Posted on 05/26/2014 10:20:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: What's happening at the center of this nebula? Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, the star factory known as Messier 17 lies some 5,500 light-years away in the nebula-rich constellation Sagittarius. At that distance, this degree wide field of view spans almost 100 light-years. The sharp, composite, color image utilizing data from space and ground based telescopes, follows faint details of the region's gas and dust clouds against a backdrop of central Milky Way stars. Stellar winds and energetic light from hot, massive stars formed from M17's stock of cosmic gas and dust have slowly carved away at the remaining interstellar material producing the cavernous appearance and undulating shapes. M17 is also known as the Omega Nebula or the Swan Nebula.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit & Copyright: Subaru Telescope (NAOJ), Hubble Space Telescope; Processing: Robert Gendler & Roberto Colombari]
Question: Is the color something that is added by the photographer or does it really look red in the telescope I wonder?
It would just be a shift in wavelength if they did, wouldn’t it?
Red or pink is the typical color of emission nebula, which this is. With a big enough telescope you could begin to see color, but to be enhanced like this you need a time exposure. Additionally, this is no doubt a composite of 3 photos using red/green/blue filters, which really brings out the color because these are the peak wavelengths seen by the human eye.
Things do get a little messy when you are creating stars.
Things do get a little messy when you are creating stars.
That would be even Messier.
Mark Messier??
Mark My Words! :-)
Under VERY dark skies, with a large scope and really good eyesight, you MIGHT see color in this.
When I was younger, I could regularly see reds (and somenights blues) in the Orion Nebula. But now, even in larger scopes, it’s all gray/green.
Most light through a telescope isn’t bright enough to activate the color sensors in your eye. And if it is, then your night vision is shot for a bit.
M17 IS bright enough to see through a small telescope in the city. It’s in the Astronomical League’s Urban list.
The blue and black image looks like a bottle with a genie trying to get out past the cork.
:’)
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