The Hubble Space Telescope is celebrating its 35th birthday this month, and to mark the occasion, it has released a breathtaking new image of the Milky Way’s vibrant star-forming factory, NGC 346. The stunning photo captures over 2,500 newborn stars, including massive blue stars that illuminate the surrounding pink nebula and dark clouds.
Hubble’s advanced technology allows researchers to combine infrared, optical, and ultraviolet data for an unparalleled view of NGC 346. By tracing the motion of stars in two sets of observations taken 11 years apart, scientists have discovered that these stars are spiraling toward the cluster’s center, fueled by a stream of gas from the outside.
Launched on April 24, 1990, as a joint venture between NASA and ESA, Hubble has been capturing stunning images like this one for over three decades. The telescope’s exquisite sensitivity and resolution have enabled it to uncover the secrets of star formation in NGC 346, providing a unique insight into the complex processes that shape our universe.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/jaw-dropping-photo-milky-way-113304760.html