Sub-millimetre image of a stellar cradle

Image of the giant molecular cloud G327 taken with APEX. More than 5000 spectra were taken in the J=3-2 line of the carbon monoxide molecule (CO), one of the best tracers of molecular clouds, in which star formation takes place. The bright peak in the north of the cloud is an evolved star forming region, where the gas is heated by a cluster of new stars. The most interesting region in the image is totally inconspicuous in CO: the G327 hot core, as seen in methanol contours. It is a truly exceptional source, and is one of the richest sources of emission from complex organic molecules in the Galaxy (see spectrum at bottom)

Bildnachweis:

ESO

Über das Bild

ID:eso0531b
Typ:Zusammenstellung
Veröffentlichungsdatum:25. September 2005
Dazugehörige Veröffentlichungen:eso0531
Größe:1503 x 1975 px

Über das Objekt

Name:G327.3-0.6
Typ:Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Dark : Molecular Cloud
Entfernung:9500 Lichtjahre
Kategorie:Nebulae
Stars

Bildformate

Großes JPEG
546,9 KB

Farben & Filter

SpektralbereichTeleskop
Millimeter
Submillimetre
Atacama Pathfinder Experiment