30 Doradus Across the Spectrum
Explanation:
30 Doradus is lit up like a Christmas tree.
Shining in light across the
electromagnetic spectrum,
30 Doradus glows because of all the energetic processes that go on there.
A distinctive region visible in a
Milky Way satellite galaxy
called the
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC),
30 Doradus is a hotbed of
star formation,
supernova explosions, and
ionized plasma. The
above image
is a composite of three pictures taken in three different wavelength bands of light.
Red represents
X-ray emission created by
gas as hot as 1 million degrees
Kelvin. Green represents emission from
ionized hydrogen gas, and blue represents
ultraviolet
radiation primarily emitted by hot stars.
At the conclusion of this symphony of star formation and
light in a few million years,
astronomers expect that a new
globular cluster will have formed.
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.
