Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC-Caltech)

Starting with a wide view of the environment surrounding the Henize 206 star formation region, the animation moves in to the heart of the nebula. The view slides from visible light wavelengths to Infrared Array Camera wavelengths, spanning 3 to 8 microns. The colors of the image, which are false for infrared wavelengths, shift to include the Multiband Imaging Photometer image, now covering 3 to 24 microns. Finally, the 24 micron image is presented alone to better show the warm dust throughout the region and the bright knots associated with the formation of new stars.

The Spitzer Space Telescope is a NASA mission managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This website is maintained by the Spitzer Science Center, located on the campus of the California Institute of Technology and part of NASA's Infrared Processing and Analysis Center.