Space
Cosmic Coalsack Nebula Darkens the Stars in Spectacular New Image
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Oct 15, 2015 09:47 AM EDT
Scientists have captured the Coalsack Nebula in new, spectacular detail with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-Meter Telescope. The new picture reveals a conspicuous silhouette against the bright, starry band of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Because the object is so dark, people can actually point it out with the naked eye. Named the Coalsack Nebula in Europe in 1499, the object later gained the nickname of the Black Magellanic Cloud; this particular name actually comes from its stark contrast to the bright glow of the two Magellanic Clouds, which are satellite galaxies of the Milky Way.
The Coalsack Nebula, though, is not a galaxy. Instead, it's an interstellar cloud of dust that's so thick that it prevents most of the background starlight from reaching observers on Earth. Interestingly, a significant number of the dust particles have coats of frozen water, nitrogen, carbon monoxide and other simple organic molecules. The resulting grains largely prevent visible light from passing through the cosmic cloud.
The light that does pass through looks redder than normal. This is because the dust absorbs and scatters blue light more than red light, tinting the stars several shades more crimson.
However, the Coalsack Nebula won't remain dark forever. Millions of years in the future, this thick interstellar cloud will likely be used as fuel for new stars. As the stray material in the Coalsack coalesces under gravity, stars will eventually light up, and the nebula will actually light up with new starlight in the region.
For more pictures, check out ESO's website.
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First Posted: Oct 15, 2015 09:47 AM EDT
Scientists have captured the Coalsack Nebula in new, spectacular detail with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-Meter Telescope. The new picture reveals a conspicuous silhouette against the bright, starry band of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Because the object is so dark, people can actually point it out with the naked eye. Named the Coalsack Nebula in Europe in 1499, the object later gained the nickname of the Black Magellanic Cloud; this particular name actually comes from its stark contrast to the bright glow of the two Magellanic Clouds, which are satellite galaxies of the Milky Way.
The Coalsack Nebula, though, is not a galaxy. Instead, it's an interstellar cloud of dust that's so thick that it prevents most of the background starlight from reaching observers on Earth. Interestingly, a significant number of the dust particles have coats of frozen water, nitrogen, carbon monoxide and other simple organic molecules. The resulting grains largely prevent visible light from passing through the cosmic cloud.
The light that does pass through looks redder than normal. This is because the dust absorbs and scatters blue light more than red light, tinting the stars several shades more crimson.
However, the Coalsack Nebula won't remain dark forever. Millions of years in the future, this thick interstellar cloud will likely be used as fuel for new stars. As the stray material in the Coalsack coalesces under gravity, stars will eventually light up, and the nebula will actually light up with new starlight in the region.
For more pictures, check out ESO's website.
Related Stories
Journey to Mars: Detour to the Moon is the Best Way to Travel to the Red Planet
NASA Cassini Spacecraft Zooms in on Saturn's Moon Enceladus Today (VIDEO)
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone