RCW 38 is a star cluster surrounded by clouds of brightly glowing gas, with dark tendrils of dust threading through the bright core of this young gathering of stars. This cluster contains hundreds of young, hot, massive stars, and lies some 5500 light-years away in the constellation of Vela (The Sails). Optical images appear empty of stars due to dust and gas blocking our view of the cluster. Observations in the infrared, however, allow us to peer through the dust that obscures the view in the optical and delve into the heart of this star cluster. The central area of RCW 38 is an area inhabited by numerous very young stars and protostars that are still in the process of forming. This image was created from photographic material taken with the 1.22-metre UK Schmidt Telescope at Anglo-Australian Observatory, forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / De Martin, Davide |
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Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
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