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Visible wavelengths Infrared wavelengths
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The above images are of a dense molecular cloud where stars are being formed. The image at left is from the Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS-II) red and blue plates, while the right image is from the Two Micron All Sky Survey. The cloud is nearly opaque at visible wavelengths, but is transparent in the infrared. We can see a number of newborn stars in the infrared, including the bright orange-red star just to the left of center (which is completely invisible in the left image - compare the star positions carefully!): this star is believed to be only a few hundred thousand years old.

Welcome to JPL's Infrared Astrophysics Team.

The principal reason for this page's existence is to provide a pointer to information about MIRLIN, a mid-infrared astronomical camera we have developed at JPL.

For information about HR 4796, the star with a planet forming debris disk which we imaged with MIRLIN at the Keck II telescope, click on the picture to the left.

For information about the Galactic Center image which we also imaged with MIRLIN at the Keck II telescope, click on the picture to the left.

For questions about this page please contact:

Dr. Michael Ressler (Michael.E.Ressler@jpl.nasa.gov) For privacy/copyright information, please go to JPL's Privacy Policy and links contained therein.