Starburst cluster shows celestial fireworks
Thursday, July 8, 2010 - 20:35
in Astronomy & Space
Like a fireworks display, a young, glittering collection of stars looks like an aerial burst. The cluster is surrounded by clouds of interstellar gas and dust -- the raw material for new star formation. The nebula, located 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Carina, contains a central cluster of huge, hot stars, called NGC 3603.