NASA Telescopes Trace Tarantula Nebula Energy Loss 160,000 Light-Years Away
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · Aug 11
NASA Telescopes Trace Tarantula Nebula Energy Loss 160,000 Light-Years Away
3 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · Aug 11
Summary
A new NASA composite of the Tarantula Nebula shows the star-forming region is shedding far more energy than expected, helping explain why it contains less X-ray-emitting gas than models predicted.
Chandra, Webb and Hubble data indicate up to half of the hot gas leaks through shell walls, while mixing with colder gas and heat conduction further drain and cool the nebula.
The image combines Chandra X-rays in blue, Webb infrared in red and Hubble optical data in green, mapping millions-degree gas, thousands of young stars and warmer hydrogen across 30 Doradus.
Located about 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Tarantula Nebula is a major nearby laboratory for studying how massive young stars shape future star and planet formation.