Sunday, September 16, 2018

Star-Forming Region Sharpless 29

Star-Forming Region Sharpless 29
Click on the image for higher resolution (7.4 MB)

This image from the OmegaCAM imager on ESO's VLT Survey Telescope captures a glittering view of the stellar nursery called Sharpless 29. The region of sky pictured is listed in the Sharpless catalogue of H II regions: interstellar clouds of ionised gas, rife with star formation. Also known as Sh 2-29, Sharpless 29 is located about 5500 light-years away in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer), next door to the larger Lagoon Nebula. It contains many astronomical wonders, including the highly active star formation site of NGC 6559, the nebula at the center of the image. Many astronomical phenomena can be seen in this image, including cosmic dust and gas clouds that reflect, absorb, and re-emit the light of hot young stars within the nebula.
Image Credit: ESO
Image enhancement: Jean-Baptiste Faure

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