Credit & Copyright: X-ray: NASA /
CXC /
R. Tuellmann
(Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
et al.;
Optical: NASA/AURA/STScI
Explanation:
Some 3 million light-years distant in nearby spiral
galaxy M33,
giant stellar nursery
NGC 604 is
about 1,300 light-years across,
or nearly 100 times the size of the
Orion Nebula.
In fact, among the star forming regions within the Local Group of
galaxies, NGC 604 is second in size only to 30 Doradus,
also known as
the Tarantula Nebula in the
Large Magellanic Cloud.
This space-age
color composite of X-ray data (in blue hues)
from the Chandra Observatory, and
Hubble optical data
shows that NGC 604's cavernous bubbles and cavities are filled with a
hot, tenuous,
X-ray
emitting gas.
Intriguingly, NGC 604 itself is divided by
a wall of relatively cool gas.
On the western (right) side of the nebula,
measurements
indicate that material is likely
heated to X-ray temperatures by the energetic winds
from a cluster of about 200 young, massive stars.
On the eastern side the X-ray filled cavities seem to be older,
suggesting
supernova explosions from the end of
massive star evolution contribute to their formation.
Optical: NASA/AURA/STScI
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& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: NGC 604 - star formation
Publications with words: NGC 604 - 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
- NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus
- APOD: 2023 March 21 Á Dark Nebulae and Star Formation in Taurus
- The Tadpole Nebula in Gas and Dust