Free Astronomy Magazine November-December 2022

35 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 ASTRO PUBLISHING properties of the Universe. This image was constructed using some of a new range of very special DECam narrowband filters, which isolate very specific wavelengths of light. They make it possible to infer the physics of distant objects, in- cluding important details about their inner motions, temperatures, and complex chemistry, which is es- pecially important when examining star-forming regions like the Lob- ster Nebula. In order to create a colorful image such as this one, the same celestial object is observed multiple times using different filters. Each obser- vation provides a single-color im- age, which encompases a specific range of light waves. Imaging spe- cialists then take these individual images and assign a corresponding color to each of them. The images can then be stacked on top of one another to create a composite that closely approximates what objects might look like if they were far brighter. The image was unveiled at the DECam at 10 years: Looking Back, Looking Forward conference, which highlighted the outstanding DECam science results of the past 10 years and the exciting opportu- nities with DECam as astronomy looks to the future with Vera C. Rubin Observatory, currently under construction on Cerro Pachón in Chile. DECam has just passed the re- markable milestone of taking one million individual exposures, deliv- ering on average 400 to 500 images per night. DECam was operated by the DOE and NSF between 2013 and 2019. Currently, DECam is used for pro- grams covering a huge range of sci- ence. The image presented here was obtained by NOIRLab’s Com- munication, Education & Engage- ment team as part of the NOIRLab Legacy Imaging Program. T his image, taken by astronomers using the US Department of En- ergy-fabricated Dark Energy Cam- era on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter- American Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab, captures the star- forming nebula NGC 6357, which is located 8000 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Scor- pius. This image reveals bright, young stars surrounded by billow- ing clouds of dust and gas inside NGC 6357, which is also known as the Lobster Nebula. [CTIO/NOIRLab/ DOE/NSF/AURA] T o celebrate DECam’s first decade of operation, NOIRLab has released a breathtaking image of the star-forming Lobster Nebula (NGC 6357), which is located about 8000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Scorpius. This image reveals bright, young stars surrounded by billow- ing clouds of dust and gas. At the center of the nebula, which spans about 400 light-years, resides the open star cluster Pismis 24 — a collection of dazzlingly bright, mas- sive stars. Surrounding this cluster is a region brimming with newborn stars, protostars still wrapped in their cocoons of star-forming mate- rial, and dense cores of gas and dust that will eventually become new stars. The twisting braids of dark clouds and complex structures inside the nebula are formed by the tumultuous pressure of interstellar winds, radiation, and powerful magnetic fields. One of the most striking things about this image is the beautifully detailed color palette selected to highlight different aspects of the nebula. This wide-field, high-reso- lution image showcases the power of DECam and its ability to produce stunning images while helping as- tronomers study the fundamental !