NASA image release date April 17, 2012
This region resembles a coral reef, but the gas has been eroded by the hefty stars in R136, situated above it. Cloaked in gas at the top of this rugged, gaseous terrain are nascent stars that cannot be seen. Dense columns of gas, several light-years long, protrude from the undulating landscape. These gaseous columns are incubators for developing stars.
30 Doradus is the brightest, nearby star-forming region and home to the most massive stars in our cosmic neighborhood of about 25 galaxies. The nebula is close enough to Earth that Hubble can resolve individual stars, giving astronomers important information about the stars' birth and evolution. 30 Doradus resides 170,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small, satellite galaxy of our Milky Way.
To read more go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/30doradus.html
Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Lennon and E. Sabbi (ESA/STScI), J. Anderson, S. E. de Mink, R. van der Marel, T. Sohn, and N. Walborn (STScI), N. Bastian (Excellence Cluster, Munich), L. Bedin (INAF, Padua), E. Bressert (ESO), P. Crowther (University of Sheffield), A. de Koter (University of Amsterdam), C. Evans (UKATC/STFC, Edinburgh), A. Herrero (IAC, Tenerife), N. Langer (AifA, Bonn), I. Platais (JHU), and H. Sana (University of Amsterdam)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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[salociN] OFF, Todd Hurley (Todd_H), and 213 other people added this photo to their favorites.
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Pilgrim on this road - Bill Revill 14 months ago | reply
Good eye, Hubble! This is really quite a beautiful shot.
TheVoid91 14 months ago | reply
great!
♫ Lion ♫ 14 months ago | reply
Wonderful
macg5555 14 months ago | reply
espectacular.
Petr Charousek 14 months ago | reply
Unbelievably beautiful. Magically clean and detailed picture.
poorpoor 14 months ago | reply
Blows my tiny mind!!
Unlucky_Alf [deleted] 14 months ago | reply
Beautiful image.
LizaLovesNature 14 months ago | reply
So inspiring and lovely!
maxxximpact 14 months ago | reply
spellbinding
maxxxi
Trudy_Damascus 14 months ago | reply
Fantastic image.
Ó Brien [deleted] 14 months ago | reply
magnificent
thanks for sharing
peeveyr 14 months ago | reply
spectacular.....
DarkAngelDay 14 months ago | reply
Cool and colorfull
Amberinsea Photography 14 months ago | reply
Absolutely fantastic!!
evamathemat 14 months ago | reply
fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Massimo Feliziani 14 months ago | reply
This is an amazing, natural photo... come with us :)!!!
Welcome with your high quality photo to Capture Nature.
Please join us!
Salaatti 14 months ago | reply
Beautiful capture!
DiamantThomy 14 months ago | reply
Nice
█ fo112 █ 14 months ago | reply
Wonderful
dodagp 14 months ago | reply
Absolutely gorgeous image !!!