NGC 602 and Beyond
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI / AURA) - ESA/Hubble Collaboration
Posted on 10/25/2008 6:07:52 AM PDT by sig226
Explanation: Near the outskirts of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy some 200 thousand light-years distant, lies 5 million year young star cluster NGC 602. Surrounded by natal gas and dust, NGC 602 is featured in this stunning Hubble image of the region. Fantastic ridges and swept back shapes strongly suggest that energetic radiation and shock waves from NGC 602's massive young stars have eroded the dusty material and triggered a progression of star formation moving away from the cluster's center. At the estimated distance of the Small Magellanic Cloud, the picture spans about 200 light-years, but a tantalizing assortment of background galaxies are also visible in the sharp Hubble view. The background galaxies are hundreds of millions of light-years or more beyond NGC 602.
Awesome. The background galaxies are an added benefit.
nice..
Beautiful! Looks like pearls in a giant sea shell.
beautiful
bump
A completely random state of affairs, brought about by mindless, purposeless, deterministic forces... </sarcasm>
When I see these pictures I have to think of Dickens and “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Astonishing scientific accomplishments against a backdrop of Obama’s fascistic campaign and the coming darkness for America and the world.
wow, that was deep.
true but deep.
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