# @nasa on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DBtzSZItQ7I
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/24450593-nasa-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/legacy-do/57d89e62d3ea34641191514c070a3aa46d69fca0b2341bb4a23add9e71065c3a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-10-29T17:00:10.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** NASA (@NASA) — https://gondola.cc/NASA

## Caption

Highway to the danger zones

Astronomers used data from NASAChandraXray and our now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope to show where some of the most treacherous places in a star cluster may be, where planets’ chances to form are diminished.

The Chandra data (purple) shows the diffuse X-ray emission and young stars in this star cluster, Cygnus OB2. Infrared data from Spitzer (red, green, blue, and cyan) reveals more young stars and the cooler dust and gas throughout the region.

In a crowded environment like this, there is a lot of high-energy radiation made by stars and planets. Together, X-rays and intense ultraviolet light can destroy planetary disks and systems in the process of forming.

Image description: The Cygnus OB2 star cluster resembles a night sky blanketed in orange, purple, and gray clouds. The center of the square image is dominated by purple haze. This haze represents diffuse X-ray emissions, and young stars, detected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Surrounding the purple haze is a mottled, streaky, brick orange cloud. Another cloud resembling a tendril of gray smoke stretches from our lower left to the center of the image. These clouds represent relatively cool dust and gas observed by the Spitzer Space Telescope. Although the interwoven clouds cover most of the image, the thousands of stars within the cluster shine through. The lower-mass stars present as tiny specks of light. The massive stars gleam, some with long refraction spikes.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Drake et al, IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Spitzer; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk

#NASA #Chandra #SpitzerSpaceTelescope #Stars #Astronomy #Planet

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## Tags

spitzerspacetelescope, nasa, chandra, stars, planet, astronomy

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