press release
January 4, 2023
A multitude of stars can be seen behind the faint orange glow of the Sh2-54 nebula in this new infrared image. This spectacular starry sky in the constellation Serpens was captured in great detail using the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile.
When ancient people looked at the night sky, they saw random patterns in the stars. The Greeks, for example, called one of these constellations Snakesbecause it looked like a snake. What they couldn’t see was that at the end of this constellation a wealth of amazing astronomical objects located. These include the eagle-, THE omega– and the Sh2-54 nebula; the latter appears in a new light in this spectacular infrared image.
These nebulae are huge clouds of gas and dust in which stars are born. Telescopes have allowed astronomers to identify and analyze these rather faint objects in great detail. The nebula shown here, located about 6,000 light-years away, is officially named Sh2-54; the “Sh” refers to the American astronomer Stewart Sharplesswho catalogued more than 300 nebulae in the 1950s.
As technology for exploring the universe advances, so does our understanding of these stellar nurseries. One such advancement is the ability to see beyond the light our eyes can see, such as: B. infrared light. Just as the serpent, the nebula’s namesake, evolved the ability to detect infrared light to better understand its surroundings, we have also developed infrared instruments to learn more about the universe.
While visible light is easily absorbed by the dust clouds of nebulae, infrared light can penetrate the thick layers of dust almost unhindered. The image here therefore reveals an abundance of stars hidden behind the dust veils. This is particularly useful because it allows scientists to study the processes in star-forming regions in much greater detail and thus learn more about how stars form.
This image was taken with the sensitive sensor 67-megapixel camera of the VIEWImage taken in infrared light by the ESO telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The recording was made as part of the VVVX Survey – the VISTA variables of the extended Via Láctea survey. This is a multi-year project that has repeatedly observed a large part of the Milky Way in infrared wavelengths and provides important data for understanding stellar evolution.
More information
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) enables scientists from around the world to unlock the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all. We design, build and operate world-class observatories that astronomers use to answer exciting questions and inspire fascination with astronomy, and we promote international collaboration in astronomy. Founded in 1962 as an intergovernmental organisation, ESO is led by 16 Member States (Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the Host Country Chile and Australia as strategic partners. ESO Headquarters and its Visitor Centre and Planetarium, ESO Supernova, are located near Munich in Germany, while the Atacama Desert in Chile, a wonderland offering unique conditions for observing the skies, is home to our telescopes. ESO operates three observing sites: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At the Paranal site, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its associated Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as survey telescopes such as VUE. Also at Paranal, ESO will operate the Cherenkov Telescope Array South, the world’s largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. In collaboration with international partners, ESO operates APEX and ALMA, two millimetre and submillimetre observing facilities on Chajnantor. On Cerro Armazones, near Paranal, we are building “the world’s largest eye in the sky”: ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope. From our offices in Santiago, Chile, we support our activities in the country and collaborate with Chilean partners and society.
The translations of ESO press releases into English are a service of the ESO Science Outreach Network (ESON), an international astronomy outreach network in which scientists and science communicators from all ESO Member Countries (and some other countries) are represented. It is the German node of the network. House of Astronomy in Heidelberg.
LEFT
Contact details
Juan Carlos Muñoz Mateos
ESO Media Manager
Garching near Munich, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6176
E-mail: press@eso.org
Markus Nielbock (press contact Germany)
ESO Science Outreach Network and House of Astronomy
Heidelberg, Germany
Tel: +49 6221 528-134
E-mail: eson-germany@eso.org
Connect with ESO on social media
This is a translation of ESO press release eso2301.