NGC 300: A Cosmic Gemstone with Stars and Gas Clouds
Explanation:
This sparkling, colorful
gemstone is a spiral galaxy, NGC
300.
It is one of the closest spiral
galaxies to Earth, only about 6 million light-years away.
But does it really look
like this?
Here is a more standard portrait of it.
This unusual image combines the light from the stars
and dust within the galaxy
with the light from ionized clouds of interstellar
gas shown in red (Sulphur), green (Hydrogen) and blue (Oxygen).
Combining red and green light in different
proportions makes yellow or orange light, most visible in the image.
Light from other ionized gases is also at
work in neon signs, fluorescent tubes and street lights.
These massive clouds
of ionized gas are typically created by young, massive stars that produce high-energy
ultraviolet radiation
capable of ionizing the gas.
Massive stars are short-lived, compared
with lighter stars like our sun, and explode as supernovas
at the end of their lives.
Some of the colorful clouds in the image could be hiding
supernova remnants.
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.
