A Star Forming Region in the LMC
Explanation:
Stars sometimes form in colorful ways.
Pictured above is a small region in
the nearby
LMC galaxy
where stars are forming. After a
star is born, it
may do several things to energize its immediate neighborhood. It may
develop a
strong
wind which pushes away nearby
gas; it may be so hot and
intense that
emitted light boils away nearby dust and gas,
and it may be so massive that it soon
goes supernova
and catapults its elements back to the
interstellar
medium. Astronomers study regions like this - named DEM192 -
to better understand how these and other processes proceed. This picture is
a composite of three separate photographs, each sensitive to only one specific
color of light - a color that distinguishes a specific
chemical element.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
