The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
The ISOSS J18364--0221 region contains two dense cores, each containing enough matter to become at least one massive star. The background image was taken by the Calar Altar 3.5 metre telescope during October 2003 and June 2004. The white contours show cold dust and were taken by the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope during May 2003. The diffuse and elongated emission displayed in green is due to shocked molecular hydrogen (was also observed at Calar Alto) and this traces the outflow of the obscured central source.