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Image Gallery > Astronomical Images > Star Formation > sig07-006

ASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Barrado y Navascués (LAEFF-INTA)

Young Stars Emerge from Orion's Head

This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows infant stars "hatching" in the head of the hunter constellation, Orion. Astronomers suspect that shockwaves from a supernova explosion in Orion's head, nearly three million years ago, may have initiated this newfound birth.

The region featured in this Spitzer image is called Barnard 30. It is located approximately 1,300 light-years away and sits on the right side of Orion's head, just north of the massive star Lambda Orionis.

Wisps of red in the cloud are organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are formed anytime carbon-based materials are burned incompletely. On Earth, they can be found in the sooty exhaust from automobile and airplane engines. They also coat the grills where charcoal-broiled meats are cooked.

This image shows infrared light captured by Spitzer's infrared array camera. Light with wavelengths of 8 and 5.8 microns (red and orange) comes mainly from dust that has been heated by starlight. Light of 4.5 microns (green) shows hot gas and dust; and light of 3.6 microns (blue) is from starlight.

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About the Object (1)
Object name: Barnard 30
Object type: Star-Forming Region
Position (J2000): RA: 05h 30m 16.80s Dec: 12° 46' 12.00"
Distance: 400 parsecs, about 1300 light-years
Constellation: Orion

About the Data

Spitzer Data

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Barrado y Navascués (LAEFF-INTA)
Instrument: IRAC
Wavelength: 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 and 8.0 microns (orange and red)
Exposure Date: 2005/10/22
Exposure Time: Total integration time of 36 seconds
Image scale: 1.0 x 0.6 degree
Orientation: North is 87.5 deg CW from up
Release Date: 2007/05/17

Observers

D. Barrado y Navascués (Laboratorio de Astrofísica Espacial y Física Fundamental, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial)
J.R. Stauffer (Spitzer Science Center)
M. Morales-Calderon (Laboratorio de Astrofísica Espacial y Física Fundamental, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial)
A. Bayo (Laboratorio de Astrofísica Espacial y Física Fundamental, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial)
L Rebull (Spitzer Science Center)
L Hartmann (Univ. Michigan)
S. Ramirez (Spitzer Science Center)
T. Megeath (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
L. Allen (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)

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