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Collection:
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NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Nursery of New Stars
Title
Nursery of New Stars
Title
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Full Description:
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This is a Hubble Space Telescope image (right) of a vast nebula called NGC 604, which lies in the neighboring spiral galaxy M33, located 2.7 million light-years away in the constellation Triangulum. This is a site where new stars are being born in a spiral arm of the galaxy. Though such nebulae are common in galaxies, this one is particularly large, nearly 1,500 light-years across. The nebula is so vast it is easily seen in ground-based telescopic images (left). At the heart of NGC 604 are over 200 hot stars, much more massive than our Sun (15 to 60 solar masses). They heat the gaseous walls of the nebula making the gas fluoresce. Their light also highlights the nebula's three-dimensional shape, like a lantern in a cavern. By studying the physical structure of a giant nebula, astronomers may determine how clusters of massive stars affect the evolution of the interstellar medium of the galaxy. The nebula also yields clues to its star formation history and will improve understanding of the starburst process when a galaxy undergoes a "firestorm" of star formation. The image was taken on January 17, 1995 with Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2. Separate exposures were taken in different colors of light to study the physical properties of the hot gas (17,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 10,000 degrees Kelvin
Full_Description
This is a Hubble Space Telescope image (right) of a vast nebula called NGC 604, which lies in the neighboring spiral galaxy M33, located 2.7 million light-years away in the constellation Triangulum. This is a site where new stars are being born in a spiral arm of the galaxy. Though such nebulae are common in galaxies, this one is particularly large, nearly 1,500 light-years across. The nebula is so vast it is easily seen in ground-based telescopic images (left). At the heart of NGC 604 are over 200 hot stars, much more massive than our Sun (15 to 60 solar masses). They heat the gaseous walls of the nebula making the gas fluoresce. Their light also highlights the nebula's three-dimensional shape, like a lantern in a cavern. By studying the physical structure of a giant nebula, astronomers may determine how clusters of massive stars affect the evolution of the interstellar medium of the galaxy. The nebula also yields clues to its star formation history and will improve understanding of the starburst process when a galaxy undergoes a "firestorm" of star formation. The image was taken on January 17, 1995 with Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2. Separate exposures were taken in different colors of light to study the physical properties of the hot gas (17,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 10,000 degrees Kelvin
Full Description
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Date:
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01/17/1995
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NASA Center:
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Hubble Space Telescope Center
NASA_Center
Hubble Space Telescope Center
NASA Center
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Subject Category:
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Deep Space Studies
Subject_Category
Deep Space Studies
Subject Category
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Subject Category:
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Hubble
Subject_Category
Hubble
Subject Category
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Keywords:
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Space
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Keywords:
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Field
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Keywords:
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Camera
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Keywords:
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Telescope
Keywords
Telescope
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Wide
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Keywords:
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Planetary
Keywords
Planetary
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Hubble
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Keywords:
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HST
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Keywords:
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Nebula
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Keywords:
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WFPC
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Keywords:
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Spiral
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Keywords:
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NGC
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Keywords:
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Galaxy
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Keywords:
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604
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Keywords:
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Triangulum
Keywords
Triangulum
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Stellar
Keywords
Stellar
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Nursery
Keywords
Nursery
Keywords
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Audience:
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General Public
Audience
General Public
Audience
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facet_what:
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Camera 2
facet_what
Camera 2
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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Triangulum
facet_what
Triangulum
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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Illinois
facet_where
Illinois
facet_where
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facet_where:
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M33
facet_where
M33
facet_where
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facet_when:
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January 17, 1995
facet_when
January 17, 1995
facet_when
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facet_when:
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01-17-1995
facet_when
01-17-1995
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1995
facet_when_year
1995
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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PR96-27B
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original_url:
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original_url
original_url
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UID:
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SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0972
UID
SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0972
UID
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Center:
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HSTI
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Center Number:
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PR96-27B
Center_Number
PR96-27B
Center Number
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GRIN DataBase Number:
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GPN-2000-000972
GRIN_DataBase_Number
GPN-2000-000972
GRIN DataBase Number
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Creator-Photographer:
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NASA, Hui Yang University of Illinois ODNursery of New Stars
Creator-Photographer
NASA, Hui Yang University of Illinois ODNursery of New Stars
Creator-Photographer
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Original Source:
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DIGITAL
Original_Source
DIGITAL
Original Source
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