The European Space Agency (ESA) has released a new image series showcasing the vibrant star cluster NGC 346, revisiting stunning targets from its archives and incorporating latest data and processing techniques. This new image provides an intricate view of the young star-forming factory.
Located in the Small Magellanic Cloud, 200,000 light-years away from Earth, NGC 346 is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The cluster is home to over 2,500 newborn stars, including massive stars that blaze with intense blue light. A glowing pink nebula and snakelike dark clouds are sculpted by these luminous stars.
Using two sets of observations taken 11 years apart, researchers traced the motions of NGC 346’s stars, revealing spiraling motion toward the center of the cluster. This movement is fueled by a stream of gas from outside the cluster that sparks star formation in its center.
The nebula named N66 is an H II region, set aglow by ultraviolet light from hot, young stars like those in NGC 346. The presence of this nebula indicates the young age of the star cluster, as an H II region shines only as long as the stars that power it – a mere few million years.
The Hubble Space Telescope, operated jointly by NASA and ESA, has made groundbreaking discoveries over its three-decade operation, expanding our understanding of the universe.
Source: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-spots-stellar-sculptors-in-nearby-galaxy