Topic: Hubble Captures Birth, Annihilation of Young Solar Systems in Orion Nebula

[sam]

Looking deep inside the Orion Nebula, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning collection of protoplanetary disks – or proplyds – which are embryonic solar systems in the making. Using Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), researchers have discovered 42 protoplanetary blobs, which are being illuminated by a bright star cluster. These disks, which sometimes appear like boomerangs, arrows, or space jellyfish, surround baby stars and are shedding light on the mechanism behind planet formation.

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/12/14/hubble-captures-birth-annihilation-of-young-solar-systems-in-orion-nebula/

[Clive]

The Orion Nebula never fails to thrill.  So much going on in there and it's really vast.  Best of all, it can be easily seen with the naked eye on any winter's evening.  If you can identify the constellation of ORION the nebula is the fuzzy bit below the three 'belt' stars.   

[sam]

we are hoping over the next few years (and by we I actually mean me and a few others) to get a detailed map of the magnetic field there...

[Clive]

Good work Sam.