The Tarantula Nebula (30 Doradus) The Tarantula Nebula (30 Doradus) NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has nebula into the elongated, spidery they are difficult to detect in visible captured in stunning detail the spidery shapes seen in this image. Many of these light. Any visible light that the new star filaments and newborn stars of the newly formed stars, however, cannot be emits is absorbed by the material Tarantula Nebula, a rich star-forming seen by optical telescopes because they surrounding it. Only later, when the new region also known as 30 Doradus. This are still hidden within regions of thick star's radiation blows away most of the nebula is one of the largest and most gas and dust. While other telescopes material surrounding it, can the star be dynamic regions of star formation known have highlighted the nebula's spidery seen in visible light. Until then, these and is the only nebula outside our galaxy filaments and its star-studded core, new stars can usually be detected only visible to the unaided eye. none was capable of fully penetrating its in the infrared. dust-enshrouded pockets of younger The Tarantula nebula is located 170,000 stars. The Spitzer image of this star-forming light-years away in the southern region will help astronomers learn about constellation of Dorado, in our The Spitzer Space Telescope, using its the formation and early evolution of neighboring galaxy, the Large sensitive infrared detectors, is able to see young stars. By studying this portrait of Magellanic Cloud. This glowing cloud past this obscuring material and peer into a family of stars, astronomers can piece of gas and dust surrounds a central star the hidden central regions of the nebula, together how stars in general, including cluster called NGC 2070 (or R136), which providing an unprecedented view of those like our Sun, form. contains some of the brightest and most these massive newborn stars. This image massive stars in the universe. The shows, for the first time, a more complete This Spitzer Space Telescope image was brightest of these are blue supergiant picture of this huge stellar nursery, obtained with an infrared array camera stars which are up to 100 times more including previously hidden stars. The that is sensitive to invisible infrared light massive than the Sun, and are at least image also captures in stunning detail a at wavelengths about ten times longer 100,000 times more luminous. These hollow cavity around the stars, where the than visible light. In this four-color stars will live fast and die young, at least intense radiation from these young stars composite, emission at a wavelength of by astronomical standards, exhausting has blown away cosmic dust. The dense 3.6 microns is shown in blue, 4.5 microns their nuclear fuel in a few million years. regions of gas and dust shown in this in green, 5.8 microns in orange, and 8.0 image will be the birthplace of even more microns in red. The image covers a It is primarily these hot, young stars stars in the future. region that is three-quarters the size of that illuminate the Tarantula nebula the full moon. with their intense radiation. Their Stars form from collapsing clouds of gas radiation and strong stellar winds have and dust. Since newly formed stars are sculpted the gas and dust clouds of the embedded in clouds of gas and dust, http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/ To learn more about infrared astronomy, visit http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/.