SOFIA peers in to the heart of the Orion nebula
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 08:03
in Astronomy & Space
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new image from NASAs Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) shows a complex distribution of interstellar dust and stars in the Orion nebula. Interstellar dust, composed mostly of silicon, carbon and other heavy elements astronomers refer to generically as metals, plus some ice and organic molecules, is part of the raw material from which new stars and planets are forming.