CREDITS:
Spectra: ESA/ISO/LWS and E. Dishoeck, C. Wright et al.
Optical image: NASA/ESA/HST and O'Dell and S.K. Wong (Rice University).

ISO confirms that the normal matter in the universe is not enough to cause a 'Big Crunch'

Using ESA's infrared space telescope ISO, an international team led by Chris Wright (School of Physics, University College, Canberra, Australia) and Ewine van Dishoeck (Leiden University Observatory, The Netherlands), have detected for the first time the element deuterium in an active star forming region, in the Orion Nebula about 1500 light-years away. The 'signature' of the element appears in the spectra overlaid on the optical image of the Orion Nebula.

The deuterium measured was locked up in the primary deuterium bearing molecule in the Universe, hydrogen deuteride (HD). They found in the Orion Bar one deuterium atom for every 100000 hydrogen atoms, which is consistent with other measurements in other places indicating that the amount of normal matter in the Universe is not enough to cause a 'Big Crunch'.

This observation was discussed in details in a ISO/ESA Information Note, Nr 03-99;

      "ISO confirms that the normal matter in the universe is not enough to cause a 'Big Crunch'"

This image is also available in high-resolution (300 dpi) format:

Deuterium in Orion Bar:

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