Infant
stars glow in this infrared image of the Serpens star-forming region, captured
by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
The
reddish-pink dots are baby stars deeply embedded in the cosmic cloud of gas and
dust that collapsed to create it. A dusty disk of cosmic debris that may
eventually form planets, called a "protoplanetary
disk," surrounds the infant stars.
Wisps of
green throughout the image indicate the presence of carbon-rich molecules
called polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). On Earth, PAHs can be found on charred
barbecue grills and in automobile exhaust.
Blue specks
throughout the image are background stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.
The Serpens
star-forming region is located approximately 848 light-years away in the
Serpens constellation.
-- NASA/JPL-Caltech and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Cieza (UT Austin)
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