http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/nebulae/ Nebula News. Double helix nebula, cosmic spider, tarantula nebula and more. Fantastic images and full text science articles. Free. en-us Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:05:02 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/nebulae/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215083021.htm A new image from the APEX telescope in Chile shows a sinuous filament of cosmic dust more than ten light-years long. In it, newborn stars are hidden, and dense clouds of gas are on the verge of collapsing to form yet more stars. The cosmic dust grains are so cold that observations at wavelengths of around one millimeter are needed to detect their glow. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215083021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132559.htm Astronomers have obtained the most detailed – and dramatic - infrared image of the Carina Nebula stellar nursery taken so far. Many previously hidden features have emerged. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208082428.htm ESO's Very Large Telescope has delivered the most detailed infrared image of the Carina Nebula stellar nursery taken so far. Many previously hidden features, scattered across a spectacular celestial landscape of gas, dust and young stars, have emerged. This is one of the most dramatic images ever created by the VLT. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208082428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201094326.htm A new view shows a stellar nursery called NGC 3324. It was taken using the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. The intense ultraviolet radiation from several of NGC 3324's hot young stars causes the gas cloud to glow with rich colors and has carved out a cavity in the surrounding gas and dust. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201094326.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119101553.htm Astronomers have captured a striking new image of the Helix Nebula. A new picture, taken in infrared light, reveals strands of cold nebular gas that are invisible in images taken in visible light, as well as bringing to light a rich background of stars and galaxies. The Helix Nebula is one of the closest and most remarkable examples of a planetary nebula. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119101553.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118200606.htm In 1995, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took an iconic image of the Eagle nebula, dubbed the "Pillars of Creation," highlighting its finger-like pillars where new stars are thought to be forming. Now, the Herschel Space Observatory has a new, expansive view of the region captured in longer-wavelength infrared light. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118200606.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113102058.htm Scientists have discovered a novel chemical route to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- complex organic molecules such as naphthalene carrying fused benzene rings -- in ultra-cold regions of interstellar space. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113102058.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111133329.htm Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have solved a longstanding mystery of the type of star, or so-called progenitor, that caused a supernova in a nearby galaxy. The finding yields new observational data for pinpointing one of several scenarios that trigger such outbursts. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111133329.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110163446.htm The stars we see today weren't always as serene as they appear, floating alone in the dark of night. Most stars, likely including our sun, grew up in cosmic turmoil -- as illustrated in a new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The image shows one of the most active and turbulent regions of star birth in our galaxy, a region called Cygnus X. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110163446.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104111900.htm A new image of the Omega Nebula, captured by ESO's Very Large Telescope, is one of the sharpest of this object ever taken from the ground. It shows the dusty, rose-colored central parts of this famous stellar nursery and reveals extraordinary detail in the cosmic landscape of gas clouds, dust and newborn stars. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104111900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111223105312.htm Just in time for the holidays, astronomers have come across a new image from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, that some say resembles a wreath. You might even think of the red dust cloud as a cheery red bow, and the bluish-white stars as silver bells. This star-forming nebula is named Barnard 3. Baby stars are being born throughout the dusty region, while the "silver bell" stars are located both in front of, and behind, the nebula. Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111223105312.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215095237.htm Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 has captured this image of a giant cloud of hydrogen gas illuminated by a bright young star. The image shows how violent the end stages of the star-formation process can be, with the young object shaking up its stellar nursery. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215095237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205170055.htm An international team of scientists has found the fastest-rotating massive star ever recorded. The star spins around its axis at the speed of 600 kilometers per second at the equator, a rotational velocity so high that the star is nearly tearing apart due to centrifugal forces. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205170055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205102424.htm The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope has picked up the fastest rotating star found so far. This massive bright young star lies in our neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, about 160,000 light-years from Earth. Astronomers think that it may have had a violent past and has been ejected from a double star system by its exploding companion. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205102424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116132119.htm Astronomers have, for the first time, measured the alignment of magnetic fields in gigantic clouds of gas and dust in a distant galaxy. Their results suggest that such magnetic fields play a key role in channeling matter to form denser clouds, and thus in setting the stage for the birth of new stars. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116132119.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116062238.htm Observations made with the APEX telescope in submillimeter-wavelength light reveal the cold dusty clouds from which stars form in the Carina Nebula. This site of violent star formation, which plays host to some of the highest-mass stars in our galaxy, is an ideal arena in which to study the interactions between these young stars and their parent molecular clouds. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116062238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111113232115.htm The star-forming region 30 Doradus is one of the largest located close to the Milky Way and is found in the neighboring galaxy Large Magellanic Cloud. About 2,400 massive stars in the center of 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula, are producing intense radiation and powerful winds as they blow off material. Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111113232115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102161149.htm The discovery of 13 diffuse interstellar bands with the longest wavelengths to date could someday solve a 90-year-old mystery. Astronomers have now discovered new bands using data collected by the Gemini North telescope of stars in the center of the Milky Way. The new findings support recent ideas about the presence of large, possibly carbon-based organic molecules -— “carriers” —- hidden in interstellar dust clouds. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102161149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028082226.htm To visible-light telescopes, this star-forming cloud appears to be chomping through the cosmos, earning it the nickname the "Pacman" nebula, like the famous Pac-Man video game that debuted in 1980. When viewed in infrared light by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, the Pacman takes on a new appearance. In place of its typical, triangle-shaped mouth is a new set of lower, sharp-looking teeth. The Pacman is located at the top of the picture, taking a bite in the direction of the upper left corner. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:22:22 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028082226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143721.htm Researchers from Hong Kong report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. They indicate that an organic substance commonly found throughout the Universe contains a mixture of aromatic and aliphatic components. The results suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018214618.htm In the Pinwheel Galaxy some 21 million light years from Earth, a supernova beams brightly, out-shining its cosmic neighbors and causing a stir among starwatchers. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:46:46 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018214618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102109.htm In the center of the Crab Nebula, the Crab Pulsar, a spinning neutron star left over when a supernova exploded, is pulsing out gamma rays with energies never seen before -- above one hundred thousand million electron volts, according to an international scientific team that includes researchers from the University of Delaware. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102109.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006173449.htm The VERITAS array of telescopes has detected pulsed gamma rays from the pulsar at the heart of the Crab Nebula that have energies far higher than the common theoretical models can explain. The finding is one of the most exciting in the telescope's history, according to astronomers. Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006173449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006141408.htm A thousand years ago, a brilliant beacon of light blazed in the sky, shining brightly enough to be seen even in daytime for almost a month. Native-American and Chinese observers recorded the eye-catching event. We now know that they witnessed an exploding star, which left behind a gaseous remnant known as the Crab Nebula. The same object that dazzled skygazers in 1054 C.E. continues to dazzle astronomers today by pumping out radiation at higher energies than anyone expected. Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006141408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003080510.htm Humanity's most complex ground-based astronomy observatory, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), has officially opened for astronomers at its 16,500-foot high desert plateau in northern Chile. Thousands of scientists from around the world competed to be the first few researchers to explore some of the darkest, coldest, farthest, and most hidden secrets of the Cosmos with this new astronomical tool. Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003080510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110930071705.htm A team of astronomers has detected seven previously unknown supernovae in a galaxy 250 million light years away. Never before have so many supernovae been discovered at the same time in the same galaxy. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110930071705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928105716.htm Astronomers have used ESO's Very Large Telescope to image a colossal star that belongs to one of the rarest classes of stars in the Universe, the yellow hypergiants. The new picture is the best ever taken of a star in this class and shows for the first time a huge dusty double shell surrounding the central hypergiant. The star and its shells resemble an egg white around a yolky center, leading the astronomers to nickname the object the Fried Egg Nebula. Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:57:57 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928105716.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110927161700.htm Astronomers have produced the best ever image of a colossal yellow hypergiant star -- one of the rarest types of star in the Universe. Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110927161700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110921075418.htm A new image from the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope reveals the Lambda Centauri Nebula, a cloud of glowing hydrogen and newborn stars in the constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur). The nebula, also known as IC 2944, is sometimes nicknamed the Running Chicken Nebula, from a bird-like shape some people see in its brightest region. Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:54:54 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110921075418.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915083715.htm Not all stars are loners. In our home galaxy, the Milky Way, about half of all stars have a companion and travel through space in a binary system. But explaining why some stars are in double or even triple systems while others are single has been something of a mystery. Now a team of astronomers think they have the answer -- different stellar birth environments decide whether a star holds on to its companion. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915083715.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195144.htm Every three hours, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope scans the entire sky and deepens its portrait of the high-energy universe. Every year, the satellite's scientists reanalyze all of the data it has collected, exploiting updated analysis methods to tease out new sources. These relatively steady sources are in addition to the numerous transient events Fermi detects, such as gamma-ray bursts in the distant universe and flares from the sun. Earlier this year, the Fermi team released its second catalog of sources detected by the satellite's Large Area Telescope, producing an inventory of 1,873 objects shining with the highest-energy form of light. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907075951.htm The European Southern Observatory's New Technology Telescope has captured a striking image of the open cluster NGC 2100. This brilliant star cluster is around 15 million years old, and located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The cluster is surrounded by glowing gas from the nearby Tarantula Nebula. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907075951.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901105419.htm Using Hubble Space Telescope images, astronomers have created time-lapse movies that offer astronomers their first glimpse of the dynamic behavior of stellar jets, huge torrents of gas and particles that spew from the poles of newborn stars. The movies are forcing astronomers to rethink the late stages of star birth. The researchers are also using lasers to recreate small-scale versions of the jets. Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:54:54 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901105419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831093908.htm Astronomers have combined two decades of Hubble observations to make unprecedented movies revealing never-before-seen details of the birth pangs of new stars. This sheds new light on how stars like the Sun form. Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831093908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110830111240.htm It may not be much use to hitchhikers through the galaxy, but it is extremely valuable to astronomers: the new radio atlas of the Milky Way. After almost ten years of work, researchers have completed their investigation into the polarized radio emission in the galactic plane. Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110830111240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110812094921.htm A giant cosmic necklace glows brightly in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. The object, aptly named the Necklace Nebula, is a recently discovered planetary nebula, the glowing remains of an ordinary, Sun-like star. The nebula consists of a bright ring, measuring 12 trillion miles wide, dotted with dense, bright knots of gas that resemble diamonds in a necklace. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110812094921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110812094035.htm If this were an inkblot test, you might see a bow tie or a butterfly depending on your personality. An astronomer would likely see the remains of a dying star scattered about space -- precisely what this is. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope captured this infrared view of what's called a planetary nebula, which is a cloud of material expelled by a burnt out star, called a white dwarf. This object is named the Dumbbell Nebula after its resemblance to the exercise equipment in visible-light views. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110812094035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720085814.htm ESO's Very Large Telescope captured a striking view of the nebula around the star cluster NGC 1929 within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way. A colossal example of what astronomers call a superbubble dominates this stellar nursery. It is being carved by the winds from bright young stars and the shockwaves from supernova explosions. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720085814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706094335.htm Solar nitrogen is very different from that of meteorites or the Earth. Scientists reached this conclusion after analyzing samples of solar wind collected by the Genesis space mission launched by NASA in 2001. They succeeded in determining the isotopic composition of the Sun, its “DNA”, which reflects the composition of the cloud of gas and dust that gave rise to the solar system. This work could help to elucidate the phenomena behind the origin of the solar system. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:43:43 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706094335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630162311.htm Looking like a pair of eyeglasses only a rock star would wear, a new nebula view brings into focus a murky region of star formation. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope exposes the depths of this dusty nebula with its infrared vision, showing stellar infants that are lost behind dark clouds when viewed in visible light. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630162311.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623145430.htm Researchers analyzing samples returned by NASA's 2004 Genesis mission have discovered that our sun and its inner planets may have formed differently than previously thought. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:54:54 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623145430.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623085844.htm Astronomers have imaged a complex and bright nebula around the supergiant star Betelgeuse in greater detail than ever before. This structure, which resembles flames emanating from the star, is formed as the behemoth sheds its material into space. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623085844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110619140505.htm This glowing emerald nebula seen by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is reminiscent of the glowing ring wielded by the superhero Green Lantern. In the comic books, the diminutive Guardians of the Planet "Oa" forged his power ring, but astronomers believe rings like this are actually sculpted by the powerful light of giant "O" stars. O stars are the most massive type of star known to exist. Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110619140505.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110609112925.htm Light from an exploding star in a neighboring galaxy has suddenly begun to glow brighter as the shock wave and X-rays hit surrounding debris. What we are witnessing the the change from an active supernova to a supernova remnant. Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110609112925.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110608081706.htm The VLT Survey Telescope (VST), the latest addition to the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory, has made its first release of impressive images of the southern sky. The VST is a state-of-the-art 2.6-metre telescope, with the huge 268-megapixel camera OmegaCAM at its heart, which is designed to map the sky both quickly and with very fine image quality. It is a visible-light telescope that perfectly complements ESO's VISTA infrared survey telescope. New images of the Omega Nebula and the globular cluster Omega Centauri demonstrate the VST's power. Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110608081706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526013956.htm NASA will launch a spacecraft to an asteroid in 2016 and use a robotic arm to pluck samples that could better explain our solar system's formation and how life began. The mission, called Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, will be the first U.S. mission to carry samples from an asteroid back to Earth. Thu, 26 May 2011 01:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526013956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110525084022.htm An extraordinarily bright isolated star has been found in a nearby galaxy -- the star is three million times brighter than the Sun. All previous similar "superstars" were found in star clusters, but this brilliant beacon shines in solitary splendor. The origin of this star is mysterious: did it form in isolation or was it ejected from a cluster? Either option challenges astronomers' understanding of star formation. Wed, 25 May 2011 08:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110525084022.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110524111347.htm A local supernova factory has recently started production, according to a wealth of new data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory on the Carina Nebula. This discovery may help astronomers better understand how some of the Galaxy's heaviest and youngest stars race through their lives and release newly-forged elements into their surroundings. Tue, 24 May 2011 11:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110524111347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110523171129.htm Though the universe is filled with billions upon billions of stars, the discovery of a single variable star in 1923 altered the course of modern astronomy. And, at least one famous astronomer of the time lamented that the discovery had shattered his world view. The star goes by the inauspicious name of Hubble variable number one, or V1, and resides in the outer regions of the neighboring Andromeda galaxy, or M31. Mon, 23 May 2011 17:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110523171129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511165312.htm The famous Crab Nebula supernova remnant has erupted in an enormous flare five times more powerful than any flare previously seen from the object. On April 12, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope first detected the outburst, which lasted six days. Wed, 11 May 2011 16:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511165312.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110506165310.htm A team of scientists has discovered a new mineral -- krotite, one of the earliest minerals formed in our solar system. It is the main component of an unusual inclusion embedded in a meteorite (NWA 1934), found in northwest Africa. These objects, known as refractory inclusions, are thought to be the first planetary materials formed in our solar system, dating back to before the formation of Earth and the other planets. Fri, 06 May 2011 16:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110506165310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110413081232.htm A new image of the nebula NGC 3582 shows giant loops of gas bearing a striking resemblance to solar prominences. These loops are thought to have been ejected by dying stars, but new stars are also being born within this stellar nursery. These energetic youngsters emit intense ultraviolet radiation that makes the gas in the nebula glow, producing a fiery display. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 08:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110413081232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404130500.htm It might look like an abstract painting, but this splash of colors is in fact a busy star-forming complex called Rho Ophiuchi. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Explorer, or WISE, captured the picturesque image of the region, which is one of the closest star-forming complexes to Earth. Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404130500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110330094004.htm The vivid red cloud in a new image from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope is a region of glowing hydrogen surrounding the star cluster NGC 371. This stellar nursery lies in our neighboring galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud. Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110330094004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110316084411.htm A new image from ESO's Very Large Telescope gives a close-up view of the dramatic effects new-born stars have on the gas and dust from which they formed. Although the stars themselves are not visible, material they have ejected is colliding with the surrounding gas and dust clouds and creating a surreal landscape of glowing arcs, blobs and streaks. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:44:44 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110316084411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110315093026.htm The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced an outstanding image of part of the famous Tarantula Nebula, a vast star-forming cloud of gas and dust in our neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. In this picture, we see a close-up of the Tarantula's central region, glowing brightly with ionized gases and young stars. Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110315093026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110311131624.htm Just as some drivers obey the speed limit while others treat every road as if it were the Autobahn, some stars move through space faster than others. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, captured a new image of the star Alpha Camelopardalis speeding through the sky like a motorcyclist zipping through rush-hour traffic. Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110311131624.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110306152103.htm NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, captured this image of a star-forming cloud of dust and gas, called Sh2-284, located in the constellation of Monoceros. Lining up along the edges of a cosmic hole are several "elephant trunks" -- or monstrous pillars of dense gas and dust. Sun, 06 Mar 2011 15:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110306152103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110303141544.htm Scientists have found that calcium, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), some of the oldest objects in the solar system, formed far away from our sun and then later fell back into the mid-plane of the solar system. The findings may lead to a greater understanding of how our solar system and possibly other solar systems formed and evolved. Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110303141544.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110216082701.htm The nebula Messier 78 takes center stage in this image taken with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, while the stars powering the bright display take a backseat. The brilliant starlight ricochets off dust particles in the nebula, illuminating it with scattered blue light. Igor Chekalin was the overall winner of ESO's Hidden Treasures 2010 astrophotography competition with his image of this stunning object. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110216082701.htm