Hubble’s wide view of “Mystic Mountain” in the infrared
This is a NASA Hubble Space Telescope near-infrared image of a pillar of gas and dust, three light-years tall, that is being eaten away by the brilliant light from nearby stars in the tempestuous stellar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7500 light-years away in the southern constellation of Carina. The image marks the 20th anniversary of Hubble's launch and deployment into an orbit around Earth.
The image reveals a myriad of stars behind the gaseous veil of the nebula’s wall of hydrogen, laced with dust. The foreground pillar becomes semi-transparent because infrared light from background stars penetrates through much of the dust. A few stars inside the pillar also become visible. The false colours are assigned to three different infrared wavelength ranges.
Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 observed the pillar in February/March 2010.
Credit:NASA, ESA, M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)
About the Image
Id: | heic1007f |
Type: | Observation |
Release date: | 23 April 2010, 10:00 |
Related releases: | heic1007 |
Size: | 1637 x 1449 px |
About the Object
Name: | Carina Nebula, HH 901, HH 902 |
Type: | Milky Way : Nebula Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Jet |
Distance: | 7500 light years |
Constellation: | Carina |
Category: | Nebulae |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 10 44 5.97 |
Position (Dec): | -59° 30' 3.46" |
Field of view: | 3.51 x 3.11 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 165.4° left of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Infrared Feii | 1.64 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
Infrared Pa-beta | 1.28 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |
Infrared Feii | 1.26 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |