'Orion's fireplace': See Flame Nebula glow in stunning new view
This glorious image will warm your space-loving heart.
It's winter where I am and I've been feeling the drag of short days and cold temperatures. That's why I can't stop lingering on a new image of the Flame Nebula that shows a gloriously glowing region of space. It looks like an inferno, but it's actually a cloud of dust and gas specked with stars.
The European Southern Observatory called the Flame Nebula "Orion's fireplace" in a statement on Tuesday. It's located in the constellation of Orion, which is named for the hunter from Greek mythology. "This 'emission' nebula harbors a cluster of young stars at its center that emit high-energy radiation, making the surrounding gases shine," ESO said.
There's a lot going on in the ESO image. The Flame Nebula is the big formation on the left. The smaller object on the right is another nebula, NGC 2023. Look closely above and to the right of NGC 2023 to find the Horsehead Nebula, which Hubble scenically captured back in 2013.
The Flame Nebula image comes from the ESO-operated Atacama Pathfinder Experiment in Chile. The observation is part of a larger survey investigating radio waves emitted by carbon monoxide in the star-forming regions of Orion's molecular clouds. "Unlike what the 'fire' of this image might suggest, these clouds are actually cold, with temperatures typically just a few tens of degrees above absolute zero," ESO said.
The image highlights the velocity of the gas in the nebula, with red-colored clouds moving away from us faster than the yellow ones. The science is neat, but there's also room to just sit back and appreciate the sheer visual beauty. My toes may be cold, but my space-loving heart is warm.