From NASA:Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photo of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
02 November 2002. NGC 604: Giant Stellar NurseryExplanation: Scattered within this cavernous nebula, cataloged as NGC 604, are over 200 newly formed hot, massive, stars. At 1,500 light-years across, this expansive cloud of interstellar gas and dust is effectively a giant stellar nursery located some three million light-years distant in the spiral galaxy, M33. The newborn stars irradiate the gas with energetic ultraviolet light stripping electrons from atoms and producing a characteristic nebular glow. The details of the nebula's structure hold clues to the mysteries of star formation and galaxy evolution.
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