A new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveals a breathtaking view of the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the Milky Way’s satellite galaxies. This region, approximately 160,000 light-years away in the constellations Dorado and Mensa, is home to some of the most impressive star-forming areas in the local universe.
The image focuses on the outskirts of the Tarantula Nebula, known as NGC 2070 or 30 Doradus, which is the largest and most productive star-forming region nearby. This nebula has been observed since 1751 by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille and contains some of the universe’s most massive stars—some with more than 150 times Earth’s sun’s mass.
Star formation in the Tarantula Nebula began tens of millions of years ago but was not confined to a specific area. Instead, it occurred sporadically as gas accumulated, creating erratic bursts of star birth. At its center lies the nebula’s most massive stars, while the surrounding region features serene blue gas, brownish-orange dust patches, and multicolored stars.
The stars within and behind the dust appear redder due to the way dust scatters light. Dust absorbs and scatters more of the shorter blue wavelengths than red light, allowing more red light to reach our telescopes and making the stars appear redder.
This Hubble image also incorporates ultraviolet, infrared, and visible light observations, providing a comprehensive view of this dusty, star-lit landscape. By studying similar nebulae in the Large Magellanic Cloud and other galaxies, astronomers hope to better understand how cosmic dust plays a role in the formation of new stars and planets.
Source: https://www.sci.news/astronomy/hubble-outskirts-tarantula-nebula-13590.html