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Star Birth

The Orion Nebula

As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to near infrared light to mid infrared light. In visible light: The Orion Nebula shines with the glow of hot gas. In near infrared light: Dust begins to glow in the infrared. In mid infrared light: Mid-infrared light shows the warm dust (red). As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to near infrared light to mid infrared light. In visible light: The Orion Nebula shines with the glow of hot gas. In near infrared light: Dust begins to glow in the infrared. In mid infrared light: Mid-infrared light shows the warm dust (red). As each slider bar is manipulated, the view transitions from visible light to near infrared light to mid infrared light. In visible light: The Orion Nebula shines with the glow of hot gas. In near infrared light: Dust begins to glow in the infrared. In mid infrared light: Mid-infrared light shows the warm dust (red).
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Mid Infrared:
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The Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula is well studied in infrared light. Capturing longer wavelengths lets us peer deeper into the increasingly cold, dense dust clouds that harbor young stars. These baby stars begin to pop out in the near-infrared. The longest wavelengths of infrared light begin to show the glow of the coldest, densest filaments of dust.
Visible: The Orion Nebula shines with the glow of hot gas.
Near Infrared: Dust begins to glow in the infrared.
Mid Infrared: Mid-infrared light shows the warm dust (red).
CREDITS: Visible: NOAO/AURA/NSF/A. Block/R. Steinb. Near-infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (University of Toledo, Ohio). Mid-infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (University of Toledo, Ohio).