The most detailed near-infrared image to date of the western wall of the Carina Nebula or Keel Nebula , located 7,500 light years away from Earth, which has two of the most massive and most luminous stars in our world Milky Way.
Wonders of terrestrial astronomy
The image, taken by the Gemini South telescope in Chile, is of the West Wall of the Nebula with a resolution that the James Webb Space Telescope is expected to reach when it is finally launched. This incredible series of observations was made possible by adaptive optics, a technique that allows astronomers to reduce the effects of turbulence in the atmosphere, improving the resolution of the image by about 10 times.
“ We see a host of never-before-seen detail along the edge of the cloud, including a long series of parallel ridges that can be produced by a magnetic field, a remarkable almost perfectly smooth sine wave, and fragments on top that look like being in the process of being cut out of the cloud by a strong wind, “comment the astronomers.
Looking through the outer layers of dust, astronomers saw a huge wall of dust and gas that glows with the intense ultraviolet light from nearby massive young stars. The results are amazing.
The image provides the sharpest view to date of how massive young stars affect their surroundings and influence the formation of stars and planets.
“It is possible that the Sun was formed in such an environment ,” say the authors.
Referencia: Patrick Hartigan et al. 2020. A JWST Preview: Adaptive-optics Images of H2, Br-γ, and K-continuum in Carina’s Western Wall. ApJL 902, L1; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/abac08
