Astronomy Picture of the Day: 9/27/13 - ArTeMiS Peeps a Look at the Cat's Paw Nebula

The new camera on the ESO's APEX telescope, called ArTeMiS, is at it again. This time, capturing a stunning image of the Cat's Paw Nebula, which is located more than 5,500 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Scorpius. The newly released image takes a look at the region at submillimeter-wavelengths, revealing tens of thousands of baby stars; containing the collective mass of 200,000 suns.

With objects like this, submillimeter wavelengths are ideal for observation - as the region is home to a large smattering of cool interstellar dust grains. Not only do said grains obscure visible light, but the light they do emit is emitted at much longer wavelengths, which cause the region to look insignificant at optical wavelengths. But at longer wavelengths, the dust clouds come alive - revealing the star formation activity raging inside.

References, sources, and further reading can be found here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-92713-artemis-peeps-a-look-at-the-cats-paw-nebula/