Orion Nebula Archives

(A to C) Continuum-subtracted maps. (A) Integrated cube (6908-9158 Å). (B) [C i] λ8272 integrated map. (C) Sum of the integrated maps of the [O ii] doublet at 7320 and 7330 Å. White dashed contours indicate intensity levels. Their spacing are indicated with the whites lines on the colorbars. (D) MUSE spectrum (blue) and HST photometry (orange dots) of V2376 Ori b. HST filter widths are indicated by orange bars. Green lines mark recombination features, other lines are labeled in black. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report

Observation Of An Accreting Planetary-Mass Companion With Signs Of Disk-Disk Interaction in Orion

by Keith CowingSeptember 20, 2025

Young (≲10 Myr) planetary-mass companions (PMCs) provide valuable insights into the formation and early evolution of planetary systems.

MUSE and NIRCam images of d203-504 environment. Left: MUSE NFM composite image of both d203-506 (bottom left) and d203-504 (top). Red: the [C i](λ8727˚A) map showing disk contributions from both d203-506 and d203-504 objects. Green: the [Fe ii] (λ8617˚A) map corresponding to jets from both objects. Blue: the Hα emission map showing the ionization fronts (only d203-504 appears to have one). The glow on the top right corresponds to the Orion Bar ionization front. Right: JWST NIRCam image of the same system from the F210M filter. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

Solar C/O Ratio In Planet-forming Gas at 1 au In A Highly Irradiated Disk

by Keith CowingJune 1, 2025June 1, 2025

The chemical composition of exoplanets is thought to be influenced by the composition of the disks in which they form. JWST observations have unveiled a variety of species in numerous […]

(left) Map of the power-law index α250, centered at 250 GHz, of the continuum brightness temperature in Orion (see Eq. 8), after a convolution to reach a resolution of 40 arcseconds, with a focus on the Orion Center. The power-law index is uncontaminated by the CO line. Contour levels give an error bar of 0.3 (inner) and 0.6 (outer contour) for α250 in one beam. The map is clipped at an error of 1. (right) Map of the 250 GHz continuum in Kelvin at a 40 arcsecond resolution. SNR are labeled in the contours by steps of 5. The typical noise is 6 mK. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Continuum, CO And Water Vapour Maps Of The Orion Nebula. First Millimetre Spectral Imaging With Concerto

by Keith CowingApril 30, 2025April 30, 2025

The millimetre spectrum of Galactic regions and galaxies is rich in continuum and molecular lines.

Observations (black), the best fit model for the 5.6 – 8 µm region (red) and its components: MgSiO3/H2O 150 K (green) + NH+4 /OCN− 80 K (blue) + “chemistry” (orange). -- astro-ph.SR

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Simple Molecules And Complex Chemistry In A Protoplanetary Disk: A JWST Investigation Of The Highly Inclined Disk d216-0939

by Keith CowingMarch 4, 2025

While the number of detected molecules, particularly complex organic molecules, in the solid-state in astrophysical environments is still rather limited, laboratory experiments and astrochemical models predict many potential candidates.

Zoom into the FU Ori binary system and the newly discovered accretion streamer. This artist's impression shows the newly discovered streamer constantly feeding mass from the envelope into the binary system. Image credit: NSF/NRAO/S. Dagnello larger image

Astronomy & Telescopes, Press Release, Stellar Cartography

Orion’s Erupting Star System Reveals Its Secrets

by Keith CowingFebruary 24, 2025September 18, 2025

An unusual group of stars in the Orion constellation have revealed their secrets. FU Orionis, a double star system, first caught astronomers’ attention in 1936 when the central star suddenly […]

Left: color composite image of 114–426 using the F115W and F140M (both blue), F162M (green), F182M (yellow–green), and F277W (red) bands. Each of the four SW channel images (F115W, F140M, F162M, and F182M) were interpolated onto a 3 × 3 pixel subgrid (i.e., roughly 10 mas pixel−1) to allow precise alignment, and the LW channel image (F277W) was resampled to match. Right: an image of 114–426 in the F187N band, again interpolated onto a 3 × 3 pixel subgrid, showing the silhouette disk in maximum contrast against the Paα line. Each panel is 35 × 35 with north up and east left. The intensity of each image was scaled logarithmically to compress the dynamic range and enhance fainter details. -- The Astrophysical Journal

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Water Ice in the Edge-on Orion Silhouette Disk 114–426 from JWST NIRCam Images

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2025February 23, 2025

We examine images of the protoplanetary disk 114–426 with JWST/NIRCam in 12 bands. This large disk is oriented edge on with a dark midplane flanked by lobes of scattered light.

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Water Ice in the Edge-On Orion Silhouette Disk 114–426 from JWST NIRCam Images

by Keith CowingDecember 7, 2024December 7, 2024

We examine images of the protoplanetary disk 114–426 with JWST/NIRCam in 12 bands. This large disk is oriented edge-on with a dark midplane flanked by lobes of scattered light.

Infrared image of the center of the Orion Nebula taken with the NIRCam instrument on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The insets show expanded images of two faint proplyds from the Hubble Space Telescope at optical wavelengths and Webb at infrared wavelengths. For each proplyd, a small protoplanetary disk is detected in silhouette in the optical image, which is surrounded by a bright ionization front that is produced by the intense UV radiation from the most massive stars. The brown dwarf at the center of each disk is detected in the infrared image from Webb. Spectroscopy from the NIRSpec instrument on Webb has confirmed that these objects are brown dwarfs based on their cool temperatures. -- NASA/ESA/CSA, Mark McCaughrean/ESA, Massimo Robberto/STScI/JHU, Kevin Luhman/Penn State, Catarina Alves de Oliveira/ESA

Astronomy & Telescopes, Brown Dwarfs, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Webb And Hubble Discover Brown Dwarf Protoplanetary Disks In The Orion Nebula

by Keith CowingNovember 25, 2024November 25, 2024

Newborn stars are surrounded by disks of gas and dust within which planets are born, known as protoplanetary disks. In the Orion Nebula, the brightest and most massive stars emit […]

James Webb Space Telesope NIRCam near-infrared image of the Orion Nebula. The field of view is 7.5 by 10.9 arcminutes, roughly 0.85 pc by 1.25 pc, and corresponds to the rectangle in Figure 2. Emission from ionized gas at the center is colored purple, while greens and browns denote emission from molecular gas and dust. Below and to the left of the very bright BN-KL object (seen in reddish pink) is the Trapezium cluster including θ 1 Ori C. (Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI, K. Pontoppidan, A. Pagan.) -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Interstellar, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report

The Sun’s Birth Environment: Context for Meteoritics

by Keith CowingSeptember 19, 2024September 19, 2024

Meteorites trace planet formation in the Sun’s protoplanetary disk, but they also record the influence of the Sun’s birth environment.

Illustration of the proposed TEMPO survey’s field of view, focusing on the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) which has an age range of 1–3 Myr. The ONC is a region of intense star formation and offers a valuable window into the early stages of stellar and planetary evolution. Credit: ESO/H. Drass et al. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

The TEMPO Survey II: Science Cases Leveraged from a Proposed 30-Day Time Domain Survey of the Orion Nebula with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

by Keith CowingJune 12, 2024June 12, 2024

The TEMPO (Transiting Exosatellites, Moons, and Planets in Orion) Survey is a proposed 30-day observational campaign using the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Orion Nebula

Observation Of An Accreting Planetary-Mass Companion With Signs Of Disk-Disk Interaction in Orion

Solar C/O Ratio In Planet-forming Gas at 1 au In A Highly Irradiated Disk

Continuum, CO And Water Vapour Maps Of The Orion Nebula. First Millimetre Spectral Imaging With Concerto

Simple Molecules And Complex Chemistry In A Protoplanetary Disk: A JWST Investigation Of The Highly Inclined Disk d216-0939

Orion’s Erupting Star System Reveals Its Secrets

Water Ice in the Edge-on Orion Silhouette Disk 114–426 from JWST NIRCam Images

Water Ice in the Edge-On Orion Silhouette Disk 114–426 from JWST NIRCam Images

Webb And Hubble Discover Brown Dwarf Protoplanetary Disks In The Orion Nebula

The Sun’s Birth Environment: Context for Meteoritics

The TEMPO Survey II: Science Cases Leveraged from a Proposed 30-Day Time Domain Survey of the Orion Nebula with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Training For Astrobiology Spelunking On Mars

Mars Perseverance Rover’s Panoramic View of Broom Point

Planets Orbiting Barnard’s Star Seem To Be Small, Strange, And Utterly Uninhabitable

Experimental Astrochemistry And Machine Learning Unravel The Formation Of Oxygen-bearing Organic Molecules In Extraterrestrial Ices

Bacteria Form Herds To Survive Predators, Offering Fresh Insight Into Earth’s Carbon Cycle