ALMA view of an explosive event in Orion

Stellar explosions are most often associated with supernovae, the spectacular deaths of stars. But new ALMA observations of the Orion Nebula complex provide insights into explosions at the other end of the stellar life cycle, star birth. Astronomers captured these dramatic images of the remains of a 500-year-old explosion as they explored the firework-like debris from the birth of a group of massive stars, demonstrating that star formation can be a violent and explosive process too. The colours in the ALMA data represent the relative Doppler shifting of the millimetre-wavelength light emitted by carbon monoxide gas. The blue colour in the ALMA data represents gas approaching at the highest speeds; the red colour is from gas moving toward us more slowly.

Credit:

ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), J. Bally

About the Image

Id:eso1711b
Type:Observation
Release date:7 April 2017, 15:00
Related releases:eso1711
Size:1945 x 2500 px

About the Object

Type:Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material
Constellation:Orion
Category:Stars

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Coordinates

Position (RA):5 35 15.00
Position (Dec):-5° 21' 46.63"
Field of view:2.89 x 3.71 arcminutes
Orientation:North is -0.0° left of vertical

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Millimeter
216-233 GHz
1.3 mmAtacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array
Band 6