ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Other → Great Pics

Stunning image of “O-ring” shapped nebula

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
June 16, 2011
in Great Pics, Remote sensing, Space
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Squids-protein modified bacteria used to develop camouflage coating
Oh, Great! Scientists Discover Mosquitoes Use Infrared Vision to Hunt Humans
Butterfly wings inspire ultra-sensitive infrared thermal imaging
The Carina Nebula in all its splendor [AMAZING PHOTO]
RCW 120 is just one of many such ringed nebulas found in the Milky Way. (c) NASA
RCW 120 is just one of many such ringed nebulas found in the Milky Way. (c) NASA

The brilliant image from above was captured by Spitzer space telescope and depicts a ring shaped region formed by hot gas and glowing dust.

Dubbed RCW 120, the nebula lies about 4,300 light-years away from Earth, and is located in the constellation Scorpius, just above the plane of the galaxy. The wavelength emited by the nebula is far within the infrared spectrum, which makes it totally invisible to a human observer, but perfectly bright for Spitzer’s infrared detectors.

It’s interesting “O-ring” shape, scientists believe, comes from the heat of a cluster of giant “O” type stars at the center of galaxy. These star are the most massive and bright stars so far known to man, which emit an intense ultraviolet light. But the captioned image example is only one of the slew of similar nebulas the Spitzer telescopes finds everyday.

So many, in fact, that the scientific team leading the Spitzer project are calling out “citizen scientists” to help identify and classify. As such, anyone interested in helping catalog findings such as these are invited to visit the Milky Way Project website.

Tags: infrarednebulaSpitzer space telescope

ShareTweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Nanotechnology

This New Lens Converts Invisible Infrared Light into Visible Color

byTudor Tarita
4 weeks ago
News

Happy Cosmic Valentine’s Day! Here’s a Stellar Bouquet For You

byMihai Andrei
5 months ago
Animals

Oh, Great! Scientists Discover Mosquitoes Use Infrared Vision to Hunt Humans

byTibi Puiu
10 months ago
News

Japan’s Olympic athletes will wear outfits designed to block infrared — and the reason is disturbing

byMihai Andrei
1 year ago

Recent news

China Resurrected an Abandoned Soviet ‘Sea Monster’ That’s Part Airplane, Part Hovercraft

June 30, 2025
great white shark

This Shark Expert Has Spent Decades Studying Attacks and Says We’ve Been Afraid for the Wrong Reasons

June 30, 2025

A Rocket Carried Cannabis Seeds and 166 Human Remains into Space But Their Capsule Never Made It Back

June 30, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.