370-million-pixel starscape of the Lagoon Nebula

[n2doc]

The third image of ESO’s GigaGalaxy Zoom project has just been released online, completing this eye-opening dive into our galactic home in outstanding fashion. The latest image follows on from views, released over the last two weeks, of the sky as seen with the unaided eye and through an amateur telescope. This third instalment provides another breathtaking vista of an astronomical object, this time a 370-million-pixel view of the Lagoon Nebula of the quality and depth needed by professional astronomers in their quest to understand our Universe.



The newly released image extends across a field of view of more than one and a half square degree — an area eight times larger than that of the full Moon — and was obtained with the Wide Field Imager attached to the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. This 67-million-pixel camera has already created several of ESO’s iconic pictures.

The intriguing object depicted here — the Lagoon Nebula — is located four to five thousand light-years away towards the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer). The nebula is a giant interstellar cloud, 100 light-years across, where stars are forming. The scattered dark patches seen all over the nebula are huge clouds of gas and dust that are collapsing under their own weight and which will soon give birth to clusters of young, glowing stars. Some of the smallest clouds are known as “globules” and the most prominent ones have been catalogued by the astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard.

The Lagoon Nebula hosts the young open stellar cluster known as NGC 6530. This is home for 50 to 100 stars and twinkles in the lower left portion of the nebula. Observations suggest that the cluster is slightly in front of the nebula itself, though still enshrouded by dust, as revealed by reddening of the starlight, an effect that occurs when small dust particles scatter light.


The three images of ESO’s GigaGalaxy Zoom project showing the sky at different levels: from the view seen by the unaided eye to one seen through an amateur telescope, with a final zoom in onto the Lagoon Nebula as seen through a professional telescope.

more, including an internet-clogging 700 mb tiff version, here:

http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-36-09.html

[JuniperLea]

1. Beautiful!

I feel tiny, and humble.

[zeos3]

2. Awesome!

[mike_c]

3. wow....

Just wow.

[phasma ex machina]

4. Must keep a sharp eye on lookout for the top vista ...

beings one can see it with the naked eye.

[Arctic Dave]

5. My new desktop pic.

[roguevalley]

6. first one looks like a photo of my eye. :-D truly awesome

[GodlessBiker]

7. Hello gorgeous!

[pokerfan]

8. a 30 foot monitor should do the trick....