Euclid Telescope Captures Stunning Images of Messier 78
Although Messier 78 (M78) has been photographed countless times in all its splendor and variety, the European Space Agency (ESA) recently published new close-up images taken with the newly launched Euclid telescope. These are among the first snapshots to further amaze us about the processes within this stellar nursery and the unparalleled quality of this new telescope.
Exploring Messier 78
Messier 78 (also known as M78 or NGC 2068) is a star-forming reflection nebula in the constellation Orion, located approximately 1,600 light-years from our planet. The new and highly sensitive instruments of Euclid can detect objects at such distances from as small as a few Jupiter masses. Additionally, the infrared sensors can peer more sharply and deeply than ever through the concealing veils of this stellar nursery, revealing new regions of star formation. Some smaller, sub-stellar objects within Messier 78 are being recorded for the first time.
The result is this magnificent image of M78 captured in unprecedented detail:
At the top of the photo, the bright nebula NGC 2071 is visible, and towards the bottom of this image, a third star-forming region can be seen with a traffic light-like appearance. This lower area is a dark nebula that produces lower-mass stars and leaves a trail of newly formed stars behind. A closer detailed shot of this lower part follows:
Here, it is also evident how newly formed stars create a ‘cavity’ in the surrounding dust cloud by generating various flows or ‘winds’ of charged particles. The depicted colors are mainly explained by ionized hydrogen gas (the primary component of the cloud; blue) and the absorption and scattering of light by dust particles (red).
Detailed Views
The second detailed cut from Euclid’s images of Messier 78 shows hundreds of stars, some brighter than others. The stars appear to illuminate their nebulous surroundings in purple. A darker structure spans the image in an arc from the upper left to the lower right:
In addition to infrared sensors (the ‘NISP’ cameras), the probe can also observe visible light (its ‘VIS’ cameras). Together, the combined vision of Euclid results in more than 300,000 newly discovered objects to be further investigated by scientists, only within the field of view of the overview image of M78! We eagerly anticipate what other photos and findings Euclid has in store for the coming months and years.
Explore these images of Messier 78 yourself further in ESA’s Sky Browser by clicking here, and perhaps you’ll find even more hidden details! Or click here to view and download the photo in higher quality.
More Stunning Space Photography
Over the past decades, space telescopes and satellites have captured stunning images of nebulae, galaxies, stellar nurseries, and planets. Each weekend, we highlight an impressive space photo from the archive. Want to enjoy all the photos? Check them out on this page.
