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Credit & Copyright: Francis Bozon & Cecil Navick
(AstroA. R. O.)
Explanation:
This cosmic skyscape
features glowing gas and dark dust clouds alongside the young stars of
NGC 3572.
A beautiful emission nebula and star cluster, it sails
far
southern skies within the
nautical constellation Carina.
Stars from NGC 3572 are toward top center
in the telescopic frame that would measure about 100
light-years
across at the cluster's estimated distance of 9,000 light-years.
The visible interstellar gas and dust, shown in
colors
of the
Hubble palette,
is part of the star cluster's natal
molecular cloud,
itself cataloged as
Gum 37.
Dense streamers of material within the nebula, eroded by stellar winds and radiation,
clearly trail away from the energetic young stars.
They are likely sites of ongoing star formation with shapes reminiscent of the
Tadpoles of IC 410 -- better known to northern skygazers.
In the coming tens to hundreds of millions of years, gas and stars in the cluster
will be dispersed though, by
gravitational tides and by violent
supernova explosions that end the short lives of the massive cluster stars.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: open cluster - star formation
Publications with words: open cluster - star formation
See also:
- APOD: 2025 March 26 B Star Formation in the Pacman Nebula
- Open Star Clusters M35 and NGC 2158
- APOD: 2025 February 25 B M41: The Little Beehive Star Cluster
- APOD: 2025 February 11 B The Spider and the Fly
- APOD: 2024 October 29 B NGC 602: Stars Versus Pillars from Webb
- APOD: 2024 October 22 B M16: Pillars of Star Creation
- Star Factory Messier 17