IC 4601 nebula, infrared image. This nebula is located around 420 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Scorpius. IC 4601 is a reflection ne

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IC 4601 nebula, infrared image. This nebula is located around 420 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Scorpius. IC 4601 is a reflection nebula, with the gas and dust clouds heating up as they reflect light from nearby stars. When viewed in infrared light, more details of the structure and filaments making up the nebula can be seen than would be shown in visible light. The colours represent infrared light from stars (blue) and from the gas and dust of nebulae (red and green). Green is a warmer temperature than red. This image, published in 2011, was obtained by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).

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Size: 4196px × 4196px
Photo credit: © NASA/JPL-CALTECH/UCLA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 2011, 21st, 4601, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, century, cloud, dust, evolution, explorer, formation, galactic, gas, hydrogen, ic, infrared, ir, nebula, nebulae, nursery, reflection, scorpius, space, star, starbirth, stars, stellar, survey, universe, wide-field, wise