韦伯：M16的恒星形成之柱

2022年12月6日

M16: A Star Forming Pillar from Webb
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Processing & Copyright: Mehmet Hakan Özsaraç

Explanation: What’s happening inside this interstellar mountain? Stars are forming. The mountain is actually a column of gas and dust in the picturesque Eagle Nebula (M16). A pillar like this is so low in density that you could easily fly though it — it only appears solid because of its high dust content and great depth. The glowing areas are lit internally by newly formed stars. These areas shine in red and infrared light because blue light is scattered away by intervening interstellar dust. The featured image was captured recently in near-infrared light in unprecedented detail by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched late last year. Energetic light, abrasive winds, and final supernovas from these young stars will slowly destroy this stellar birth column over the next 100,000 years.

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韦伯：M16的恒星形成之柱
图像提供: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, 图像处理与版权: Mehmet HakanÖzsaraç

说明: 这座星际山峰之内发生了什么事？恒星正形成于其中。这座宇宙山峰，其实是美丽的鹰状星云（M16）里的气体与尘埃柱。这种云柱的密度很低，你可轻易的穿过它，而它之所以看起来形似坚柱，是因为它含有大量的尘埃，而且极厚。云柱里的亮区是受到内部新诞生的恒星之照耀。这些亮区看似只发出明亮的红光及红外光，则是因为蓝光都被居间的星际尘埃给散射了。这幅呈现云柱前所未见细微结构的主题图像，是由去年底发射的韦伯太空望远镜（JWST）不久前在近红外波段拍摄的。这些年轻恒星发出的高能星光、侵蚀性的恒星风、以及最后死亡时的超新星爆炸，会在接下来的100,000年里慢慢摧毁这根恒星诞生之柱。

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