Hubble snapshot captures life cycle of stars

The very energetic radiation from young hot stars in the star cluster NGC 3603 is bursting into colder gas and dust making the gas glow. The radiation from the stars has blown a 'bubble' around the cluster free from gas.

In this stunning picture of the giant galactic nebula NGC 3603, the crisp resolution of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures various stages of the life cycle of stars in one single view.

Credit:

Wolfgang Brandner (JPL/IPAC), Eva K. Grebel (Univ. Washington), You-Hua Chu (Univ. Illinois Urbana-Champaign), and NASA/ESA

About the Image

NASA press release
Id:opo9920a
Type:Observation
Release date:1 June 1999, 19:30
Size:1483 x 1504 px

About the Object

Name:NGC 3603
Type:Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Open
Distance:20000 light years
Constellation:Carina
Category:Star Clusters

Image Formats

r.titleLarge JPEG
554.9 KB
r.titleScreensize JPEG
232.4 KB

Wallpapers

r.title1024x768
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r.title1280x1024
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r.title1600x1200
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r.title1920x1200
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r.title2048x1536
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Coordinates

Position (RA):11 15 8.14
Position (Dec):-61° 15' 36.99"
Field of view:2.47 x 2.50 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 51.1° left of vertical


Colours & filters

BandTelescope
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2

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