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Collection:
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Artist's Impression of Massive Star Cluster
Title
Artist's Impression of Massive Star Cluster
Title
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Description:
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This is an illustration of one of the most massive star clusters within our Milky Way Galaxy. The cluster is ablaze with the glow of 14 rare red supergiant stars. Interspersed among the supergiants are young blue stars. The cluster contains an estimated 20,000 stars and is 20 times more massive than typical clusters in our galaxy.
The cluster is located in the direction of the Galaxy's center. Its visible light is obscured by interstellar dust, but infrared telescopes easily detect the cluster's glow. If it could be seen in visible light, it would resemble this illustration. In this perspective we are looking back across the Milky Way, in the direction of the Sun, 18,900 light-years away.
The cluster is only 8 to 10 million years old, young enough for astronomers to see most of the red supergiants before they explode as supernovae. One supernova remnant is located in the cluster at far left.
In the background at the 12:00 position is a distant region of stars called W 42.
Description
This is an illustration of one of the most massive star clusters within our Milky Way Galaxy. The cluster is ablaze with the glow of 14 rare red supergiant stars. Interspersed among the supergiants are young blue stars. The cluster contains an estimated 20,000 stars and is 20 times more massive than typical clusters in our galaxy.
The cluster is located in the direction of the Galaxy's center. Its visible light is obscured by interstellar dust, but infrared telescopes easily detect the cluster's glow. If it could be seen in visible light, it would resemble this illustration. In this perspective we are looking back across the Milky Way, in the direction of the Sun, 18,900 light-years away.
The cluster is only 8 to 10 million years old, young enough for astronomers to see most of the red supergiants before they explode as supernovae. One supernova remnant is located in the cluster at far left.
In the background at the 12:00 position is a distant region of stars called W 42.
Description
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Press Release:
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Press_Release
Press Release
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Release Credit:
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NASA, ESA and A. Schaller (for STScI)
Release_Credit
NASA, ESA and A. Schaller (for STScI)
Release Credit
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Related links:
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Related_links
Related links
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facet_what:
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Visible Light
facet_what
Visible Light
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where
Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where
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Image #:
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ssc2006-03b
Image_#
ssc2006-03b
Image #
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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UID:
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SPD-SPITZ-ssc2006-03 b
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2006-03 b
UID
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