Hubble Gazes at Stars of the Large Magellanic Cloud
 |
| The Large Magellanic Cloud. Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA |
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the star cluster NGC 1854, a gathering of red, white and blue stars in the southern constellation of Dorado (The Dolphinfish). NGC 1854 is located about 135,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of our closest cosmic neighbors and a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.
The LMC is a hotbed of vigorous star formation. Rich in interstellar gas and dust, the galaxy is home to approximately 60 globular clusters and 700 open clusters. These clusters are frequently the subject of astronomical research, as the Large Magellanic Cloud and its little sister, the Small Magellanic Cloud, are the only systems known to contain clusters at all stages of evolution. Hubble is often used to study these clusters as its extremely high-resolution cameras can resolve individual stars, even at the clusters’ crowded cores, revealing their mass, size and degree of evolution.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, European Space Agency, ESO, Wikipedia
------------------------------------------------------------
El Hubble observa estrellas de la Gran Nube de Magallanes
Esta imagen del Telescopio Espacial de la NASA/ESA nos muestra el cumulo estelar NGC 1854, una reunión de estrellas, rojas blancas y azules en la constelación sureña de Dorado (el delfín). NGC 1854 está situado a unos 135.000 años luz en la Gran Nube de Magallanes (LMC), una de nuestros vecinos cósmicos más cercano y galaxia satélite de la Vía Láctea.
La LMC es un vigoroso semillero de formación estelar. Rico en gas interstelar y polvo, la galaxia es huésped de aproximadamente 60 cúmulos globulares y 700 cúmulos abiertos. Estos cúmulos son frecuentemente objeto de estudio, ya que tanto la Gran Nube de Magallanes como la Pequeña nube de Magallanes, son los únicos sistemas conocidos que albergan cúmulos en todas sus etapas de evolución. El Hubble se utiliza a menudo para estudiar estos cúmulos ya que su cámara de extremada alta resolución puede resolver estrellas individuales, incluso en los núcleos de los cúmulos, revelando sus masas, tamaños y grado de evolución.
Crédito: ESA/Hubble & NASA, European Space Agency, ESO, Wikipedia
 |
| This image shows the entire Large Magellanic Cloud, with some of the brightest objects marked. The field of the new MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope image is indicated with an outline. The field of view is about ten degrees across. Credit: Robert Gendler/ESO |
