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Credit & Copyright: Nicolas Outters
(Observatoire d'Orange)
Explanation:
Towering pillars of cold gas and dark dust adorn the
center star forming region of Sharpless 171.
An open cluster
of stars is forming there from the gas in cold
molecular clouds.
As energetic light emitted by young massive stars boils away the opaque
dust, the region fragments and
picturesque pillars
of the remnant gas and dust form and slowly evaporate.
The energetic light also illuminates the surrounding
hydrogen gas,
energize it to glow as a red
emission nebula.
Pictured above is the active central region of the
Sharpless 171 greater emission nebula.
Sharpless 171 incorporates
NGC 7822 and the active region Cederblad 214, much of which is
imaged above.
The area above spans about 20
light years, lies about 3,000 light years away,
and can be seen with a telescope toward the northern
constellation of the King of Ethiopia
(Cepheus).
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: star formation - open cluster - dust
Publications with words: star formation - open cluster - dust
See also:
- Open Star Clusters M35 and NGC 2158
- APOD: 2025 February 25 Á M41: The Little Beehive Star Cluster
- APOD: 2025 February 11 Á The Spider and the Fly
- Young Stars, Dark Nebulae
- APOD: 2024 October 29 Á NGC 602: Stars Versus Pillars from Webb
- APOD: 2024 October 22 Á M16: Pillars of Star Creation
- APOD: 2024 September 29 Á Seven Dusty Sisters