Astronomers have unveiled a breathtaking image of the Tarantula Nebula, also known as 30 Doradus, which reveals its intricate structure and unique features. The nebula, located 160,000 light-years from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud, is one of the most intense star-forming regions in the universe.
The new Chandra X-ray image shows the four blue petals of a cosmic flower, formed by hot gas energized by young stars and supernova explosions. This nebula captures the life cycle of massive stars, which live relatively short lives. The stars’ “cradles” are also their graves, as the most recent supernova to be visible to the naked eye, SN 1987A, exploded on its outskirts.
The image features over 3,600 discrete X-ray sources, including supernova remnants, compact binaries, and massive stars in binary systems. The exposure time allowed Chandra to capture some of these sources changing over time due to orbital mechanics.
This remarkable nebula is part of the Local Group of galaxies and spans 650 light-years in diameter. It produces the most massive stars and has grown enormous due to its unique characteristics, such as a lack of differential rotation that can rip gas clouds apart.
The Tarantula Nebula contains a giant young star cluster called NGC 2070, with a dense concentration of stars at its core. The heart of this cluster is R136, home to the most massive star known in the universe, R136a1. This Wolf-Rayet star sheds its skin in violent pulsations and has an enormous mass about 200 times that of our sun.
The nebula’s formation is a testament to the power of stellar explosions, which create new elements and carry pollen-like debris across space, germinating new sites for star and planet formation. The Tarantula Nebula’s beauty is a reminder of the awe-inspiring complexity of the universe.
Source: https://www.space.com/the-universe/astronomers-have-brought-you-a-space-valentine-the-tarantula-of-the-cosmos