April 14, 2004
Somewhere between the Big Bang and this birthday, the universe learned how to make kindness, curiosity, humor, memory, and hope.
Massive Star Forming Region DR21 in Infrared
Birthday · April 14, 2004
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APOD published April 14, 2004. Full image credits are on the original APOD entry below. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Deep in the normally hidden recesses of giant molecular cloud DR21, a stellar nursery has been found creating some of the most massive stars yet recorded. The orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Array Camera opened the window into the cloud last year in mid- infrared light. The cloud is opaque to visible light because of dense interstellar dust. Noticeable in the above representative color infrared Spitzer image are huge bubbles, a complex tapestry of dust and gas, and very massive stars. The infrared filaments actually glow because of organic compounds known as PAHs. The intricate patterns are caused by complex interactions between interstellar winds, radiation pressures, magnetic fields, and gravity. The pictured region spans about 75 light years and lies about 6,000 light years distant toward the constellation of Cygnus.