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Credit & Copyright: Josep Drudis
Explanation:
This
cosmic skyscape features glowing gas and dark dust clouds
along side the young stars of
NGC 3572.
A beautiful emission nebula and star cluster in
far southern skies, the region is often overlooked by astroimagers
in favor of its brighter neighbor, the nearby Carina Nebula.
Stars from NGC 3572 are toward the upper left in the telescopic
frame that would measure about 100 light-years across at the cluster's
estimated distant of 9,000 light-years.
The visible interstellar gas and dust is part of the star cluster's
natal molecular cloud.
Dense streamers of material
within the nebula, eroded by stellar winds and radiation,
clearly trail away from the energetic young stars.
They are likely sites of ongoing star formation with shapes
reminiscent of the cosmic
Tadpoles of IC 410 better known to northern
skygazers.
In the coming tens to hundreds of millions of years, gas and stars in
the cluster will be dispersed though, by gravitational tides and by violent
supernova explosions
that end the short lives of the massive cluster stars.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: open cluster - star formation
Publications with words: open cluster - star formation
See also:
- NGC 1893 and the Tadpoles of IC 410
- Star Factory Messier 17
- APOD: 2023 August 28 Á Star Formation in the Pacman Nebula
- APOD: 2023 July 10 Á Stars, Dust and Nebula in NGC 6559
- The Double Cluster in Perseus
- NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus
- APOD: 2023 March 21 Á Dark Nebulae and Star Formation in Taurus