Skip Navigation
menu close modal
Resources

Star-forming Nebula (Version One, Purple)

A large, amorphous blob in a subtle tear drop shape has layers of transparent, hazy color overlapping, starting with a small blue haze around the edge and moving inward to a dark purple, a redder purple, and then a brighter purple. While white dots representing stars speckle the whole image, in the center of this shape is a bright white oval cloud with more pronounced and larger stars grouped together.
Credit: NASA
Published: December 19, 2022

An illustration of a pink and purple star-forming nebula. The colors depicted in this illustration are for artistic purposes only.

ENLARGE

Explore the Universe

Related

An illustration showing an edge-on view of a black hole.
More
A graphic shows a central black circle outlined in white. This circle is surrounded by a black ring which is surrounded by a light blue ring which then fades outward into bright and then dark and diffuse purple. Across the middle of the image is a light blue line that gives the appearance of a ring around the circular object.
Black Hole (Side View)
An illustration of the HaloSat spacecraft.
More
This HaloSat illustration shows the space telescope in shades of blue. The body of the spacecraft is a rectangle with three circles along the long, narrow side. One solar panel extends from the spacecraft body.
HaloSat
An illustration of NASA’s WMAP spacecraft.
More
This illustration shows NASA’s WMAP spacecraft in shades of blues. The bottom of the satellite is a round circle, like a ballerina’s tutu. Rising from the circle is a bulky, vaguely cylindrical shape topped by two circles facing opposite directions.
WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe)
An illustration showing an irregular galaxy.
More
An amorphous, diffuse purple blob that's darker around the rim with a light, whitish center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Irregular Galaxy (Version One)
An illustration of NASA's ASTHROS spacecraft.
More
A graphic of ASTHROS is shown in light and dark shades of blue and has a main cage-like body with large, rectangular panels stemming from its sides, small square panels on its lower half, and a thin structure protruding from the top. (This structure will attach to a large balloon). A telescope protrudes from the back of the structure.
ASTHROS (Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution)
An illustration of NASA's RXTE satellite.
More
This illustration shows NASA's RXTE satellite in shades of blue. The satellite's main body is shaped like a rectangular box with two solar array "wings," one on either side.
RXTE (Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer)
An illustration of NASA's SOFIA, a modified Boeing 747 aircraft.
More
This illustration shows NASA's SOFIA in shades of blue. SOFIA is a modified Boeing 747SP aircraft, and so it is shaped like a commercial airplane, with the NASA and German Aerospace Center (DLR) logos on its tail.
SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy)
An illustration of NASA’s BurstCube spacecraft.
More
A graphic of BurstCube is shown in light and dark shades of blue. The satellite’s body is rectangular, with the long side facing the viewer. Solar panels are attached to the short, left-hand side.
BurstCube
An illustration of NASA's GALEX spacecraft.
More
GALEX is illustrated in multiple shades of blue. The spacecraft body is made up of a hexagonal object topped by a cylindrical object. Solar panels extend to either side.
GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Explorer)
An illustration of NASA's COBE spacecraft.
More
COBE is illustrated in light and dark blues. With two wings made up of three rectangular solar arrays each, the spacecraft's main body is made up of a striped, multi-sided cylinder with an attached cone-shaped structure on top.
COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer)
An illustration of ESA's Planck spacecraft.
More
This illustration shows ESA's Planck spacecraft in shades of blue. The craft has a circular base topped by a short instrument with an open top and instrument pieces visible inside.
Planck
An illustration of a quasar.
More
A graphic shows a tilted disc in the center. A dark, diffuse purple ring lines its outer edge. The dark purple fades inward to a bright purple, light blue, and then lighter until it reaches the center where there is a black spot. From both the top and bottom of the disk's center, an icy light blue beam shoots out.
Quasar
An illustration of a planetary nebula.
More
A subtly transparent, colorful hourglass shape has a central point that is a white circle surrounded by bright, white haze. Extending outward from the center in opposite directions are plums of color that form the hourglass shape. The central part of each plume starts as an icy, light blue and fades upward into a purple color and outward into red. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Planetary Nebula (Version Two, Purple)
An illustration showing a blue, side view of a barred spiral galaxy.
More
An illustration has an elongated oval in light blue stretching across the center, outlined in a darker blue. Behind the strip is a diffuse, very light blue cloud that fades into a light blue and then a darker blue. All over the image are white speckles, representing stars.
Barred Spiral Galaxy (Side View, Blue)
An illustration of the ASCA spacecraft, developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in Japan.
More
A graphic of ASCA is shown in light and dark shades of blue. The body of the spacecraft is bottle shaped, and an array of solar panels crosses on top of the widest part.
ASCA (Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics)
An illustration of NASA's SuperTIGER instrument.
More
This illustration shows NASA's SuperTIGER instrument in shades of blue. This balloon-borne instrument has a main, box-shaped body on top of a structure that has panels attached to the bottom and a piece of the structure that extends outward on one side of the box-shaped instrument body.
SuperTIGER (Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder)
An illustration of the EXCLAIM instrument.
More
An illustration in multiple shades of blue depicting EXCLAIM. The instrument is made up of a hollow cylindrical object next to a rectangular object. The whole instrument sits within a framework that extends upwards to a point, where it will attach to a balloon.
EXCLAIM (Experiment for Cryogenic Large-Aperture Intensity Mapping)
An illustration of a blue spiral galaxy.
More
A hazy range of blues with darker blue around the edge makes up the base of this swirling spiral of white lines twirling inward toward a white cloud with a white spot in the center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Spiral Galaxy (Blue)
An illustration showing an irregular galaxy.
More
An amorphous, bean-shaped diffuse purple blob that's darker around the rim with a light, whitish center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Irregular Galaxy (Version Three)
An illustration of JAXA’s XRISM spacecraft.
More
This illustration shows NASA's XRISM spacecraft in shades of blue. A multi-sided cylindrical body has solar array "wings" on either side and a smaller, rounded cylindrical front with small pieces of the instrument at the very front.
XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission)
An illustration of an orange elliptical galaxy.
More
A diffuse oval is outlined by dark orange but gets progressively lighter in rings towards the center, a bright white spot surrounded by a small ring of white haze. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Elliptical Galaxy (Orange)
A vertical oval illustration of a supernova.
More
A large vertically-oriented oval shape with rounded waves around the edge, this graphic has a flower-like appearance. Smaller transparent circles with the same wavy edge are layered inward to create an inner starburst shape. The outer rings are a very light green color and they move inward into different light blue colors and finally to a center starburst shape that is a dark blue. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Supernova (Green)
An illustration showing a blue, front view of a barred spiral galaxy.
More
A background of medium, bright blue shows a bright, white, thin line that creates an oblong, elongated swirl that connects in the middle with a lighter blue, diffuse cloud. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Barred Spiral Galaxy (Front View, Blue)
An illustration showing the side of a blue spiral galaxy.
More
A horizontal oval is outlined by diffused, dark blue surrounding a brighter blue which fades to be lighter and brighter as it moves inward. The center of the shape is a hazy white circle. Cutting across the center of the image is a flattened disc outlined in dark blue with a light blue center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Spiral Galaxy (Side View, Blue)
 An illustration of ESA's Euclid spacecraft.
More
An illustration in multiple shades of blue depicting Euclid. The spacecraft has a cylindrical body with an open top and a flat, square base as well as a flat panel along its back.
Euclid

Explore the Universe

Related News

A snapshot of the Tarantula Nebula is featured in this image from Hubble.
More
Hubble's New View of the Tarantula Nebula
Hubble's New View of the Tarantula Nebula
Scientists discovered the first gamma-ray eclipses from a special type of binary star system using data from NASA’s Fermi.
More
NASA's Fermi Detects First Gamma-Ray Eclipses From ‘Spider' Star Systems
NASA's Fermi Detects First Gamma-Ray Eclipses From ‘Spider' Star Systems
NGC 346, one of the most dynamic star-forming regions in nearby galaxies, is full of mystery. Less so, now, with new findings from NASA’s Webb.
More
NASA's Webb Uncovers Star Formation in Cluster's Dusty Ribbons
NASA's Webb Uncovers Star Formation in Cluster's Dusty Ribbons
The largest and brightest region of star formation in the Local Group of galaxies, imaged here by Chandra and Webb, is called 30 Doradus.
More
The Enduring Stellar Lifecycle in 30 Doradus
The Enduring Stellar Lifecycle in 30 Doradus
There’s more to constellations than meets the eye? They tell us stories about the universe from our perspective on Earth.
More
Discovering the Universe Through the Constellation Orion
Discovering the Universe Through the Constellation Orion
A portion of the open cluster NGC 6530 appears as a roiling wall of smoke studded with stars in this Hubble image.
More
Hubble Views a Star-Studded Cosmic Cloud
Hubble Views a Star-Studded Cosmic Cloud
Scientists studying the Carina Nebula discovered jets and outflows from young stars previously hidden by dust.
More
NASA's Webb Unveils Young Stars in Early Stages of Formation
NASA's Webb Unveils Young Stars in Early Stages of Formation
This sparkling new image depicts a small section of the Carina Nebula, one of the NASA Hubble Space Telescope’s most-imaged objects.
More
Hubble's Sparkling New View of the Carina Nebula
Hubble's Sparkling New View of the Carina Nebula
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured new views of the Southern Ring Nebula.
More
NASA's Webb Indicates Several Stars ‘Stirred Up' Southern Ring Nebula
NASA's Webb Indicates Several Stars ‘Stirred Up' Southern Ring Nebula
This image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope shows the open star cluster NGC 2002 in all its sparkling glory.
More
Hubble Observes an Outstanding Open Cluster
Hubble Observes an Outstanding Open Cluster
This collection of stars, an open star cluster called NGC 1858, was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
More
Hubble Spies Emission Nebula-Star Cluster Duo
Hubble Spies Emission Nebula-Star Cluster Duo
A new studying using data from NASA's retired Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed new information about newborn stars.
More
Baby Star 'Burps' Tell Tales of Frantic Feeding, NASA Data Shows
Baby Star 'Burps' Tell Tales of Frantic Feeding, NASA Data Shows
A new image combining previously released data from three telescopes shows a region that includes the Orion Nebula.
More
NASA, ESA Reveal Tale of Death, Dust in Orion Constellation
NASA, ESA Reveal Tale of Death, Dust in Orion Constellation
A small, dense cloud of gas and dust called CB 130-3 blots out the center of this image from Hubble.
More
Hubble Views a Billowing Cosmic Cloud
Hubble Views a Billowing Cosmic Cloud
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed features of the protostar within the dark cloud L1527.
More
NASA's Webb Catches Fiery Hourglass as New Star Forms
NASA's Webb Catches Fiery Hourglass as New Star Forms
Three different moments in a far-off supernova explosion were captured in a single snapshot by NASA’s Hubble telescope.
More
Hubble Captures 3 Faces of Evolving Supernova in Early Universe
Hubble Captures 3 Faces of Evolving Supernova in Early Universe
Planets can force their host stars to act younger than their age, according to data from NASA's Chandra.
More
NASA's Chandra: Planets Can Be Anti-Aging Formula for Stars
NASA's Chandra: Planets Can Be Anti-Aging Formula for Stars
NASA’s IXPE has delivered its first imaging data since completing its month-long commissioning phase.
More
NASA's IXPE Sends First Science Image
NASA's IXPE Sends First Science Image
NASA’s newest X-ray eyes are open and ready for discovery.
More
NASA's New IXPE Mission Begins Science Operations
NASA's New IXPE Mission Begins Science Operations
NASA’s IXPE mission launched Thursday, December 9, 2021, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
More
NASA Launches New Mission to Explore Universe's Most Dramatic Objects
NASA Launches New Mission to Explore Universe's Most Dramatic Objects
We can agree that nebulae are some of the most majestic-looking objects in the universe. But what are they exactly?
More
Decoding Nebulae
Decoding Nebulae
NASA SOFIA data from nebula RCW 120 provided clues about how stars and galaxies formed in the early universe.
More
Surprisingly Young Nebula Hints at Formation of Stars in the Early Universe
Surprisingly Young Nebula Hints at Formation of Stars in the Early Universe
SPHEREx officially entered Phase C, which means the agency has approved preliminary design plans for the observatory.
More
A New NASA Space Telescope, SPHEREx, Is Moving Ahead
A New NASA Space Telescope, SPHEREx, Is Moving Ahead
If you’re really looking for a dramatic story, you might want to redirect your attention from Hollywood’s stars to the real thing.
More
The Lives, Times, and Deaths of Stars
The Lives, Times, and Deaths of Stars
Since its launch, NASA’s Spitzer has lifted the veil on the wonders of the cosmos using infrared light.
More
Sixteen Images for Spitzer's Sweet 16
Sixteen Images for Spitzer's Sweet 16