This animation shows what a human eye might see if it could be re-tuned to
see different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. It shows RCW49 in
shifting wavelengths of light, beginning with visible views and ending
with Spitzer infrared observations. The picture changes in hue from red
to blue, then fades from sight, as new infrared features appear in false
colors. The first false-color infrared view is from the near-infrared
Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) mission and shows wavelengths of
1.3 to 2.2 microns. The second false-color view is from Spitzer's infrared
array camera and covers wavelengths of 3.6 to 8 microns.
While the nebula is present in all of these views, hidden and buried features emerge at Spitzer wavelengths. Reddish stars pop into view and the full bloom of the extended nebula appears in the final Spitzer image. The hundreds of yellow circles appearing on the image indicate the locations of the protostar candidates identified by comparing the mid-infrared Spitzer image to the near-infrared 2MASS image. |