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Star Birth

Lagoon Nebula (M8)

As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to infrared light to x-ray light. In visible light: A cloud of dust shrouds a stellar nursery, but light from hidden, massive, newborn stars illuminates and carves out structures in the dust. In infrared light: The heated dust within the nebula glows (red and green), while stars behind the dust shine through (blue). In x-ray light: The most massive stars in the nebula that sculpt and carve the nebula shine with X-ray light. As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to infrared light to x-ray light. In visible light: A cloud of dust shrouds a stellar nursery, but light from hidden, massive, newborn stars illuminates and carves out structures in the dust. In infrared light: The heated dust within the nebula glows (red and green), while stars behind the dust shine through (blue). In x-ray light: The most massive stars in the nebula that sculpt and carve the nebula shine with X-ray light. As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to infrared light to x-ray light. In visible light: A cloud of dust shrouds a stellar nursery, but light from hidden, massive, newborn stars illuminates and carves out structures in the dust. In infrared light: The heated dust within the nebula glows (red and green), while stars behind the dust shine through (blue). In x-ray light: The most massive stars in the nebula that sculpt and carve the nebula shine with X-ray light.
Visible: Default View
Infrared:
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X-ray:
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Lagoon Nebula (M8)

One of the most prominent regions of star formation is the Lagoon Nebula, located about 4,000 light-years away toward the center of our galaxy. Thousands of newborn stars are beginning to disperse their dusty birthplace. The most massive of the newborn stars are giving off high-energy radiation, sculpting and carving the nebula.
Visible: A cloud of dust shrouds a stellar nursery, but light from hidden, massive, newborn stars illuminates and carves out structures in the dust.
Infrared: The heated dust within the nebula glows (red and green), while stars behind the dust shine through (blue).
X-ray: The most massive stars in the nebula that sculpt and carve the nebula shine with X-ray light.
CREDITS: Hubble Space Telescope (visible): NASA, ESA, STScI; Spitzer Space Telescope (infrared): NASA, JPL-Caltech; Chandra X-ray Observatory (X-ray): NASA, CXC, SAO.