Chameleon I Molecular Cloud (NIRCam Image)

Stsci_2023-106a_1024

stsci_2023-106a January 23rd, 2023

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and M. McClure (Leiden)

This image by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) features the central region of the Chamaeleon I dark molecular cloud, which resides 630 light years away. The cold, wispy cloud material (blue, center) is illuminated in the infrared by the glow of the young, outflowing protostar Ced 110 IRS 4 (orange, upper left). The light from numerous background stars, seen as orange dots behind the cloud, can be used to detect ices in the cloud, which absorb the starlight passing through them.

An international team of astronomers has reported the discovery of diverse ices in the darkest regions of a cold molecular cloud measured to date by studying this region. This result allows astronomers to examine the simple icy molecules that will be incorporated into future exoplanets, while opening a new window on the origin of more complex molecules that are the first step in the creation of the building blocks of life.

Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute

Image Source: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2023/news-2023-106

Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA

Image Use Policy: https://www.stsci.edu/copyright

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Chameleon I
Subject - Milky Way
Nebula > Appearance > Reflection
Nebula > Appearance > Dark

Distance

Universescale1
522 light years
Stsci_2023-106a_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 11h 6m 32.9s
DEC = -77° 23’ 26.5”
Orientation
North is 23.3° CCW
Field of View
4.7 x 2.3 arcminutes
Constellation
Chamaeleon

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Webb (NIRCam) Infrared 150.0 nm
Orange Webb (NIRCam) Infrared 410.0 nm
Spectrum_base
Blue
Orange
Stsci_2023-106a_1280
×
ID
2023-106a
Subject Category
B.4.2.2   B.4.2.3  
Subject Name
Chameleon I
Credits
NASA, ESA, CSA, and M. McClure (Leiden)
Release Date
2023-01-23T11:00
Lightyears
522
Redshift
522
Reference Url
https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2023/news-2023-106
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Webb, Webb
Instrument
NIRCam, NIRCam
Color Assignment
Blue, Orange
Band
Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
150, 410
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
2000.0
Reference Value
166.63708365880, -77.39069946358
Reference Dimension
9474.00, 4654.00
Reference Pixel
5229.97328800101, 2265.56825310716
Scale
-0.00000833284, 0.00000833284
Rotation
23.29494698975
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
World Coordinate System resolved using PinpointWCS 0.9.2 revision 218+ by the Chandra X-ray Center FITS X FITS Y EPO X EPO Y 2198.09 486.71 1727.51 2901.48 1607.07 541.09 4205.74 2671.56 594.66 1016.13 8462.76 677.94 724.88 634.17 7913.23 2285.02 475.12 149.81 8962.65 4317.12 Center Pixel Coordinates: 4737.00 166.65342010359 2327.00 -77.38859545666
Creator (Curator)
STScI
URL
https://www.stsci.edu/
Name
Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach
Email
outreach@stsci.edu
Telephone
410-338-4444
Address
3700 San Martin Drive
City
Baltimore
State/Province
MD
Postal Code
21218
Country
USA
Rights
https://www.stsci.edu/copyright
Publisher
STScI
Publisher ID
stsci
Resource ID
STSCI-J-p23106a-f-9474x4654.tif
Metadata Date
2023-01-19T11:00:40-05:00
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
522 light years

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