Star Factory W51

The nebula appears in shades of green, red, and yellow on a black starry background. The green swirls across the entire image with a large knot of red just to the right of center. Embedded in the green swirls are a few bright white and deep red spots that look like bubbles within the green clouds.
August 25, 2020
CreditNASA/JPL-Caltech
Historical DateAugust 25, 2020
Language
  • english

The star-forming nebula W51 is one of the largest "star factories" in the Milky Way galaxy. Interstellar dust blocks the visible light emitted by the region, but it is revealed in this image by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope which captures infrared light that can penetrate dust clouds.

More information: https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23865

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Star Factory W51

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