VISTA's infrared view of the Orion Nebula
This wide-field view of the Orion Nebula (Messier 42), lying about 1350 light-years from Earth, was taken with the VISTA infrared survey telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The new telescope’s huge field of view allows the whole nebula and its surroundings to be imaged in a single picture and its infrared vision also means that it can peer deep into the normally hidden dusty regions and reveal the curious antics of the very active young stars buried there. This image was created from images taken through Z, J and Ks filters in the near-infrared part of the spectrum. The exposure times were ten minutes per filter. The image covers a region of sky about one degree by 1.5 degrees.
Credit:
ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA.
Acknowledgment: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit
About the Image
| Id: | eso1006a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 10 February 2010, 12:00 |
| Related releases: | eso1006 |
| Size: | 12640 x 15546 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Messier 42, Orion Nebula |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Star Formation • Nebulae |
| Distance: | 1400 light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
| Infrared Z |
Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) VIRCAM |
| Infrared J |
Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) VIRCAM |
| Infrared K |
Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) VIRCAM |
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