NASA/PL-Caltech
Known as the North American Nebula, these images were taken using the Spitzer Space Telescope using an infra-red view. Scientists are still puzzling over the nebular - specifically, the identification of the group of massive stars thought to be dominating the nebula. In this image, the lower left-center likely shows the youngest stars in the complex (less than a million years old).
NASA/PL-Caltech
Scientists estimate that the North American nebula is about 1,800 light-years from Earth. Astronomer Lisa Rebull noted in a blog post today accompanying the release of these images that the North-American nebula is a fave' with amateur astronomers "because it is a rich and interesting region in the optical, and located in Cygnus, so it's up much of the night for much of the year for observers in the Northern hemisphere." But Rebull also notes that "region looks completely and utterly different when viewed with Spitzer."
