While the lower regions in this image contain only low-mass young stars, NGC 2071 contains a more massive young star with an estimated mass five times that of the Sun, located in the brightest peak seen in the APEX observations. Their presence is therefore evidence that these clumps are actively forming stars.Īt the top of the image is another reflection nebula, NGC 2071. These outflows are ejected from young stars while the star is still forming from the surrounding cloud. Observations of the gas in these clouds reveal gas flowing at high velocity out of some of the dense clumps. The lack of a corresponding dark dust lane in the visible light image tells us that this dense region of dust must lie behind the reflection nebula. Another prominent region of glowing dust seen by APEX overlaps with the visible light from Messier 78 at its lower edge. This tells us that the dense dust lies in front of the reflection nebula, blocking its bluish light. One filament seen by APEX appears in visible light as a dark lane of dust cutting across Messier 78. Credit: ESO and Igor ChekalinĬompare the new image with this earlier, visible light image of M78. A reflection nebula is a formation of interstellar dust that reflects the light of a nearby star or stars. A visible light image from ESO of the reflection nebula Messier 78. Commonly named Messier 78 - this composition contains several reflection and dark nebulae on a very dusty background, located just 'north' of Orion's belt (we'll get to that, perhaps in the next post :cool. APEX’s view reveals the gentle glow of dense cold clumps of dust, some of which are even colder than -250 C. In this image, the APEX observations are overlaid on the visible-light image in orange. When seen in visible light glimmers in a pale blue glow of starlight, but much of the light is blocked by the dust. This reflection nebula lies just to the north of Orion’s Belt. It is an interstellar dust cloud illuminated by young stars. Here in NGC 2068, also called Messier 78, this dazzling submillimetre-wavelength view from the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope Dust shows the glow of interstellar dust grains, pointing the way to where new stars are being formed. M78 is a reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion. But in space, dust can be beautiful, especially when the dust reflects starlight – and even more so when we have the chance to see the reflections in different wavelengths.
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