparent in Spitzer’s view. In addition, Spitzer’s infrared detectors pick up the glow of dusty cocoons enveloping baby stars.
Clusters of young stars (about one million years old) can be found throughout the image. Slightly older but still very young stars (about 3-5 million years) are also liberally scattered across the complex. Some areas of this nebula are still very thick with dust and appear dark even in Spitzer’s view and are likely to be the youngest stars in the complex (less than a million years old).
New View of Family Life in the North American Nebula
Stars at all stages of development, from dusty little tots to young adults, are on display in a new image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope.
This cosmic community is called the North American nebula. In visible light, the region resembles the North American continent, with the most striking resemblance being the Gulf of Mexico. But in Spitzer’s infrared view, the continent disappears. Instead, a swirling landscape of dust and young stars comes into view.
An Extended Stellar Family
This swirling landscape of stars is known as the North American nebula. In visible light, the region resembles North America, but in this new infrared view from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, the continent disappears.
Where did the continent go? The reason you don’t see it in Spitzer’s view is because infrared light can penetrate dust whereas visible light cannot. Dusty, dark clouds in the visible image become transparent in Spitzer’s view, also revealing the glow of dusty cocoons enveloping baby stars.
Clusters of young stars (about one million years old) can be found throughout the image. Slightly older but still very young stars (about 3 to 5 million years) are also liberally scattered across the complex, with concentrations near the “head” region of the Pelican nebula, which is located to the right of the North American nebula (upper right portion of this picture).
Some areas of this nebula are still very thick with dust and appear dark even in Spitzer’s view. For example, the dark “river” in the lower left-center of the image — in the Gulf of Mexico region — are likely to be the youngest stars in the complex (less than a million years old).
Source: NASA/JPL
NGC 7000
APOD - NGC 7000, Pelican Nebula, Butterfly Nebula, Crescent Nebula, Veil Nebula
