Fire Burn, and Cauldron Bubble

As All Hallow's Eve approaches, take a look at what's brewing in the cosmic night

By Caleb A. Scharf on October 30, 2016

Fire Burn, and Cauldron Bubble — Credit: NASA, ESA

In the depths of space are places both serene and fearsome. In honor of Halloween, here are some glimpses into the dark hearts of the cosmos: nebula - places of destruction, but often also construction. Starbirth alongside star death - the ultimate circle of life. All images are real although colors have been artificially assigned by the research teams in each case.

Hubble Telescope image of the Herbig-Haro object HH 24 - where a brewing protostellar system is generating a powerful jet of accelerated matter - beaming into the surrounding nebula (1,350 light years from Earth. Credit: NASA, ESA

Hubble image of the Bubble Nebula - 7 light years across formed by the stellar wind of a star some 45 times the mass of the Sun. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI, AURA)

The spider in the 'Spider and the Fly' nebula seen in infrared colors by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The ominous green material sits by a bright stellar cluster to the right Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech

Infrared image of The Elephant's Trunk Nebula from the Spitzer Space Telescope - young stars within as the nebula is destroyed by ultraviolet radiation. Credit: NASA, JPL, Caltech

The Red Spider Nebula, 3,000 light years away, seen by Hubble. Atoms caught in the fearsome shock fronts from the hot central star glow into the night. Credit: ESA, Garrelt Mellema, Leiden University, the Netherlands

The Bug Nebula - created by a dying star originally some 5 times the mass of the Sun, now probably less massive than the Sun as it blows itself out into the cosmos. Death was never so beautiful. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

Enjoy your spooky celebrations!

The views expressed are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Caleb A. Scharf

Dr. Caleb A. Scharf is Director of Astrobiology at Columbia University,and has an international reputation as a research astrophysicist, and as a lecturer to college and public audiences. The UK's Guardian newspaper has listed his blog Life, Unbounded, as one of their "hottest science blogs," while an editor at Seed Magazine called it "phenomenal.Informed, fresh, and thoughtful." Scharf is author and co-author of more than 100 scientific research articles in astronomy and astrophysics. His work has been featured in publications such as New Scientist, Scientific American, Science News, Cosmos Magazine, Physics Today, and National Geographic, as well as online at sites like Space.com and Physorg.com. His textbook for undergraduate and graduate students, Extrasolar Planets and Astrobiology, won the 2012 Chambliss Prize of the AAS. His articles and reviews have appeared in such prestigious publications as Science, Nature, The Astrophysical Journal, and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dr. Scharf is a regular keynote speaker at academic meetings, such as for the American Physical Society, museums, and both public and private venues, including the American Museum of Natural History and the Rubin Museum of Art in New York. He has been a guest on "Krulwich on Science" at NPR, William Shatner's "Weird or What?" and has served as a consultant to editors and producers at National Geographic Magazine, The Science Channel, The Discovery Channel, and The New York Times.