For 35 years, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has been capturing breathtaking images of the universe. Recently, the European Space Agency (ESA) released stunning new pictures from the orbiting observatory, including a detailed photo of the Rosette Nebula. This sprawling star-forming region is 100 light-years across, but the latest view zooms in on an area just 4 light-years wide.
The image reveals clouds of hydrogen gas being eroded and shaped by intense radiation from nearby stars. Dark V-shaped clouds dominate the foreground, silhouetted against a backdrop of illuminated background gas that appears in vivid yellow and orange hues. At the upper right tip of one of these shadows is a bright red glow, created by a star blasting hot gas into the surrounding cloud.
Located 5,200 light-years away within our Milky Way galaxy, the Rosette Nebula hosts around 2,500 stars. It’s just one example of a vital engine in the cosmos, where clouds of dust and gas come together to form new stars – many of which will eventually host planets. With over 1.6 million detailed observations under its belt, Hubble continues to pack a punch as an observational powerhouse.
One notable achievement was captured three decades ago, when the Hubble Deep Field revealed a plethora of galaxies, including some previously unseen. The telescope’s resolution is remarkable – it can see objects 1,000 times better than the human eye, allowing for high-resolution views of distant objects like the Rosette Nebula.
Source: https://mashable.com/article/nasa-hubble-rosette-nebula-image-photo