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The Orion Nebula, in the constellation Orion, is the nearest star-forming region to us. This interstellar region comprises gas and dust, essential for creating stars and planetary systems. Dark dust lanes are visible in our Milky Way galaxy, allowing astronomers to study the interstellar material's composition, temperature, and velocity through absorption lines. Emission and dark nebulae, along with 21-centimeter radiation, offer insights into hydrogen distribution. Star formation processes in the Orion Nebula take around 10 million years, with individual stars forming in density fingers.
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Region in the Constellation Orion named the Orion Nebula which is the closest star formation region to us. Jets and disks appear to be part of the star birth process
The interstellar medium is the region between the stars. It is composed of gas and dust that ultimately are the raw materials from which stars and planetary systems are made. This wide angle photograph of our milky way galaxy shows dark dust lanes cutting through the plane of our galaxy.
Astronomers can determine what the interstellar material is made of, its temperature, and velocity by observing the absorption lines produce when starlight passes through the clouds of material. Blue light is also scattered more easily than red so the red light makes it through better, thus objects appear reddened.
The clouds and dust of the interstellar medium tend to be cold and thin by our standards. Average temperature is 100 K with an average density of one atom per cm3. On average there is one dust particle for every trillion atoms.
21 centimeter radiation is produced when the spins of the electron and proton flip in a Hydrogen atom. Radio astronomers can thus map out the distribution of Hydrogen throughout the galaxy
The emission part of the star formation region is only a small part of the giant cloud.
More Orion Individual stars forming in density fingers
