Flame Nebula: Infrared-Visual Crossfade [720p]

As an illustration of the power of the VISTA telescope we start with a visible light view of the Flame Nebula created from the Digitized Sky Survey 2. We then slowly fade into the much more detailed infrared view taken with VISTA and see through most of the thick dust clouds to reveal the cluster of very hot and young stars at its heart. We then swing around and repeat the same steps on the Horsehead Nebula and the nearby reflection nebula NGC 2023.

A new telescope — VISTA (the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) — has just started work at ESO's Paranal Observatory and has made its first release of pictures. VISTA is a survey telescope working at infrared wavelengths and is the world's largest telescope dedicated to mapping the sky. Its large mirror, wide field of view and very sensitive detectors will reveal a completely new view of the southern sky. Spectacular new images of the Flame Nebula, the center of our Milky Way galaxy and the Fornax Galaxy Cluster show that it is working extremely well.

Credit: ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA and Digitized Sky Survey 2. Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ESO
• European Southern Observatory
• VISTA telescope
• Flame Nebula
• Horsehead Nebula
• NGC
• 2023

[nickharvey7]

the Horsehead Nebula looks great here! I have never seen it through a telescope myself.