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Nebula NGC 6357 in Scorpio - Nebula NGC 6357 in Scorpius - This nebulae is located about 5500 years - light from Earth. Image made with the 1.2m Telescope of Schmidt UK from Siding Spring. Star - forming region located 5500 light year away

Nebula NGC 6357 in Scorpio - Nebula NGC 6357 in Scorpius - This nebulae is located about 5500 years - light from Earth. Image made with the 1.2m Telescope of Schmidt UK from Siding Spring. Star - forming region located 5500 light year away

PIX4619393

Nebula Trifide (M20) in the constellation Sagittarius - Trifid nebula (M20) in Sagittarius - View of the Trifide nebula (M20 or NGC 6514) located in the constellation Sagittarius between 5000 and 10,000 years - light from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Trifid nebula is located in Sagittarius constellation between 5000 and 10 000 light - years away. Stars, the Sun included, were born within clouds of dusty gas such as the Trifid Nebula. Within it a number of young hot stars have already formed. The hottest cause the gas, mostly hydrogen, to emit its characteristic red light. Around the red emission nebula the gas contains many dust grains which preferentially reflect the blue component of starlight, and to the north (top) of the nebula can be seen a bright star which illuminates part of the dust to create a region of blue reflection. In some parts of the nebula there are so many dust grains that they hide the glowing gas, producing the three dark lanes which gi

Nebula Trifide (M20) in the constellation Sagittarius - Trifid nebula (M20) in Sagittarius - View of the Trifide nebula (M20 or NGC 6514) located in the constellation Sagittarius between 5000 and 10,000 years - light from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Trifid nebula is located in Sagittarius constellation between 5000 and 10 000 light - years away. Stars, the Sun included, were born within clouds of dusty gas such as the Trifid Nebula. Within it a number of young hot stars have already formed. The hottest cause the gas, mostly hydrogen, to emit its characteristic red light. Around the red emission nebula the gas contains many dust grains which preferentially reflect the blue component of starlight, and to the north (top) of the nebula can be seen a bright star which illuminates part of the dust to create a region of blue reflection. In some parts of the nebula there are so many dust grains that they hide the glowing gas, producing the three dark lanes which gi

PIX4619434

Nebula of the Lagoon (M8) in Sagittarius - The Lagoon Nebula, M8, NGC 6523 - View of the Nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 6500 years - light, it extends over a diameter of 60 AL. Image made with the 1.2m Telescope of Schmidt UK from Siding Spring. The irregular distribution of light in this beautiful part of the sky is due mainly to clouds of dust that dim the light of vast clouds of stars that make Sagittarius one of the brightest parts of the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is an illuminated part of such a dark ('molecule') cloud and it reveals the dust as dark lanes and globules silhouetted against the luminous gas. Within the nebula is the scattered young star cluster NGC 6530, recently formed from this material, though the centre of star - forming activity has now shifted westwards from the cluster to the brightest part of the nebula, around the tiny Hourglass Nebula

Nebula of the Lagoon (M8) in Sagittarius - The Lagoon Nebula, M8, NGC 6523 - View of the Nebula of the Lagoon (M8/NGC 6523). Located in Sagittarius, at a distance of 6500 years - light, it extends over a diameter of 60 AL. Image made with the 1.2m Telescope of Schmidt UK from Siding Spring. The irregular distribution of light in this beautiful part of the sky is due mainly to clouds of dust that dim the light of vast clouds of stars that make Sagittarius one of the brightest parts of the Milky Way. The Lagoon nebula is an illuminated part of such a dark ('molecule') cloud and it reveals the dust as dark lanes and globules silhouetted against the luminous gas. Within the nebula is the scattered young star cluster NGC 6530, recently formed from this material, though the centre of star - forming activity has now shifted westwards from the cluster to the brightest part of the nebula, around the tiny Hourglass Nebula

PIX4619624

Circumpolar - South Hemisphere - Star trails around the south celestial pole - 10h30 photographic installation on 400 ISO film around the south celeste pole. Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope dome in the foreground. By pointing a camera towards the south (or to the north in the northern hemisphere) at night, we can record the paths of stars which never set. They appear to circle the apparent position of the Earth's axis of rotation projected on the sky. The elevation of this position above the local horizon indicates our local geographical latitude, about 30 degrees south at Siding Spring. The angle swept out by the arcs is an indication of the exposure time, which was about 10.5 hours on 400 ISO colour film. This kind of exposure is only possible from an extremely dark site

Circumpolar - South Hemisphere - Star trails around the south celestial pole - 10h30 photographic installation on 400 ISO film around the south celeste pole. Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope dome in the foreground. By pointing a camera towards the south (or to the north in the northern hemisphere) at night, we can record the paths of stars which never set. They appear to circle the apparent position of the Earth's axis of rotation projected on the sky. The elevation of this position above the local horizon indicates our local geographical latitude, about 30 degrees south at Siding Spring. The angle swept out by the arcs is an indication of the exposure time, which was about 10.5 hours on 400 ISO colour film. This kind of exposure is only possible from an extremely dark site

PIX4581074

Galaxy clusters Abell 1060 in Hydra - The Hydra cluster of galaxies (Abell 1060) - The galaxy in the center is the spiral galaxy NGC 3312. To its right, the brightest elliptical galaxies of this cluster: NGC 3311. The two bright stars are closer and belong to our galaxy. This splendid cluster of galaxies in Hydra is framed by two nearby, cool stars in our own Milky Way. The brightest is about 5th magnitude, visible to the unaided eye only under a dark sky; the second brightest is below naked - eye visibility. In contrast the galaxies appear featureless in all but the largest telescopes. The bluish, elongated galaxy is an edge - on spiral, NGC 3312. It has been distorted by interactions with its neighbours. They in turn have been affected, and the brightest of the two adjacent yellow elliptical galaxies (NGC 3311) has an assymetrical envelope, perhaps as a result of this encounter. It's hard to tell who is jostling who in a crowded group of galaxies such as this. Among the most interest

Galaxy clusters Abell 1060 in Hydra - The Hydra cluster of galaxies (Abell 1060) - The galaxy in the center is the spiral galaxy NGC 3312. To its right, the brightest elliptical galaxies of this cluster: NGC 3311. The two bright stars are closer and belong to our galaxy. This splendid cluster of galaxies in Hydra is framed by two nearby, cool stars in our own Milky Way. The brightest is about 5th magnitude, visible to the unaided eye only under a dark sky; the second brightest is below naked - eye visibility. In contrast the galaxies appear featureless in all but the largest telescopes. The bluish, elongated galaxy is an edge - on spiral, NGC 3312. It has been distorted by interactions with its neighbours. They in turn have been affected, and the brightest of the two adjacent yellow elliptical galaxies (NGC 3311) has an assymetrical envelope, perhaps as a result of this encounter. It's hard to tell who is jostling who in a crowded group of galaxies such as this. Among the most interest

PIX4565253

Central part of the Virgo cluster of galaxies - Central part of the Virgo cluster of galaxies - On the right the M84 (NGC 4374) and M86 (NGC 4406) (to its left) dominate the image. Lower left is the elliptical galaxy M87. The nearest moderately rich cluster of galaxies lies in the direction of Virgo. The richest part of the cluster is centred on the giant elliptical - lenticular galaxies M84 (NGC 4374) (right) and M86 (NGC 4406) (left) which dominate this picture. However, the dynamical centre of the cluster is M87, to the lower left (south east) of this picture

Central part of the Virgo cluster of galaxies - Central part of the Virgo cluster of galaxies - On the right the M84 (NGC 4374) and M86 (NGC 4406) (to its left) dominate the image. Lower left is the elliptical galaxy M87. The nearest moderately rich cluster of galaxies lies in the direction of Virgo. The richest part of the cluster is centred on the giant elliptical - lenticular galaxies M84 (NGC 4374) (right) and M86 (NGC 4406) (left) which dominate this picture. However, the dynamical centre of the cluster is M87, to the lower left (south east) of this picture

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Open Cluster of Pleiades - The Pleiades star cluster - The Pleiades cluster is a cluster of about 500 young stars nees 150 million years ago. Visible in the constellation Taurus, this cluster is 440 years from the Earth. The Pleiades are one of the finest and nearest examples of a reflection nebula associated with a cluster of young stars. The cluster itself is a group of many hundreds of stars about 400 light years from Earth in the northern constellation of Taurus and has been recognised since ancient times. Seven of the brightest stars are quite easy to see with the unaided eye and bear the names of the Seven Sisters, the daughters of Atlas. The nebulosity seen here is light reflected from the particles in a cloud of cold gas and dust into which the cluster has drifted. It appears blue because these tiny interstellar particles scatter blue light more efficiently than the longer wavelengths of red light and it is streaky because of the distribution of dust particles in space

Open Cluster of Pleiades - The Pleiades star cluster - The Pleiades cluster is a cluster of about 500 young stars nees 150 million years ago. Visible in the constellation Taurus, this cluster is 440 years from the Earth. The Pleiades are one of the finest and nearest examples of a reflection nebula associated with a cluster of young stars. The cluster itself is a group of many hundreds of stars about 400 light years from Earth in the northern constellation of Taurus and has been recognised since ancient times. Seven of the brightest stars are quite easy to see with the unaided eye and bear the names of the Seven Sisters, the daughters of Atlas. The nebulosity seen here is light reflected from the particles in a cloud of cold gas and dust into which the cluster has drifted. It appears blue because these tiny interstellar particles scatter blue light more efficiently than the longer wavelengths of red light and it is streaky because of the distribution of dust particles in space

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Comete Hyakutake - Comet Hyakutake - View on March 18, 1996

Comete Hyakutake - Comet Hyakutake - View on March 18, 1996

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Stars Field in the Peacock - Random star field in Pavo, near NGC 6477 - Towards the middle of the picture, the cluster of galaxies IC 4765. Image obtained by Schmidt UK 1.2m Telescope from Siding Spring The brightest star visible here is the magnitude 4.2 variable blue star lambda Pav, visible to the unaided eye in a dark sky, while the scattering of stars in the lower part of the picture are about a magnitude fainter and would be hard to see in all but the darkest conditions. Near middle of the image, the cluster of galaxies IC 4765

Stars Field in the Peacock - Random star field in Pavo, near NGC 6477 - Towards the middle of the picture, the cluster of galaxies IC 4765. Image obtained by Schmidt UK 1.2m Telescope from Siding Spring The brightest star visible here is the magnitude 4.2 variable blue star lambda Pav, visible to the unaided eye in a dark sky, while the scattering of stars in the lower part of the picture are about a magnitude fainter and would be hard to see in all but the darkest conditions. Near middle of the image, the cluster of galaxies IC 4765

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Star Antares in the Scorpion - The nebula around Antares - Supergeant star Antares seen at the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring. To his right is the globular cluster NGC 6144. Antares is a giant among stars, and like giants in general, very rare. Antares has spent most of its short life as a highly luminous blue supergiant star, its mass obliging it to consume its vast store of nuclear fuel (hydrogen) very rapidly. This nuclear fusion process supplied the energy that prevented the star collapsing in on itself - - all stars support themselves against gravity in this way. Now, the supply of fuel in the core of the star is close to exhaustion and the star has undergone a major internal re - arrangement to cope with the changed circumstances, both cooling and swelling in the process. This star is big; the earth would be inside it if it were to replace the sun. At its cool, distended surface, tiny solid particles begin to appear, made of the heavier trace elements formed with in the star. Th

Star Antares in the Scorpion - The nebula around Antares - Supergeant star Antares seen at the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring. To his right is the globular cluster NGC 6144. Antares is a giant among stars, and like giants in general, very rare. Antares has spent most of its short life as a highly luminous blue supergiant star, its mass obliging it to consume its vast store of nuclear fuel (hydrogen) very rapidly. This nuclear fusion process supplied the energy that prevented the star collapsing in on itself - - all stars support themselves against gravity in this way. Now, the supply of fuel in the core of the star is close to exhaustion and the star has undergone a major internal re - arrangement to cope with the changed circumstances, both cooling and swelling in the process. This star is big; the earth would be inside it if it were to replace the sun. At its cool, distended surface, tiny solid particles begin to appear, made of the heavier trace elements formed with in the star. Th

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Supernova 1987A before and after explosion - Supernova 1987A with precursor image overlaid - Image of the Supernova 1987A, obtained on March 8, 1987. The photo of the star Sanduleak - 69* 202, photographed two years ago. Images obtained with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Supernova 1987A appeared in the constellation Doradus on February 23, 1987. The brightest star in the colour photograph is supernova 1987A, photographed with the AAT two months before it reached its maximum brightness. Superimposed in register on this image is a negative photograph of the region around the supernova copied from an AAT plate that was exposed in 1985, two years before the supernova was seen to explode. The precursor star appears to be a peculiar shape only because its image is blended with those of two other stars that happen to lie in the same line of sight. Many similar blended images can be seen in the colour photograph. However, it was soon found that the brighter of the three had exploded, and tha

Supernova 1987A before and after explosion - Supernova 1987A with precursor image overlaid - Image of the Supernova 1987A, obtained on March 8, 1987. The photo of the star Sanduleak - 69* 202, photographed two years ago. Images obtained with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Supernova 1987A appeared in the constellation Doradus on February 23, 1987. The brightest star in the colour photograph is supernova 1987A, photographed with the AAT two months before it reached its maximum brightness. Superimposed in register on this image is a negative photograph of the region around the supernova copied from an AAT plate that was exposed in 1985, two years before the supernova was seen to explode. The precursor star appears to be a peculiar shape only because its image is blended with those of two other stars that happen to lie in the same line of sight. Many similar blended images can be seen in the colour photograph. However, it was soon found that the brighter of the three had exploded, and tha

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Light echo of supernova 1987A - July 1989 - The light echo of supernova 1987A - July 1989 - Image obtained with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Supernova 1987A appeared in the constellation Doradus on February 23, 1987. When supernova 1987A was seen to explode in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Milky Way's nearest companion galaxy, the brilliant flash of light from the self - destructing star had taken about 170,000 years to arrive. Some light was deflected by two sheets of dust near the supernova, and is seen after the star has faded away because it covers a longer path to reach us. The dust responsible for the rings seen here lies in two distinct sheets, about 470 and 1300 light years from the supernova. The colour picture, made by subtracting images on plates taken before and after the supernova, is an accurate reproduction of the colour of the extremely faint light echo, which in turn reflects the yellow colour of the supernova when it was at its brightest, in May 1987.

Light echo of supernova 1987A - July 1989 - The light echo of supernova 1987A - July 1989 - Image obtained with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Supernova 1987A appeared in the constellation Doradus on February 23, 1987. When supernova 1987A was seen to explode in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Milky Way's nearest companion galaxy, the brilliant flash of light from the self - destructing star had taken about 170,000 years to arrive. Some light was deflected by two sheets of dust near the supernova, and is seen after the star has faded away because it covers a longer path to reach us. The dust responsible for the rings seen here lies in two distinct sheets, about 470 and 1300 light years from the supernova. The colour picture, made by subtracting images on plates taken before and after the supernova, is an accurate reproduction of the colour of the extremely faint light echo, which in turn reflects the yellow colour of the supernova when it was at its brightest, in May 1987.

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Remnants of the Supernova of Sails - Part of the Vela Supernova Remnant - Rest of the Supernova of Sails. The supernova exploded 12,000 years ago and is approximately 815 light years away from Earth. Image obtained with the 1.2m Schmidt UK Telescope from Siding Spring. About 120 centuries ago an inconspicuous star in what is now the constellation of Vela brightened by about 100 million times to rival the Moon as the brightest object in the night sky. This photograph shows a portion of the north - western quadrant of an expanding nebulous shell, which now surrounds the site of the explosion. Near the centre of the nebula (and not seen here) is the Vela pulsar, a rapidly - spinning neutron star only a few kilometres in diameter, the remnant of the star that exploded. This tiny object spins about 11 times a second and until recently was among the faintest stars ever studied at optical wavelengths, a far cry from its brief glory as one of the brightest stars ever seen

Remnants of the Supernova of Sails - Part of the Vela Supernova Remnant - Rest of the Supernova of Sails. The supernova exploded 12,000 years ago and is approximately 815 light years away from Earth. Image obtained with the 1.2m Schmidt UK Telescope from Siding Spring. About 120 centuries ago an inconspicuous star in what is now the constellation of Vela brightened by about 100 million times to rival the Moon as the brightest object in the night sky. This photograph shows a portion of the north - western quadrant of an expanding nebulous shell, which now surrounds the site of the explosion. Near the centre of the nebula (and not seen here) is the Vela pulsar, a rapidly - spinning neutron star only a few kilometres in diameter, the remnant of the star that exploded. This tiny object spins about 11 times a second and until recently was among the faintest stars ever studied at optical wavelengths, a far cry from its brief glory as one of the brightest stars ever seen

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Galaxy seen by the slice NGC 55 in the Sculptor - Edge - on galaxy NGC 55 in Sculptor - The irregular galaxy NGC 55 is located 5 million years ago - light of the Earth and resides in a grouping of several galaxies calls the Sculptor's Group

Galaxy seen by the slice NGC 55 in the Sculptor - Edge - on galaxy NGC 55 in Sculptor - The irregular galaxy NGC 55 is located 5 million years ago - light of the Earth and resides in a grouping of several galaxies calls the Sculptor's Group

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Spiral galaxy NGC 908 in the Whale - Spiral galaxy NGC 908 in Cetus - NGC 908 is about 65 million years away - light from Earth. This galaxy undergoes a star-forming flames; clusters of young and massive stars are visible in the spiral arms. It is 75,000 years long - light years long and its shape suggests that it is subject to the gravitational influence of another galaxy yet unidentified. NGC 908 is a starburst galaxy, one that is undergoing a period of intense star formation. This is why it has numerous clumps of bright stars in its spiral arms and appears so bright on this photograph. It is also asymmetrical, with a peculiar split in the spiral arm on the left (eastern) side of the galaxy. Both these characteristics usually mean the galaxy has been disturbed by some massive intruder, usually another galaxy, but none is evident on the photograph or in the wider field around NGC 908

Spiral galaxy NGC 908 in the Whale - Spiral galaxy NGC 908 in Cetus - NGC 908 is about 65 million years away - light from Earth. This galaxy undergoes a star-forming flames; clusters of young and massive stars are visible in the spiral arms. It is 75,000 years long - light years long and its shape suggests that it is subject to the gravitational influence of another galaxy yet unidentified. NGC 908 is a starburst galaxy, one that is undergoing a period of intense star formation. This is why it has numerous clumps of bright stars in its spiral arms and appears so bright on this photograph. It is also asymmetrical, with a peculiar split in the spiral arm on the left (eastern) side of the galaxy. Both these characteristics usually mean the galaxy has been disturbed by some massive intruder, usually another galaxy, but none is evident on the photograph or in the wider field around NGC 908

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Spiral galaxy NGC 1055 in the Whale - Spiral galaxy NGC 1055 in Cetus - NGC 1055 is about 40 million years away - light from Earth. It appears to belong to the small group of M77 galaxies in the Whale. NGC 1055 is a striking disk galaxy seen almost edge - on a distance of about 40 million light years. It seems to be a member of the small NGC 1068 (M77) group of galaxies in the southern constellation of Cetus

Spiral galaxy NGC 1055 in the Whale - Spiral galaxy NGC 1055 in Cetus - NGC 1055 is about 40 million years away - light from Earth. It appears to belong to the small group of M77 galaxies in the Whale. NGC 1055 is a striking disk galaxy seen almost edge - on a distance of about 40 million light years. It seems to be a member of the small NGC 1068 (M77) group of galaxies in the southern constellation of Cetus

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Spiral galaxy M77 in the Whale - Active galaxy M77 (NGC 1068) in Cetus - M77 (NGC 1068). This active galaxy is the typical example of a Seyfert II galaxy. It has an active core and houses a massive black hole. She is the object of intense star formation in her spiral arms. NGC 1068 is around 50 million years of light from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. M77 is a Seyfert galaxy, a class of galaxy named for Karl Seyfert who first identified galaxies with emission lines superimposed on the normal radiation from their nuclei in 1943. Such galaxies are a subset of an ill - defined species generally known as 'active galaxies' whose nuclei emit radio - and X - radiation as well as visible light. The least active of the active galaxies are the Seyferts, the most active are the quasars which are mostly so distant that they can only be distinguished from stars by their spectrum. <BR>The common feature of these galaxy types is a small, very bright nucleus thought to host

Spiral galaxy M77 in the Whale - Active galaxy M77 (NGC 1068) in Cetus - M77 (NGC 1068). This active galaxy is the typical example of a Seyfert II galaxy. It has an active core and houses a massive black hole. She is the object of intense star formation in her spiral arms. NGC 1068 is around 50 million years of light from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. M77 is a Seyfert galaxy, a class of galaxy named for Karl Seyfert who first identified galaxies with emission lines superimposed on the normal radiation from their nuclei in 1943. Such galaxies are a subset of an ill - defined species generally known as 'active galaxies' whose nuclei emit radio - and X - radiation as well as visible light. The least active of the active galaxies are the Seyferts, the most active are the quasars which are mostly so distant that they can only be distinguished from stars by their spectrum. <BR>The common feature of these galaxy types is a small, very bright nucleus thought to host

PIX4609570

Barree spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in the constellation Peacock - Barred spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in Pavo - The galaxy NGC 6744 is located about 25 million years ago - light from Earth. The morphology of this galaxy is very similar to that of our galaxy, the Lactee Way. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. This beautiful galaxy is about 25 million light years away in the direction of Pavo, a constellation of the southern hemisphere winter. NGC 6744 is believed to one of the most Milky Way - like of all the nearby spirals, with fluffy (flocculent) spiral arms and a large and distinctly elongated nucleus. It also has other similarities to the Milky Way that are not visible here (but seen on a deep image) with at least one distorted companion galaxy superficially similar to one of the Magellanic Clouds. The CCD chip that made this picture at the prime focus of the AAT (Siding Spring) covers about 7 arc minutes of sky. But the galaxy has a much bigger angular size t

Barree spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in the constellation Peacock - Barred spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in Pavo - The galaxy NGC 6744 is located about 25 million years ago - light from Earth. The morphology of this galaxy is very similar to that of our galaxy, the Lactee Way. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. This beautiful galaxy is about 25 million light years away in the direction of Pavo, a constellation of the southern hemisphere winter. NGC 6744 is believed to one of the most Milky Way - like of all the nearby spirals, with fluffy (flocculent) spiral arms and a large and distinctly elongated nucleus. It also has other similarities to the Milky Way that are not visible here (but seen on a deep image) with at least one distorted companion galaxy superficially similar to one of the Magellanic Clouds. The CCD chip that made this picture at the prime focus of the AAT (Siding Spring) covers about 7 arc minutes of sky. But the galaxy has a much bigger angular size t

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Spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in the constellation Peacock - Spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in Pavo - The galaxy NGC 6744 is about 25 million years away - light from Earth. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. This beautiful galaxy is about 25 million light years away in the direction of Pavo, a constellation of the southern hemisphere winter. It sits in a rich starfield, and is strongly inclined to our line of sight. NGC 6744 is believed to one of the most Milky Way - like of all the nearby spirals, with fluffy (flocculent) spiral arms and a large and distinctly elongated nucleus. It also has other similarities to the Milky Way that are not visible here with at least one distorted companion galaxy superficially similar to one of the Magellanic Clouds

Spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in the constellation Peacock - Spiral galaxy NGC 6744 in Pavo - The galaxy NGC 6744 is about 25 million years away - light from Earth. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. This beautiful galaxy is about 25 million light years away in the direction of Pavo, a constellation of the southern hemisphere winter. It sits in a rich starfield, and is strongly inclined to our line of sight. NGC 6744 is believed to one of the most Milky Way - like of all the nearby spirals, with fluffy (flocculent) spiral arms and a large and distinctly elongated nucleus. It also has other similarities to the Milky Way that are not visible here with at least one distorted companion galaxy superficially similar to one of the Magellanic Clouds

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Irregular Galaxy of the Little Magellan Cloud (NGC 292) - The Small Magellanic Cloud - The galaxy of the Little Magellan Cloud is about 240,000 light years from Earth in the southern constellation of Toucan. It's one of the closest galaxies of the Lactee Way. Two globular clusters are visible in this image, on the right the Toucan cluster, at the top of the galaxy the NGC 362 cluster. Image obtained by the 1.2m UK Schmidt telescope from Siding Spring, Australia. The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is the second nearest galaxy to the Milky Way, (the LMC being the nearest) and is at the distance of about 240,000 light years, quite close enough for it to be resolved into individual stars on this colour picture made from plates taken on the UK Schmidt Telescope. The shape of the SMC defies description and it is therefore classified as an 'irregular' galaxy. The large globular cluster at right is 47 Tucanae, while a smaller one at the top of the picture is NGC 362. It is about 30,000 light yea

Irregular Galaxy of the Little Magellan Cloud (NGC 292) - The Small Magellanic Cloud - The galaxy of the Little Magellan Cloud is about 240,000 light years from Earth in the southern constellation of Toucan. It's one of the closest galaxies of the Lactee Way. Two globular clusters are visible in this image, on the right the Toucan cluster, at the top of the galaxy the NGC 362 cluster. Image obtained by the 1.2m UK Schmidt telescope from Siding Spring, Australia. The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is the second nearest galaxy to the Milky Way, (the LMC being the nearest) and is at the distance of about 240,000 light years, quite close enough for it to be resolved into individual stars on this colour picture made from plates taken on the UK Schmidt Telescope. The shape of the SMC defies description and it is therefore classified as an 'irregular' galaxy. The large globular cluster at right is 47 Tucanae, while a smaller one at the top of the picture is NGC 362. It is about 30,000 light yea

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Centaurus A elliptical galaxy (NGC 5128) in Centaurus - Galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128) - The galaxy NGC 5128 is located about 13 million light years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaurus. A broad dark band crosses it in the middle, a probable vestige of a collision with a spiral galaxy. This Giant Galaxy is a powerful radio source known as Centaurus A. It is an active galaxy whose energy comes from a supermassive black hole. The green dot visible in the dust strip is a supernova, the supernova 1986g. It appears green because the red filter image that made this trichromy image was only taken a year after the event and the supernova had weakened. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. Centaurus A is a most unusual galaxy. The circular, uniformly bright portion is composed of several thousand million stars, most of them old and yellowish. The galaxy is girded by a dense dust lane which obscures and reddens the light of stars behind it. Some

Centaurus A elliptical galaxy (NGC 5128) in Centaurus - Galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128) - The galaxy NGC 5128 is located about 13 million light years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaurus. A broad dark band crosses it in the middle, a probable vestige of a collision with a spiral galaxy. This Giant Galaxy is a powerful radio source known as Centaurus A. It is an active galaxy whose energy comes from a supermassive black hole. The green dot visible in the dust strip is a supernova, the supernova 1986g. It appears green because the red filter image that made this trichromy image was only taken a year after the event and the supernova had weakened. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. Centaurus A is a most unusual galaxy. The circular, uniformly bright portion is composed of several thousand million stars, most of them old and yellowish. The galaxy is girded by a dense dust lane which obscures and reddens the light of stars behind it. Some

PIX4612278

Spiral Galaxy M83 in Hydra - Spiral galaxy M83 in Hydra - The galaxy M83 (NGC 5236) is located about 15 million years away from Earth. This galaxy is intermediate between a classic spiral and a barree spiral. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. M83 is thought to be very like our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, but seen from above one of its poles and at a distance of about 15 million light years. Composed of billions of stars and huge clouds of dust and gas, this object is one of the finest examples of a spiral galaxy and shows a concentration of older, yellow stars in its central nucleus with younger, blue stars and patchy red clouds of glowing gas and dark dust lanes in the trailing spiral arms. The massive blue stars occasionally explode as supernovae; at least eight have been seen in Messier 83 in the last 70 years

Spiral Galaxy M83 in Hydra - Spiral galaxy M83 in Hydra - The galaxy M83 (NGC 5236) is located about 15 million years away from Earth. This galaxy is intermediate between a classic spiral and a barree spiral. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. M83 is thought to be very like our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, but seen from above one of its poles and at a distance of about 15 million light years. Composed of billions of stars and huge clouds of dust and gas, this object is one of the finest examples of a spiral galaxy and shows a concentration of older, yellow stars in its central nucleus with younger, blue stars and patchy red clouds of glowing gas and dark dust lanes in the trailing spiral arms. The massive blue stars occasionally explode as supernovae; at least eight have been seen in Messier 83 in the last 70 years

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Spiral Galaxy M83 in Hydra - Spiral galaxy M83 in Hydra - The galaxy M83 (NGC 5236) is located about 15 million years away from Earth. This galaxy is intermediate between a classic spiral and a barree spiral. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. M83 is thought to be very like our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, but seen from above one of its poles and at a distance of about 15 million light years. Composed of billions of stars and huge clouds of dust and gas, this object is one of the finest examples of a spiral galaxy and shows a concentration of older, yellow stars in its central nucleus with younger, blue stars and patchy red clouds of glowing gas and dark dust lanes in the trailing spiral arms. The massive blue stars occasionally explode as supernovae; at least eight have been seen in Messier 83 in the last 70 years

Spiral Galaxy M83 in Hydra - Spiral galaxy M83 in Hydra - The galaxy M83 (NGC 5236) is located about 15 million years away from Earth. This galaxy is intermediate between a classic spiral and a barree spiral. Image obtained from the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring, Australia. M83 is thought to be very like our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, but seen from above one of its poles and at a distance of about 15 million light years. Composed of billions of stars and huge clouds of dust and gas, this object is one of the finest examples of a spiral galaxy and shows a concentration of older, yellow stars in its central nucleus with younger, blue stars and patchy red clouds of glowing gas and dark dust lanes in the trailing spiral arms. The massive blue stars occasionally explode as supernovae; at least eight have been seen in Messier 83 in the last 70 years

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Siding Spring Observatory - Australia - David Malin at the center of the 3.9m AA telescope

Siding Spring Observatory - Australia - David Malin at the center of the 3.9m AA telescope

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Gallipoli by Peter Weir, 1981

Gallipoli by Peter Weir, 1981

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Gallipoli by Peter Weir, 1981

Gallipoli by Peter Weir, 1981

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Gallipoli by Peter Weir, 1981

Gallipoli by Peter Weir, 1981

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Gallipoli by Peter Weir, 1981

Gallipoli by Peter Weir, 1981

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Eagle Nebula (IC 4703) and M16 star cluster in the Snake - Eagle nebula in Serpens - The Eagle Nebula is a cluster of massive young stars (M16) surrounded by clouds of gas and dust. The three columns in the center of the image were sculpted by the intense radiation emitted by these massive stars. Stars will be born in these clouds if they survive the intense radiation that erodes these pillars. Messier 16 is a cluster of young stars which formed about 2 million years ago from the gas and dust which still surrounds them. Brilliant blue stars of this type are much hotter than the Sun and can be up to thirty times more massive. The dark intrusions visible across the face of the nebula are condensations of dusty material which might one day collapse into yet more stars, should they survive the radiation from the bright stars, which is gradually etching them away. Bright red regions of photo - ionised hydrogen such as M16 are usually found in the spiral arms of galaxies and are often associ

Eagle Nebula (IC 4703) and M16 star cluster in the Snake - Eagle nebula in Serpens - The Eagle Nebula is a cluster of massive young stars (M16) surrounded by clouds of gas and dust. The three columns in the center of the image were sculpted by the intense radiation emitted by these massive stars. Stars will be born in these clouds if they survive the intense radiation that erodes these pillars. Messier 16 is a cluster of young stars which formed about 2 million years ago from the gas and dust which still surrounds them. Brilliant blue stars of this type are much hotter than the Sun and can be up to thirty times more massive. The dark intrusions visible across the face of the nebula are condensations of dusty material which might one day collapse into yet more stars, should they survive the radiation from the bright stars, which is gradually etching them away. Bright red regions of photo - ionised hydrogen such as M16 are usually found in the spiral arms of galaxies and are often associ

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Nebulae of the horse's head and M42 in Orion - Horsehead and Orion nebulae - Dark Nebula of the horse's head (IC434 - B33). Further down, the large Orion nebula (M42) vast star-forming region. These nebulae are located 1500 years of light from Earth. Image obtained from the 1.2m Schmidt telescope of Siding Spring. This wide - angle picture of the Orion region has been made to reveal the extensive network of very faint filaments which are traceable over most of the constellation. These faint features are optical evidence of a substantial dark cloud of molecular gas and dust which dominate at radio wavelengths. Where hot stars are closely associated with the molecular cloud, a bright nebula appears. By far the most conspicuous of these is the Orion Nebula, M42. This spectacular object is so bright that its light is reflected from filaments of the dark cloud some distance away. In contrast, the wisps of the Horsehead Nebula are much fainter but even here faint tendrils of nebulosity show

Nebulae of the horse's head and M42 in Orion - Horsehead and Orion nebulae - Dark Nebula of the horse's head (IC434 - B33). Further down, the large Orion nebula (M42) vast star-forming region. These nebulae are located 1500 years of light from Earth. Image obtained from the 1.2m Schmidt telescope of Siding Spring. This wide - angle picture of the Orion region has been made to reveal the extensive network of very faint filaments which are traceable over most of the constellation. These faint features are optical evidence of a substantial dark cloud of molecular gas and dust which dominate at radio wavelengths. Where hot stars are closely associated with the molecular cloud, a bright nebula appears. By far the most conspicuous of these is the Orion Nebula, M42. This spectacular object is so bright that its light is reflected from filaments of the dark cloud some distance away. In contrast, the wisps of the Horsehead Nebula are much fainter but even here faint tendrils of nebulosity show

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Orion M78 Nebula - The M78 Nebula (NGC 2068) is located about 1600 years of light from Earth and extends over 4 years of light. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope

Orion M78 Nebula - The M78 Nebula (NGC 2068) is located about 1600 years of light from Earth and extends over 4 years of light. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope

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Around the Tarantula Nebula - Around the Tarantula nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud - The Tarantula Nebula (or 30 Bream) is the largest star-forming region of the Great Magellan Cloud. It is located 170,000 light years ago in the constellation Dorado (southern hemisphere). At the center of this nebula, the open cluster of R136 stars, clusters of hot and massive stars. Image obtained with the 1.2m Schmidt UK Telescope from Siding Spring. In this picture we see the eastern end of the Large Magellanic Cloud where lies one of the most active star formation regions known. If this enormous complex of stars, gas and dust were at the distance of the better - known Orion Nebula the brightest parts of it would visible during the day and would cover a quarter of the sky at night. While the Orion Nebula contains a mere handful of the hot blue stars which energise it, the Tarantula nebula has spawned many thousands in the bright central region, which surrounds a compact, brilliant cluster known

Around the Tarantula Nebula - Around the Tarantula nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud - The Tarantula Nebula (or 30 Bream) is the largest star-forming region of the Great Magellan Cloud. It is located 170,000 light years ago in the constellation Dorado (southern hemisphere). At the center of this nebula, the open cluster of R136 stars, clusters of hot and massive stars. Image obtained with the 1.2m Schmidt UK Telescope from Siding Spring. In this picture we see the eastern end of the Large Magellanic Cloud where lies one of the most active star formation regions known. If this enormous complex of stars, gas and dust were at the distance of the better - known Orion Nebula the brightest parts of it would visible during the day and would cover a quarter of the sky at night. While the Orion Nebula contains a mere handful of the hot blue stars which energise it, the Tarantula nebula has spawned many thousands in the bright central region, which surrounds a compact, brilliant cluster known

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Tarantula (NGC 2070) in the LMC - The nebula around 30 Doradus (NGC 2070) in the LMC - The Tarantula Nebula (or 30 Bream) is the largest star-forming region of the Great Magellan Cloud. It is located 170,000 light years ago in the constellation Dorado (southern hemisphere). At the center of this nebula, the open cluster of R136 stars, clusters of hot and massive stars. Image obtained with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. The brightest cluster of stars in this picture was believed until recently to contain a single, uniquely massive object with the mass equivalent to 1000 suns, and was named as a star, 30 Doradus. Sophisticated image analysis techniques have been used to show that 30 Doradus is a very compact group of stars, many of which are massive, but not unimaginably so. The radiation from this star cluster is sufficient to excite a huge cloud of hydrogen gas in its vicinity so that it glows with its distinctive red colour. This picture is essentially a one minute exposure. A longer

Tarantula (NGC 2070) in the LMC - The nebula around 30 Doradus (NGC 2070) in the LMC - The Tarantula Nebula (or 30 Bream) is the largest star-forming region of the Great Magellan Cloud. It is located 170,000 light years ago in the constellation Dorado (southern hemisphere). At the center of this nebula, the open cluster of R136 stars, clusters of hot and massive stars. Image obtained with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. The brightest cluster of stars in this picture was believed until recently to contain a single, uniquely massive object with the mass equivalent to 1000 suns, and was named as a star, 30 Doradus. Sophisticated image analysis techniques have been used to show that 30 Doradus is a very compact group of stars, many of which are massive, but not unimaginably so. The radiation from this star cluster is sufficient to excite a huge cloud of hydrogen gas in its vicinity so that it glows with its distinctive red colour. This picture is essentially a one minute exposure. A longer

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NGC 2264, S Monocerotis, Hubble Nebula and Trumpler 5 clusters - NGC 2261, 2264, the Cone nebula and Trumpler 5 - The Cone nebula on the left is a region H II located about 2600 years - light from Earth. The bright star on the top left is S Monocerotis, a star of magnitude 4.7. On the right, an open cluster of stars, Trumpler 5. Downstairs in the center, the Hubble nebula. Image obtained from the 1.2m Schmidt telescope of Siding Spring. The western end of the large constellation of Monoceros crossed by the Galactic plane and so is rich in the ingredients of star formation. Only five degrees south (not shown) is the beautiful Rosette nebula, also close to the Galactic plane. To the east (left) is the outline of the dark Cone nebula with its distinctive bright tip, apparently pointing to the star S Mon at the top (north) of the photograph. All around is faint nebulosity, hinting at star formation in the region. Around the dusty red nebula there are areas where the light from background s

NGC 2264, S Monocerotis, Hubble Nebula and Trumpler 5 clusters - NGC 2261, 2264, the Cone nebula and Trumpler 5 - The Cone nebula on the left is a region H II located about 2600 years - light from Earth. The bright star on the top left is S Monocerotis, a star of magnitude 4.7. On the right, an open cluster of stars, Trumpler 5. Downstairs in the center, the Hubble nebula. Image obtained from the 1.2m Schmidt telescope of Siding Spring. The western end of the large constellation of Monoceros crossed by the Galactic plane and so is rich in the ingredients of star formation. Only five degrees south (not shown) is the beautiful Rosette nebula, also close to the Galactic plane. To the east (left) is the outline of the dark Cone nebula with its distinctive bright tip, apparently pointing to the star S Mon at the top (north) of the photograph. All around is faint nebulosity, hinting at star formation in the region. Around the dusty red nebula there are areas where the light from background s

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Nebula NGC 2359 in the Big Dog - A Wolf - Rayet star in NGC 2359 - NGC 2359 is a nebula in the Big Dog that houses a star Wolf - Rayet, HD 56925. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. NGC 2359 is the nebula produced by a single, extremely hot star HD 56925. This is one of the rare Wolf - Rayet stars, whose intrinsic brilliance is combined with high rates of mass loss from its surface. This material is ejected from the star with velocities which approach 2000 kilometers per second. This violent activity quickly reduces the mass of the star which in turn reduces the instability. The rapidly - moving ejected material interacts with the gas and dust around the star producing the cosmic bubble seen here. Such stars are unusual, largely because extreme behaviour of this kind cannot be sustained for long. This particular example is spectacular because it happens to inhabit a part of our Galaxy rich in interstellar gas

Nebula NGC 2359 in the Big Dog - A Wolf - Rayet star in NGC 2359 - NGC 2359 is a nebula in the Big Dog that houses a star Wolf - Rayet, HD 56925. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. NGC 2359 is the nebula produced by a single, extremely hot star HD 56925. This is one of the rare Wolf - Rayet stars, whose intrinsic brilliance is combined with high rates of mass loss from its surface. This material is ejected from the star with velocities which approach 2000 kilometers per second. This violent activity quickly reduces the mass of the star which in turn reduces the instability. The rapidly - moving ejected material interacts with the gas and dust around the star producing the cosmic bubble seen here. Such stars are unusual, largely because extreme behaviour of this kind cannot be sustained for long. This particular example is spectacular because it happens to inhabit a part of our Galaxy rich in interstellar gas

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Nebulae NGC 3603 and NGC 3576 in Carene - NGC 3576 and 3603 in Carina - NGC 3576 (right) is located about 7000 years - light from Earth; NGC 3603 (left) is twice as far away. These two nebulae are located in the constellation Carene. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. These two star - formation regions appear side by side in the sky and seem to be linked as parts of an extensive nebula. However, the apparent intimacy is line - of - sight effect because these two objects are at quite different distances from the Sun. The curious looped nebula NGC 3576 is about 7000 light years from us while its neighbour NGC 3603 is more than twice as far away. That NGC 3603 is the more distant is confirmed by its colour, which is a ruddier red than the pinkish hue of NGC 3576. The change in colour is due to absorption of the blue - light component of the nebulosity by dust particles in the much longer line of sight. This effect is known as interstellar reddening, though it would be bette

Nebulae NGC 3603 and NGC 3576 in Carene - NGC 3576 and 3603 in Carina - NGC 3576 (right) is located about 7000 years - light from Earth; NGC 3603 (left) is twice as far away. These two nebulae are located in the constellation Carene. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. These two star - formation regions appear side by side in the sky and seem to be linked as parts of an extensive nebula. However, the apparent intimacy is line - of - sight effect because these two objects are at quite different distances from the Sun. The curious looped nebula NGC 3576 is about 7000 light years from us while its neighbour NGC 3603 is more than twice as far away. That NGC 3603 is the more distant is confirmed by its colour, which is a ruddier red than the pinkish hue of NGC 3576. The change in colour is due to absorption of the blue - light component of the nebulosity by dust particles in the much longer line of sight. This effect is known as interstellar reddening, though it would be bette

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Nebula Trifide (M20) in the constellation Sagittarius - Trifid nebula (M20) in Sagittarius - View of the Trifide nebula (M20/NGC 6514) located in the constellation Sagittarius between 5000 and 10,000 years - light from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. The spectacular Trifid nebula (Messier 20) is one of the best known in the sky. It is a striking mixture of brilliant red light emitted from excited hydrogen gas and the soft blue glow of a reflection nebula. The blue arises from starlight, scattered by dust particles between the stars. The size of the particles is minute, similar to those of smoke, which also has a bluish hue. However, the scattered light is not a pure blue, and if we see it through a medium that is yellow (i.e. absorbs blue light) some green colouration remains. This effect can be seen in some of the darker parts of the faint reflection nebula that surrounds the Trifid, where partial absorption of light by foreground dust provides a yellow 'filte

Nebula Trifide (M20) in the constellation Sagittarius - Trifid nebula (M20) in Sagittarius - View of the Trifide nebula (M20/NGC 6514) located in the constellation Sagittarius between 5000 and 10,000 years - light from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. The spectacular Trifid nebula (Messier 20) is one of the best known in the sky. It is a striking mixture of brilliant red light emitted from excited hydrogen gas and the soft blue glow of a reflection nebula. The blue arises from starlight, scattered by dust particles between the stars. The size of the particles is minute, similar to those of smoke, which also has a bluish hue. However, the scattered light is not a pure blue, and if we see it through a medium that is yellow (i.e. absorbs blue light) some green colouration remains. This effect can be seen in some of the darker parts of the faint reflection nebula that surrounds the Trifid, where partial absorption of light by foreground dust provides a yellow 'filte

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Nebula N70 in the Great Magellan Cloud - The N 70 nebula in Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) - The Henize 70 nebula extends for about 400 years - light, it is located in the Great Magellan Cloud. In the center, a small group of very massive and extremely hot stars, stars of Wolf - Rayet. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. At the centre of this remarkable bubble - like nebula nebula is a small group of extremely hot stars. Some of these stars are rapdly losing mass and have stellar winds blowing from their surfaces with velocities that approach 4000 kilometers per second. Such stars are known as Wolf - Rayet stars and are found in galaxies capable of forming massive stars. There are many such stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) but not all of them are associated with distinctive nebulae. The outward flowing streams of energetic particles from Wolf - Rayet (and other energetic stars) eventually interact with the relatively stationary interstellar medium pervading the LMC

Nebula N70 in the Great Magellan Cloud - The N 70 nebula in Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) - The Henize 70 nebula extends for about 400 years - light, it is located in the Great Magellan Cloud. In the center, a small group of very massive and extremely hot stars, stars of Wolf - Rayet. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. At the centre of this remarkable bubble - like nebula nebula is a small group of extremely hot stars. Some of these stars are rapdly losing mass and have stellar winds blowing from their surfaces with velocities that approach 4000 kilometers per second. Such stars are known as Wolf - Rayet stars and are found in galaxies capable of forming massive stars. There are many such stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) but not all of them are associated with distinctive nebulae. The outward flowing streams of energetic particles from Wolf - Rayet (and other energetic stars) eventually interact with the relatively stationary interstellar medium pervading the LMC

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Nebula N55 in the Great Magellan Cloud - Henize 55 (NGC 2014) is a star-forming region located north of the Great Magellan Cloud. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope

Nebula N55 in the Great Magellan Cloud - Henize 55 (NGC 2014) is a star-forming region located north of the Great Magellan Cloud. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope

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Nebuleuse Barnard 86 & open cluster NGC 6520 - Dark nebula Barnard 86 and open cluster NGC 6520 - NGC 6520, is a cluster of young stars, aged a few million years. To its right is the dark nebula, Barnard 86, a cloud of molecular gas and dust, very cold, in which these stars have become formed. In the background, the billions of years old stars of Sagittarius. NGC 6520 is a small cluster of young blue stars. In the same region is a dark cloud, Barnard 86. The cluster and cloud are probably associated and the dust is visible only because it blocks out light from the myriads of stars beyond. On the distant background, old yellowish stars in Sagittarius are visible in vast numbers

Nebuleuse Barnard 86 & open cluster NGC 6520 - Dark nebula Barnard 86 and open cluster NGC 6520 - NGC 6520, is a cluster of young stars, aged a few million years. To its right is the dark nebula, Barnard 86, a cloud of molecular gas and dust, very cold, in which these stars have become formed. In the background, the billions of years old stars of Sagittarius. NGC 6520 is a small cluster of young blue stars. In the same region is a dark cloud, Barnard 86. The cluster and cloud are probably associated and the dust is visible only because it blocks out light from the myriads of stars beyond. On the distant background, old yellowish stars in Sagittarius are visible in vast numbers

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Antares star and the nebula Rho Ophiuchi - Antares and Rho Ophiuchi cloud - This coloree nebula represents the visible part of a very large molecule cloud, the cloud of Ophiuchus. This star-forming region is about 520 years old - light. The brightest star at the bottom left is the star Antares, from the Scorpio. The triple star Rho Ophiuchus is located in the middle of the blue cloud at the top of the picture. On the right, surrounded by a nebula, the star Sigma Scorpii. The globular clusters M4 (at the bottom of the image) and NGC 6144 (near Antares) are also visible on this image obtained with the UK Schmidt telescope of 1.2m. This photograph shows a portion of a great swath of obscuring gas and dust in the constellations Ophiuchus and Scorpius, and illustrates what is probably the most colourful region in the entire sky. The almost garish colours are due to the brilliance and contrasting colours of the stars, by whose reflected light we see the dust clouds. Dominating the picture is

Antares star and the nebula Rho Ophiuchi - Antares and Rho Ophiuchi cloud - This coloree nebula represents the visible part of a very large molecule cloud, the cloud of Ophiuchus. This star-forming region is about 520 years old - light. The brightest star at the bottom left is the star Antares, from the Scorpio. The triple star Rho Ophiuchus is located in the middle of the blue cloud at the top of the picture. On the right, surrounded by a nebula, the star Sigma Scorpii. The globular clusters M4 (at the bottom of the image) and NGC 6144 (near Antares) are also visible on this image obtained with the UK Schmidt telescope of 1.2m. This photograph shows a portion of a great swath of obscuring gas and dust in the constellations Ophiuchus and Scorpius, and illustrates what is probably the most colourful region in the entire sky. The almost garish colours are due to the brilliance and contrasting colours of the stars, by whose reflected light we see the dust clouds. Dominating the picture is

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Nebula IC 2220 in the Carene - A mass - loss star in IC 2220 - This nebula is illuminated by a giant red star, the star HD 65670. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. The bright, supergiant star at the centre of this nebula is known only by its catalog designation, HD 65750. The nebulosity around the star is the result of light reflected by dust surrounding it. The dust is thought to consist mainly of particles of silica condensed from material which the star is losing from its distended surface at a fairly steady rate. The rate of mass loss is much higher than in normal stars and is sufficient to produce the reflection nebula IC 2220. The stellar nature of the central object is revealed by the four diffraction spikes extending from it. These are artifacts due to structures within the telescope. The light from the star has also produced the annular halation ring (a photographic artefact) that ornaments the nebula. These features, real or otherwise, have provoked the name '

Nebula IC 2220 in the Carene - A mass - loss star in IC 2220 - This nebula is illuminated by a giant red star, the star HD 65670. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. The bright, supergiant star at the centre of this nebula is known only by its catalog designation, HD 65750. The nebulosity around the star is the result of light reflected by dust surrounding it. The dust is thought to consist mainly of particles of silica condensed from material which the star is losing from its distended surface at a fairly steady rate. The rate of mass loss is much higher than in normal stars and is sufficient to produce the reflection nebula IC 2220. The stellar nature of the central object is revealed by the four diffraction spikes extending from it. These are artifacts due to structures within the telescope. The light from the star has also produced the annular halation ring (a photographic artefact) that ornaments the nebula. These features, real or otherwise, have provoked the name '

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Nebula IC 2220 in the Carene - The IC 2220, nebula, deep image - This nebula is illuminated by a large red star, the star HD 65670. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Many stars lose a substantial part of their mass as they age. The more massive the star, the greater the fraction of their substance is lost. Much material is ejected by intense stellar winds driven from the surface of extremely hot stars and the mass loss is often only detectable in the stellar spectrum. In cooler stars temperatures may be low enough for elements or simple compounds to form solid grains in the star's outer atmosphere. This is seen as dust, and sometimes there is enough to reflect the light of the star within. As is often the case with stellar outflows, the IC 2220 reflection nebula is bipolar, hinting at conditions near the surface of the central star

Nebula IC 2220 in the Carene - The IC 2220, nebula, deep image - This nebula is illuminated by a large red star, the star HD 65670. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Many stars lose a substantial part of their mass as they age. The more massive the star, the greater the fraction of their substance is lost. Much material is ejected by intense stellar winds driven from the surface of extremely hot stars and the mass loss is often only detectable in the stellar spectrum. In cooler stars temperatures may be low enough for elements or simple compounds to form solid grains in the star's outer atmosphere. This is seen as dust, and sometimes there is enough to reflect the light of the star within. As is often the case with stellar outflows, the IC 2220 reflection nebula is bipolar, hinting at conditions near the surface of the central star

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Planetary nebula NGC 1360 in the Furnace - NGC 1360, the diffuse planetary nebula in Fornax - Image obtained by Siding Spring Planetary nebulae 3.9m telescope usually have well - defined boundaries, sometimes even a shell - like structure. For reasons that are not understood, NGC 1360 defies all these conventions, yet its colour still clearly identifies it as a planetary nebula. The green hue is oxygen, excited by the hot central star, and to the north - east of the nebula is a faint red smudge, probably traces of material ejected before the star became a true planetary nebula

Planetary nebula NGC 1360 in the Furnace - NGC 1360, the diffuse planetary nebula in Fornax - Image obtained by Siding Spring Planetary nebulae 3.9m telescope usually have well - defined boundaries, sometimes even a shell - like structure. For reasons that are not understood, NGC 1360 defies all these conventions, yet its colour still clearly identifies it as a planetary nebula. The green hue is oxygen, excited by the hot central star, and to the north - east of the nebula is a faint red smudge, probably traces of material ejected before the star became a true planetary nebula

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Planetary nebula NGC 6302 in the Scorpio - This nebula is located about 4000 light years from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Sprin's 3.9m telescope

Planetary nebula NGC 6302 in the Scorpio - This nebula is located about 4000 light years from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Sprin's 3.9m telescope

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Planetary nebula Helix (NGC 7293) in Aquarius - Planetary nebula Helix (NGC 7293) - This nebula is located 690 years - light from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope This faint object is the nearest planetary nebula to the Sun and on deep photographs has a diameter of about half a degree - - the same apparent size as the Sun in the sky. The AAT colour picture shows the brighter parts of the nebula, revealing various ionization levels within the shell of matter ejected from the central star. This picture was made without unsharp masking. Unsharp masking emphasises the smallest of the radial blobs inside the red shell, which are about 150 astronomical units across (150 times the Earth - Sun distance). These radial streaks give this beautiful object its alternative name, the Sunflower Nebula. The Helix is about 400 light years away, or about 100 times more distant than the nearest stars

Planetary nebula Helix (NGC 7293) in Aquarius - Planetary nebula Helix (NGC 7293) - This nebula is located 690 years - light from Earth. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope This faint object is the nearest planetary nebula to the Sun and on deep photographs has a diameter of about half a degree - - the same apparent size as the Sun in the sky. The AAT colour picture shows the brighter parts of the nebula, revealing various ionization levels within the shell of matter ejected from the central star. This picture was made without unsharp masking. Unsharp masking emphasises the smallest of the radial blobs inside the red shell, which are about 150 astronomical units across (150 times the Earth - Sun distance). These radial streaks give this beautiful object its alternative name, the Sunflower Nebula. The Helix is about 400 light years away, or about 100 times more distant than the nearest stars

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Planetary Nebula of the Red Rectangle in the Unicorn - The Red Rectangle, AFGL 915 - This planetary nebula is located about 2300 years ago - light. Image from Siding Spring 3.9m Telescope This surprising object is one of an unusual class of nebulae surrounding mature, sun - like stars that are about to turn into planetary nebulae. Not all pre - planetary nebulae have outbursts like this, and in those that do, the nebula lasts only a few thousand years, hence the rarity. The central star has a thick belt of dust like a girdle around its equator which restricts outflow in that direction. Instead, the star ejects material in a kind of cone from each of its poles. The spectrum of the nebula shows unusual, strong red lines from hydrogen bonded to grains of carbon, however there is sufficient light reflected from the embedded star to dilute the strong red spectrum to the deep yellow we see here

Planetary Nebula of the Red Rectangle in the Unicorn - The Red Rectangle, AFGL 915 - This planetary nebula is located about 2300 years ago - light. Image from Siding Spring 3.9m Telescope This surprising object is one of an unusual class of nebulae surrounding mature, sun - like stars that are about to turn into planetary nebulae. Not all pre - planetary nebulae have outbursts like this, and in those that do, the nebula lasts only a few thousand years, hence the rarity. The central star has a thick belt of dust like a girdle around its equator which restricts outflow in that direction. Instead, the star ejects material in a kind of cone from each of its poles. The spectrum of the nebula shows unusual, strong red lines from hydrogen bonded to grains of carbon, however there is sufficient light reflected from the embedded star to dilute the strong red spectrum to the deep yellow we see here

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Region near the Omega nebula (M17) in Sagittarius - Area near Omega nebula (M17) in Sagittarius - Region around the Omega nebula. Under the nebula, the cluster of stars M18, towards the middle, the group of stars M24, at the bottom of the picture the nebulae NGC 6589 - 90 and IC 1283 - 4. A little below the bright red emission nebula M17 is M18, a group of stars which is only conspicuous because, like M17, it is set in a relatively dark region of the Milky Way. The rich cloud of stars more or less in the middle of the photograph was listed by Messier as number 24 in his catalogue and it contains the open cluster NGC 6603, while towards the bottom of this field is a small group of nebulosities, the two blue reflection nebulae NGC 6589 - 90 and the emission nebulae IC 1283 - 4

Region near the Omega nebula (M17) in Sagittarius - Area near Omega nebula (M17) in Sagittarius - Region around the Omega nebula. Under the nebula, the cluster of stars M18, towards the middle, the group of stars M24, at the bottom of the picture the nebulae NGC 6589 - 90 and IC 1283 - 4. A little below the bright red emission nebula M17 is M18, a group of stars which is only conspicuous because, like M17, it is set in a relatively dark region of the Milky Way. The rich cloud of stars more or less in the middle of the photograph was listed by Messier as number 24 in his catalogue and it contains the open cluster NGC 6603, while towards the bottom of this field is a small group of nebulosities, the two blue reflection nebulae NGC 6589 - 90 and the emission nebulae IC 1283 - 4

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Southern Crown Nebula - The CRA reflection nebula - R Coronae Australis is a region of star formations visible in the southern hemisphere. It is located about 500 light years away from Earth. On the right, the globular cluster NGC 6723, located 30 000 light years from Earth in Sagittarius. Image made with the 1.2m Telescope of Schmidt UK from Siding Spring. Corona Australis (the southern crown, CRA) is in the far southern sky but visible from the southern states of the USA. The constellation is small but distinctive. The conspicuous globular cluster NGC 6723 is at the western (right) edge of the photograph, but it is in Sagittarius, and is about 30,000 light years distant. Almost all the nebulosity here is starlight, reflected from minute grains of dust, some of which gather into darker condensations ('molecular clouds'), blotting out the background stars. Fainter features can be seen here. Shiny NGC 6726 - 27 near middle of image contains both a visual binary and a variable star. Othe

Southern Crown Nebula - The CRA reflection nebula - R Coronae Australis is a region of star formations visible in the southern hemisphere. It is located about 500 light years away from Earth. On the right, the globular cluster NGC 6723, located 30 000 light years from Earth in Sagittarius. Image made with the 1.2m Telescope of Schmidt UK from Siding Spring. Corona Australis (the southern crown, CRA) is in the far southern sky but visible from the southern states of the USA. The constellation is small but distinctive. The conspicuous globular cluster NGC 6723 is at the western (right) edge of the photograph, but it is in Sagittarius, and is about 30,000 light years distant. Almost all the nebulosity here is starlight, reflected from minute grains of dust, some of which gather into darker condensations ('molecular clouds'), blotting out the background stars. Fainter features can be seen here. Shiny NGC 6726 - 27 near middle of image contains both a visual binary and a variable star. Othe

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Cometary blood cell CG4 in the stern - CG4, a cometary blood cell in Puppis - Cometary blood cells are small clouds of isolated gases. The latter, called CG4, is located about 1300 light years ago in the constellation of Pupus. Its head is 1.5 years light and its tail extends for 8 years. This cloud is a star-forming region. A spiral galaxy seen by the slice (ESO 257 - 19) is visible at the top left. It is located 100 million years later. The odd looking “” creature”” to the right of center in the above photo is a gas cloud known as a cometary globule.This globule, however, has ruptured. Cometary globules are typically characterized by dusty heads and elongated tails. These features cause cometary globules to have visual similarities to comets, but in reality they are very much different. Cometary globules are frequently the birthplaces of stars, and many show very young stars in their heads. The reason for the rupture in the head of this object is not completely known. The galaxy to t

Cometary blood cell CG4 in the stern - CG4, a cometary blood cell in Puppis - Cometary blood cells are small clouds of isolated gases. The latter, called CG4, is located about 1300 light years ago in the constellation of Pupus. Its head is 1.5 years light and its tail extends for 8 years. This cloud is a star-forming region. A spiral galaxy seen by the slice (ESO 257 - 19) is visible at the top left. It is located 100 million years later. The odd looking “” creature”” to the right of center in the above photo is a gas cloud known as a cometary globule.This globule, however, has ruptured. Cometary globules are typically characterized by dusty heads and elongated tails. These features cause cometary globules to have visual similarities to comets, but in reality they are very much different. Cometary globules are frequently the birthplaces of stars, and many show very young stars in their heads. The reason for the rupture in the head of this object is not completely known. The galaxy to t

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Circumpolar - hemisphere sud - Star trails around the south celestial pole - 10h30 photographic installation on 400 ISO film around the south celeste pole. Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope dome in the foreground. By pointing a camera towards the south (or to the north in the northern hemisphere) at night, we can record the paths of stars which never set. They appear to circle the apparent position of the Earth's axis of rotation projected on the sky. The elevation of this position above the local horizon indicates our local geographical latitude, about 30 degrees south at Siding Spring. The angle swept out by the arcs is an indication of the exposure time, which was about 10.5 hours on 400 ISO colour film. This kind of exposure is only possible from an extremely dark site

Circumpolar - hemisphere sud - Star trails around the south celestial pole - 10h30 photographic installation on 400 ISO film around the south celeste pole. Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope dome in the foreground. By pointing a camera towards the south (or to the north in the northern hemisphere) at night, we can record the paths of stars which never set. They appear to circle the apparent position of the Earth's axis of rotation projected on the sky. The elevation of this position above the local horizon indicates our local geographical latitude, about 30 degrees south at Siding Spring. The angle swept out by the arcs is an indication of the exposure time, which was about 10.5 hours on 400 ISO colour film. This kind of exposure is only possible from an extremely dark site

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Supernova 1987A - Supernova 1987A - Image of the Supernova 1987A, obtained on March 8, 1987 with the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring. Supernova 1987A appeared in the constellation Doradus on February 23, 1987. Sometime during 23 February 1987 a supernova exploded in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a nearby galaxy. However, the LMC is about 170,000 light years distant, so the supernova exploded 170,000 years ago. It was discovered the following day and brightened rapidly to become the first supernova to be easily visible to the unaided eye for almost 400 years. This photograph shows the field around the site of the supernova in great detail about 10 days afterwards, when it was still brightening

Supernova 1987A - Supernova 1987A - Image of the Supernova 1987A, obtained on March 8, 1987 with the 3.9m telescope of Siding Spring. Supernova 1987A appeared in the constellation Doradus on February 23, 1987. Sometime during 23 February 1987 a supernova exploded in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a nearby galaxy. However, the LMC is about 170,000 light years distant, so the supernova exploded 170,000 years ago. It was discovered the following day and brightened rapidly to become the first supernova to be easily visible to the unaided eye for almost 400 years. This photograph shows the field around the site of the supernova in great detail about 10 days afterwards, when it was still brightening

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Tarantula nebula before the appearance of supernova 1987A - The Tarantula Nebula, before supernova SN1987A - Tarantula Nebula photographed in 1984. Image obtained with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Supernova 1987A appeared in the constellation Doradus on February 23, 1987. By great good fortune, the star (Sanduleak - 69* 202) which exploded as the supernova, had been observed some years previously and was found to be a typical young, bluish star, much hotter and brighter than stars like the Sun. There are many similar stars in this part of the LMC which is dominated by the spectacular red cloud of the Tarantula Nebula. It in such nebulae that stars are formed, often in compact groups such as those scattered across this photograph, which was taken in 1984

Tarantula nebula before the appearance of supernova 1987A - The Tarantula Nebula, before supernova SN1987A - Tarantula Nebula photographed in 1984. Image obtained with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Supernova 1987A appeared in the constellation Doradus on February 23, 1987. By great good fortune, the star (Sanduleak - 69* 202) which exploded as the supernova, had been observed some years previously and was found to be a typical young, bluish star, much hotter and brighter than stars like the Sun. There are many similar stars in this part of the LMC which is dominated by the spectacular red cloud of the Tarantula Nebula. It in such nebulae that stars are formed, often in compact groups such as those scattered across this photograph, which was taken in 1984

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Globular cluster NGC 6723 in Sagittarius - Globular cluster NGC 6723 in Sagittarius - This cluster of stars is located about 30,000 years ago - light from Earth

Globular cluster NGC 6723 in Sagittarius - Globular cluster NGC 6723 in Sagittarius - This cluster of stars is located about 30,000 years ago - light from Earth

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The cluster of galaxies in Fornax - The cluster of galaxies in Fornax - clusters of galaxies situated about 55 million years ago - light. In the center of the image is the barree spiral galaxy NGC 1365; at the bottom right of the image, the interaction galaxy NGC 1316 - 17 (Fornax A), which is one of the strongest known radiosource. Galaxies can be separated by their appearance into two broad groups, spirals and ellipticals. An example of a spiral galaxy, NGC 1365, is seen in center of this picture. In contrast, most of the galaxies in this cluster are ellipticals, which contain little or no gas or evidence of star formation; indeed they are composed millions of rather old, yellowish stars. Unlike many of the stars in spiral systems, those in ellipticals have orbits which are not confined to a narrow plane, so the galaxy can have a shape anywhere between a perfect sphere and an American football. This kind of galaxy is the most common type in the photograph as it is in all of the nearb

The cluster of galaxies in Fornax - The cluster of galaxies in Fornax - clusters of galaxies situated about 55 million years ago - light. In the center of the image is the barree spiral galaxy NGC 1365; at the bottom right of the image, the interaction galaxy NGC 1316 - 17 (Fornax A), which is one of the strongest known radiosource. Galaxies can be separated by their appearance into two broad groups, spirals and ellipticals. An example of a spiral galaxy, NGC 1365, is seen in center of this picture. In contrast, most of the galaxies in this cluster are ellipticals, which contain little or no gas or evidence of star formation; indeed they are composed millions of rather old, yellowish stars. Unlike many of the stars in spiral systems, those in ellipticals have orbits which are not confined to a narrow plane, so the galaxy can have a shape anywhere between a perfect sphere and an American football. This kind of galaxy is the most common type in the photograph as it is in all of the nearb

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Comete of Halley - Halley's comet - View on April 10, 1986

Comete of Halley - Halley's comet - View on April 10, 1986

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Halley Comete - Halley's Comet on December 9, 1985 - Halley Comete December 9, 1985

Halley Comete - Halley's Comet on December 9, 1985 - Halley Comete December 9, 1985

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Open Cluster of Pleiades - The Pleiades star cluster - The Pleiades cluster is a cluster of about 500 young stars nees 150 million years ago. Visible in the constellation Taurus, this cluster is 440 years from the Earth. The Pleiades are one of the finest and nearest examples of a reflection nebula associated with a cluster of young stars. The cluster itself is a group of many hundreds of stars about 400 light years from Earth in the northern constellation of Taurus and has been recognised since ancient times. Seven of the brightest stars are quite easy to see with the unaided eye and bear the names of the Seven Sisters, the daughters of Atlas. The nebulosity seen here is light reflected from the particles in a cloud of cold gas and dust into which the cluster has drifted. It appears blue because these tiny interstellar particles scatter blue light more efficiently than the longer wavelengths of red light and it is streaky because of the distribution of dust particles in space

Open Cluster of Pleiades - The Pleiades star cluster - The Pleiades cluster is a cluster of about 500 young stars nees 150 million years ago. Visible in the constellation Taurus, this cluster is 440 years from the Earth. The Pleiades are one of the finest and nearest examples of a reflection nebula associated with a cluster of young stars. The cluster itself is a group of many hundreds of stars about 400 light years from Earth in the northern constellation of Taurus and has been recognised since ancient times. Seven of the brightest stars are quite easy to see with the unaided eye and bear the names of the Seven Sisters, the daughters of Atlas. The nebulosity seen here is light reflected from the particles in a cloud of cold gas and dust into which the cluster has drifted. It appears blue because these tiny interstellar particles scatter blue light more efficiently than the longer wavelengths of red light and it is streaky because of the distribution of dust particles in space

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Open Cluster of Pleiades - The Pleiades star cluster - The Pleiades cluster is a cluster of about 500 young stars nees 150 million years ago. Visible in the constellation Taurus, this cluster is 440 years from the Earth. The Pleiades are one of the finest and nearest examples of a reflection nebula associated with a cluster of young stars. The cluster itself is a group of many hundreds of stars about 400 light years from Earth in the northern constellation of Taurus and has been recognised since ancient times. Seven of the brightest stars are quite easy to see with the unaided eye and bear the names of the Seven Sisters, the daughters of Atlas. The nebulosity seen here is light reflected from the particles in a cloud of cold gas and dust into which the cluster has drifted. It appears blue because these tiny interstellar particles scatter blue light more efficiently than the longer wavelengths of red light and it is streaky because of the distribution of dust particles in space

Open Cluster of Pleiades - The Pleiades star cluster - The Pleiades cluster is a cluster of about 500 young stars nees 150 million years ago. Visible in the constellation Taurus, this cluster is 440 years from the Earth. The Pleiades are one of the finest and nearest examples of a reflection nebula associated with a cluster of young stars. The cluster itself is a group of many hundreds of stars about 400 light years from Earth in the northern constellation of Taurus and has been recognised since ancient times. Seven of the brightest stars are quite easy to see with the unaided eye and bear the names of the Seven Sisters, the daughters of Atlas. The nebulosity seen here is light reflected from the particles in a cloud of cold gas and dust into which the cluster has drifted. It appears blue because these tiny interstellar particles scatter blue light more efficiently than the longer wavelengths of red light and it is streaky because of the distribution of dust particles in space

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Open cluster Trumpler 5 in Unicorn - Open cluster Trumpler 5 in Monoceros - Trumpler 5 is a cluster of stars aged 125 million years. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope As they age, open clusters of stars begin to lose their identity. This is partly because the brighter members tend to self - destruct as supernovae, and, though the group members share a common motion through space, they are only loosely bound. Thus stars drift away from the cluster in a process that accelerates with time. However, some clusters are big enough to retain their identity much longer than usual, and Trumpler 5 is one such. Its age is estimated to be 125 million years, and it must have been a spectacular sight in its youth. It seems to be at the edge of the Monoceros molecular cloud, where star formation is continuing new generations of young clusters

Open cluster Trumpler 5 in Unicorn - Open cluster Trumpler 5 in Monoceros - Trumpler 5 is a cluster of stars aged 125 million years. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope As they age, open clusters of stars begin to lose their identity. This is partly because the brighter members tend to self - destruct as supernovae, and, though the group members share a common motion through space, they are only loosely bound. Thus stars drift away from the cluster in a process that accelerates with time. However, some clusters are big enough to retain their identity much longer than usual, and Trumpler 5 is one such. Its age is estimated to be 125 million years, and it must have been a spectacular sight in its youth. It seems to be at the edge of the Monoceros molecular cloud, where star formation is continuing new generations of young clusters

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