|
Explanation: This dramatic Hubble Space Telescope image captures the birth of a cluster of massive stars. The newborn stars are seen just as they emerge from their natal nebula. Only 12 light-years across, the nebula is cataloged as N81 and lies some 200,000 light-years away within a neighboring galaxy known as the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Other nebulae which surround massive star clusters can be a thousand or more light-years across. But, prior to the Hubble observations, it was unknown whether N81 and similar, compact emission nebulae were cradles of single stars or star clusters. In the case of N81, the Hubble data clearly reveal multiple hot stars, some nearly 300,000 times as luminous as the Sun. The colorful image emphasizes graceful arcs of dark interstellar dust and fluorescing gas sculpted by the young stars' energetic winds and radiation.
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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: SMC - starbirth - N 81 - emission nebula - star
Publications with words: SMC - starbirth - N 81 - emission nebula - star
See also:
- APOD: 2024 April 24 Á Dragons Egg Bipolar Emission Nebula
- APOD: 2024 March 13 Á The Seagull Nebula
- APOD: 2024 February 21 Á Seagull Nebula over Pinnacles Peak
- NGC 1893 and the Tadpoles of IC 410
- The Light, the Dark, and the Dusty
- APOD: 2023 December 13 Á Deep Field: The Heart Nebula
- The Ghosts of Gamma Cas