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Infrared
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Star Birth

Stars form deep within dark clouds of dust and gas. Infrared light lets us peer through the dust to see the youngest of these baby stars. It also lets us see how the surrounding dust can be reshaped by the destructive light of young stars that have emerged.

  • Dark cloud
    Ssc2004-20a2_sm
    Dark cloud
    Ssc2004-20a1_sm
    • Ssc2004-20a1_sm
      Visible
    • Ssc2004-20a2_sm
      Mid Infrared
  • The obscuring dust fades away when viewed in the infrared
    Sig07-005c
    The obscuring dust fades away when viewed in the infrared
    Sig07-005b
    The obscuring dust fades away when viewed in the infrared
    Sig07-005a
    • Sig07-005a
      Infrared
    • Sig07-005b
      Visible+Infrared
    • Sig07-005c
      Visible
  • The Trifid Nebula glows in visible light
    Ssc2005-02a2
    The Trifid Nebula glows in visible light
    Ssc2005-02a3
    The Trifid Nebula glows in visible light
    Ssc2005-02a1
    • Ssc2005-02a1
      Visible
    • Ssc2005-02a3
      Infrared
    • Ssc2005-02a2
      Mid Infrared
  • Bright young stars light up the the gas
    Ssc2005-23a1
    Bright young stars light up the the gas
    Ssc2005-23a2
    • Ssc2005-23a2
      Visible
    • Ssc2005-23a1
      Infrared
  • Orion nebula alight in the glow of hot gas
    Ssc2012-04a
    Orion nebula alight in the glow of hot gas
    Ssc2011-06a
    Orion nebula alight in the glow of hot gas
    Ssc2006-16a1
    Orion nebula alight in the glow of hot gas
    Ssc2006-16c1
    • Ssc2006-16c1
      Visible
    • Ssc2006-16a1
      Infrared
    • Ssc2011-06a
      Mid Infrared
    • Ssc2012-04a
      Far Infrared
  • Dazzling light from the massive star Eta Carina shapes these dust clouds
    Ssc2005-12a1_lrg
    Dazzling light from the massive star Eta Carina shapes these dust clouds
    Ssc2005-12a2
    • Ssc2005-12a2
      Visible
    • Ssc2005-12a1_lrg
      Infrared
  • All stages of star formation at a glance
    Sig10-009
    All stages of star formation at a glance
    Sig10-009a_lrg
    • Sig10-009a_lrg
      Mid Infrared
    • Sig10-009
      Annotated

  • Ssc2004-20a1_sm
  • Sig07-005a
  • Ssc2005-02a1
  • Ssc2005-23a2
  • Ssc2006-16c1
  • Ssc2005-12a2
  • Sig10-009a_lrg
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Cool Cosmos is an IPAC website. Based on Government Sponsored Research NAS7-03001 and NNN12AA01C.