Chandra Release - May 7, 2014

Visual Description: Flame Nebula

The composite image of the star cluster NGC 2024 in the center of the Flame Nebula shows a large, pinkish and pale green structure.  The nebula's shape and contrast make it the most prominent feature in the image with a shape that is reminiscent of a bow tie with a knot as large as the ties. Surrounding the flame nebula are other celestial objects, including tiny stars, wispy gas clouds, and cosmic dust. Stars are often born in clusters, in giant clouds of gas and dust. In this composite image shows NGC 2024, X-rays from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory are seen as purple, while infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope are colored red, green, and blue. According to the study, the stars at the center of NGC 2024 were about 200,000 years old while those on the outskirts were about 1.5 million years in age. The combination of X-rays from Chandra and infrared data is very powerful for studying populations of young stars in this way. This is because with telescopes that detect visible light, many stars are obscured by dust and gas in these star-forming regions.