Press Release
Orion KL Region
January 28, 1999
 Low Res. (174 KB) High Res. (940 KB) |
Object Name: Orion KL Region Telescope: Subaru Telescope / Cassegrain Focus Instrument: CISCO Filter: H 2 -line (2.12 micron), N204 (2.04 micron) Color: Grayscale (Reddish) Date: UT 1999 Jan 14 Exposure: 30 sec Field of View: 2 arcmin by 2 arcmin Orientation: North up, east left |
Explanation:
This is an enlarged image of the region around the Kleinman-Low
nebula in the Orion cloud located 1500 light years away.
This image is taken in light at 2.12 micron, which is emitted
by warm molecular hydrogen gas with an absolute temperature
of 2000 K. This is Subaru's first image in the light of
a single emission line, demonstrating its high resolution
capability. Although not seen in this image, at the center
of the giant butterfly-like feature is IRc2, a star 30 times
more massive than the sun which is in the process of forming.
A strong wind with a speed of more than 100 kilometers per
second is blowing out from IRc2, evacuating the butterfly-like
cavity and allowing infrared light to escape. Many finger-like
features are seen radially emanating from the Orion KL region,
produced when the strong stellar wind from IRc2 collides
with the surrounding cold material, heating it to around
2000 K and causing the hydrogen molecules to emit light.
The vertical and horizontal stripes and moire patterns are
artifacts of the initial data processing. Two separate images
were combined to produce this image, and the black and white
dots are a result of this process.
