Introduction: Why Filters Matter for Stargazing

✨ James Webb Nebula Gallery

The Pacman Nebula

This composite image of the star cluster NGC 28 contains X-ray data from Chandra, in purple, with infrared observations from Spitzer, in red, green, blue. NGC 281 is known informally as the Pacman Nebula because of its appearance in optical images.

The Blue Ring Nebula

The Blue Ring Nebula was discovered in 2004 by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) mission. Astronomers think the nebula was created by the merger of two stars, and that we are seeing the system a few thousand years after the merger, when evidence of the collision is still apparent. The blue light in the image shows the debris cloud created by the merger. As the hot cloud of material expanded into space and cooled down, it formed hydrogen molecules that collided with the interstellar medium (the particles occupying the space between stars). These collisions caused the hydrogen molecules to radiate far-ultraviolet light, which was detected by GALEX. Yellow indicates near-ultraviolet light, also detected by GALEX, which is emitted by the star at the center of the nebula and many surrounding stars. Infrared light observed by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is also shown in red, and is primarily emitted by the central star. Detailed analysis of the WISE data revealed a ring of debris around the star – further evidence of a merger. Magenta indicates optical light — light visible to the human eye — collected using the Hale Telescope. This light comes from the shockwave at the front of the expanding debris cones. The optical light helped astronomers discover that the nebula actually consists of two cones moving away from the central star. The base of one cone is moving almost directly toward Earth, while the other is moving almost directly away, and the magenta light outlines the two bases. The blue region in the image shows where the cones overlap; the non-overlapping regions are too faint for GALEX to see. Figure A shows the orientation of the cones to Earth and the way they appear to overlap. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23867

Godzilla Nebula Imaged by Spitzer

This colorful image shows a nebula – a cloud of gas and dust in space – captured by NASA's now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope located is in the constellation Sagittarius, along the plane of the Milky Way, which was as part of Spitzer's GLIMPSE Survey (short for Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire). With a little imagination, you might be able to see the outlines of Godzilla. Stars in the upper right (where this cosmic Godzilla's eyes and snout would be) are an unknown distance from Earth but within our galaxy. Located about 7,800 light-years from Earth, the bright region in the lower left (Godzilla's right hand) is known as W33. When viewed in visible light, this region is almost entirely obscured by dust clouds. But infrared light (wavelengths longer than what our eyes can perceive) can penetrate the clouds, revealing hidden regions like this one. Blue, cyan, green, and red are used to represent different wavelengths of infrared light; yellow and white are combinations of those wavelengths. Blue and cyan represent wavelengths primarily emitted by stars; dust and organic molecules called hydrocarbons appear green; and warm dust that's been heated by stars or supernovae (exploding stars) appears red. When massive stars die and explode into supernovae, they reshape the regions around them, carving them into different shapes; they also push material together and initiate the birth of new stars that continue the cycle. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24579

The Eagle Nebula Observed by WISE

The dusty face of the Eagle Nebula and its surroundings are revealed in this image based on data from NASA's Wide Field Survey Explorer (WISE). WISE detects infrared light, or a range of wavelengths longer than what the human eye can see. This large star forming region is about 5,700 light years away from Earth and is most famous for being home to the the "Pillars of Creation," a region famously imaged by NASA's Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. The WISE data reveals the entire structure of the nebula surrounding the pillars, which themselves can be seen as a faint yellow-green feature inside the white circle. While the WISE view of the "Pillars" is not as sharp as those taken by Webb and Hubble, the telescope's wide field of view allows us to explore the extended nebula around it. When viewed in visible light, the dust is dark and opaque. In these infrared wavelengths, the dust becomes more translucent, and emits infrared light, shown in green, yellow, and red in this image. The data used in this image came from WISE's primary mission which ran from 2009 to 2011. In 2013, NASA took the spacecraft out of hibernation and began using it to track and study near-Earth objects. The mission and the spacecraft were renamed NEOWISE. However, the data is still being used by astronomers to study objects and regions outside our solar system. Blue and cyan are used to represent infrared light at wavelengths of 3.4 and 4.6 microns, while green and red display longer wavelengths of 12 and 22 microns, respectively. Animation available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25433

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

This image is of the Crab Nebula in visible light photographed by the Hale Observatory optical telescope in 1959. The faint object at the center had been identified as a pulsar and is thought to be the remains of the original star. It had been observed as a pulsar in visible light, radio wave, x-rays, and gamma-rays.

Weighing in on the Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell nebula, also known as Messier 27, pumps out infrared light in this image from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope. Planetary nebulae are now known to be the remains of stars that once looked a lot like our sun.