Hydrogen Blob N88A in the Small Magellanic Cloud
Explanation:
The bright
blob of hydrogen gas cataloged as N88A is seen at the right.
It measures a mere 3 light years across.
Emerging from the cool, dusty interstellar medium in a
nearby irregular galaxy known as the
Small Magellanic Cloud,
N88A hides hot young stars at its core.
The
false-color Hubble Space Telescope image was recorded
in the characteristic "H-alpha" light
emitted by hydrogen atoms
as they are ionized by the
young star's energetic ultraviolet light and then recombine.
Other regions
of ionized hydrogen
(
H II regions) which surround new born stars can be
over a thousand light-years across but
astronomers now recognize that these small ionized hydrogen blobs
contain some of the most massive stars known.
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.
