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False Color

A method of representing data where colors are assigned to specific ranges of values, often used in astronomical imaging to visualize wavelengths outside the visible spectrum.

Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov

APODs including "False Color"

Cold Wind From The Boomerang Nebula

15/10/1997

Cold Wind From The Boomerang Nebula
Image Credit: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

A cold wind blows from the central star of the Boomerang Nebula. Seen here in a false color image of dust reflected starlight, the nebula lies about 5,000 light-years away. The boomerang shaped cloud appears to have been created by a high-speed wind of gas and dust blowing from an aging central star at speeds of over 300,000 miles per hour. This rapid expansion has cooled the nebular gas to about -458 degrees Fahrenheit or 1 degree above absolute zero, making it the coldest region observed in the distant Universe. The frigid Boomerang nebula represents a unique object for astronomers and is believed to be a star or stellar system evolving toward the planetary nebula phase.