Lagoon Nebula in visible and infrared light

This short videoclip shows the Lagoon Nebula, which was observed to celebrate Hubble's 28th anniversary in space, first in the visible light and later on in the infrared. Both observations were made by Hubble.

While the observations in visible light allow astronomers to study the gas in full detail, the infrared light cuts through the obscuring patches of dust and gas, revealing the more intricate structures underneath and the young stars hiding within it. Only by combining optical and infrared data can astronomers paint a complete picture of the ongoing processes in the nebula.