Credit & Copyright: J. Trauger (JPL),
J. Westphal (Caltech),
N. Walborn (STScI),
R. Barba' (La Plata Obs.),
NASA
Explanation:
In the center of star-forming region
30 Doradus lies a
huge cluster of the largest, hottest, most massive stars known.
These stars, known as the
star cluster R136,
and part of the surrounding nebula are captured here in
this gorgeous visible-light image from the
Hubble Space Telescope.
Gas and dust clouds in
30 Doradus, also known as the
Tarantula Nebula,
have been sculpted into elongated shapes by powerful
winds and
ultraviolet radiation
from these hot cluster stars.
The 30 Doradus Nebula lies within a neighboring galaxy,
the
Large Magellanic Cloud, located a mere 170,000
light-years away.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
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& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: 30 Doradus - star cluster - Tarantula Nebula
Publications with words: 30 Doradus - star cluster - Tarantula Nebula
See also: