DR22 - Massive Star Bubble in Cygnus X - Spitzer Infra Red Space Telescope
This image shows the massive star bubble DR22 popping out from a cloud of gas and dust in the Cygnus X region of the sky. This bubble is inflated by powerful winds and radiation created by many young, massive stars at the core of the bubble. It is located at the centre bottom of the image I posted previously here:
https://www.astrobin.com/2ju7af/?nc=user Each such bubble is filled with hundreds to thousands of stars, which form from the dense clouds of gas and dust in the area.
These bubbles are estimated to be 10 to 30 light-years across, based on what astronomers know about them and other cosmic bubbles. Powerful flows of particles emitted by these stars, called stellar winds, as well as the pressure of the light the stars produce, push the surrounding gas and dust material outward, creating the distinct bubble-like perimeters seen above. NASA astronomers have given designations some of these bubbles and this one is DR22.
This image reveals one of the most active and tumultuous areas of the Milky Way – Cygnus X. Located some 4,500 light years away, this huge violent dust cloud holds thousands of massive stars and even more of moderate size. It's literally a “star soup."
(Technical information by NASA).
Data acquisition: Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA
Data processing: Rudy Pohl
Image: RGB image as per colour mapping below
Colour mapping:
.... red channel: 24 μm Spitzer
.... green channel: 8 μm Spitzer
.... blue channel: 5.8 μm Spitzer
Processing software: ESA/ESO/NASA
Fits Liberator 3, Photoshop CS5
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