The region around the massive star IRS2

Colour composite image of the central part of the stellar cluster RCW 38, around the young, massive star IRS2, taken with the NACO adaptive optics instrument attached to ESO's Very Large Telescope. Thanks to this image, astronomers were able to discover that IRS2 is in fact a twin system composed of two almost equally massive stars. The astronomers also found a handful of protostars – the faintly luminous precursors to fully realised stars – and dozens of other candidate stars that have eked out an existence here despite the powerful ultraviolet light radiated by IRS2.

The image is based on near-infrared data taken through three different filters (J, H and K). The field of view is about 1 arcminute across.

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:eso0929a
Type:Observation
Release date:19 August 2009
Related releases:eso0929
Related announcements:ann15076
Size:947 x 934 px

About the Object

Name:RCW 38
Type:Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster
Distance:5500 light years
Constellation:Vela
Category:Star Clusters

Image Formats

Large JPEG
156.1 KB
Screensize JPEG
128.9 KB

Wallpapers

1024x768
135.8 KB
1280x1024
202.6 KB
1600x1200
274.8 KB
1920x1200
310.5 KB
2048x1536
408.4 KB

Coordinates

Position (RA):8 59 5.77
Position (Dec):-47° 30' 37.56"
Field of view:0.85 x 0.84 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.0° right of vertical

Colours & filters

BandTelescope
Infrared
J
Very Large Telescope
NACO
Infrared
H
Very Large Telescope
NACO
Infrared
K
Very Large Telescope
NACO