New stars around Westerlund 2
The red dots scattered throughout the cosmic landscape captured in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image are a rich population of forming stars that are still wrapped in their gas and dust cocoons.
These stellar foetuses have not yet ignited the hydrogen in their cores to light-up as stars. However, Hubble’s near-infrared vision allows astronomers to identify these fledglings. The brilliant blue stars seen throughout the image are mostly in the foreground.
This is a section of the new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of Westerlund 2 and its surroundings, released to celebrate Hubble’s 25th anniversary.
Credit:NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), A. Nota (ESA/STScI), and the Westerlund 2 Science Team
About the Image
Id: | heic1509f |
Type: | Observation |
Release date: | 23 April 2015, 15:15 |
Related releases: | heic1509 |
Size: | 3000 x 2000 px |
About the Object
Name: | Westerlund 2 |
Type: | Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Emission : H II Region Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Binary Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Star Formation |
Distance: | 20000 light years |
Constellation: | Carina |
Category: | Nebulae Star Clusters |
Wallpapers
1024x768
338.0 KB
1280x1024
525.5 KB
1600x1200
722.6 KB
1920x1200
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2048x1536
1.1 MB
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 10 23 58.70 |
Position (Dec): | -57° 47' 21.40" |
Field of view: | 1.55 x 1.03 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 7.7° right of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Optical V | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Infrared J | 1.25 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |