RCW 38 captured by the very large telescope

Using infrared wavelengths, the HAWK-I infrared imager mounted on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile was able to capture this image of the RCW 38 star cluster.

RCW 38 is more than 5.00 light years away (look towards the Vela constellation) and is composed of several massive, short-lived stars that will eventually be supernovae, but also has some 8,000 other objects emitting rays. X.

HAWK-I is installed on VLT Unit Telescope 4 (Yepun), and operates at near-infrared wavelengths. He has many scientific roles, including obtaining images of nearby galaxies or large nebulae as well as individual stars and exoplanets. GRAAL is an adaptive optics module that helps HAWK-I produce these spectacular images. It uses four laser beams projected into the night sky, which act as artificial reference stars, used to correct the effects of atmospheric turbulence – providing a sharper image.

BRW 38 Credit: ESO / K. Muzic

The central area of ​​RCW 38 is visible here as a bright, blue region, an area inhabited by many very young stars and protostars that are still forming. The intense radiation coming out of these new stars shines the surrounding gases. This contrasts sharply with the rushes of colder cosmic dust that snake through the region and glow softly in the dark tones of red and orange. The contrast creates this spectacular scene – a work of celestial art

. This image was captured as part of a series of test observations for HAWK-I and GRAAL. These tests are an integral part of the commissioning of a new instrument on the VLT and include a set of standard scientific observations that verify and demonstrate the capabilities of the new instrument.