August 6, 2014 Lupus 3, a dark cloud in Scorpius Image Credit: ESO/F. Comeron Lupus 3 is a dark, star-forming cloud with an associated cluster of brilliant stars, located about 600 light-years from Earth within our Milky Way Galaxy in the southern constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion). The section shown here is about five light-years [continue reading]
October 31, 2013 The Galactic Ghoul, a spooky cloud in Cygnus Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/S.Carey (Caltech) The Galactic Ghoul (designated DR 6) is a star-forming cloud of gas and dust that is home to a young open star cluster, located some 3,900 light-years away in the northern constellation of Cygnus (the Swan). The DR 6 nebula is [continue reading]
A team of astronomers led by Yancy Shirley at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory has completed the largest-ever survey of dense gas clouds in the Milky Way – pockets shrouded in gas and dust where new stars are being born. Cataloging and mapping more than 6,000 gas clouds, the survey allows astronomers to [continue reading]
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have discovered signs of star formation perilously close to the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. If confirmed, this would be the first time that star formation was observed so close to the galactic center. A combined ALMA and Very Large [continue reading]
February 13, 2013 The Black Widow Nebula, an emission nebula in Circinus Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/E. Churchwell (Univ of Wisconsin) and the GLIMPSE Team The Black Widow Nebula is an emission nebula, a star-forming cloud of gas and dust, located about 10,000 light-years away from Earth just above the galactic plane in the southern constellation of [continue reading]
January 8, 2012 Sh2-239, a reflection nebula surrounded by a star-forming cloud Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona (http://www.caelumobservatory.com/index.html) This image shows Sharpless 239 (Sh2-239 or LBN 821, left), a reflection nebula surrounded by LDN 1551, a dark star-forming cloud of gas and dust. The region stretches for nearly 3 light-years [continue reading]