礁湖星云喧嚣的中心

2023年6月19日

The Busy Center of the Lagoon Nebula
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing: Francisco Javier Pobes Serrano

Explanation: The center of the Lagoon Nebula is a whirlwind of spectacular star formation. Visible near the image center, at least two long funnel-shaped clouds, each roughly half a light-year long, have been formed by extreme stellar winds and intense energetic starlight. A tremendously bright nearby star, Herschel 36, lights the area. Vast walls of dust hide and redden other hot young stars. As energy from these stars pours into the cool dust and gas, large temperature differences in adjoining regions can be created generating shearing winds which may cause the funnels. This picture, spanning about 15 light years, combines images taken in four colors by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. The Lagoon Nebula, also known as M8, lies about 5000 light years distant toward the constellation of the Archer (Sagittarius).

Tomorrow’s picture: large galactic bird

礁湖星云喧嚣的中心
影像提供: NASA, ESA, Hubble; 影像处理: Francisco Javier Pobes Serrano

说明: 礁湖星云的中心正在进行剧烈壮观的造星活动。在影像的中心附近，至少可以找到两根长约半光年、由极强烈恒星风和高能量星光吹袭而成的漏斗形云柱。而附近极端明亮的恒星Herschel 36，则照亮了整个区域。此外，还可见到红化或遮掩其他炽热年轻恒星的厚重尘埃云墙。随着这些恒星的能量流进冰冷的尘埃和云气，横跨在毗邻区域巨大温差所形成的剪向风，可能就是造就这些漏斗云柱的主因。上面这张宽约15光年的影像，是由哈勃太空望远镜所拍摄的6色照片组合而成。编录号为M8的礁湖星云，位在黄道上的人马座方向，离我们约5,000光年远之处。

明日的图片: large galactic bird