Wide-field view of NGC 2014 and NGC 2020 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (Ground-based Image)
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Hubblecast 129: Hubble’s Collection of Anniversary Images
Zooming Into the Cosmic Reef
Pan Across the Cosmic Reef
Cosmic Reef for Fulldome
3D Animation of the Cosmic Reef
Hubble Space Telescope’s iconic images
and scientific breakthroughs have redefined our view of the Universe. To
commemorate three decades of scientific discoveries, this image is one
of the most photogenic examples of the many turbulent stellar nurseries
the telescope has observed during its 30-year lifetime. The portrait
features the giant nebula NGC 2014 and its neighbour NGC 2020 which
together form part of a vast star-forming region in the Large Magellanic
Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, approximately 163 000
light-years away. The image is nicknamed the “Cosmic Reef” because it
resembles an undersea world.
On 24 April 1990 the Hubble Space Telescope was launched aboard the space shuttle Discovery,
along with a five-astronaut crew. Deployed into low-Earth orbit a day
later, the telescope has since opened a new eye onto the cosmos that has
been transformative for our civilization.
Hubble is revolutionising modern astronomy not only for
astronomers, but also by taking the public on a wondrous journey of
exploration and discovery. Hubble’s seemingly never-ending, breathtaking
celestial snapshots provide a visual shorthand for its exemplary
scientific achievements. Unlike any other telescope before it, Hubble
has made astronomy relevant, engaging, and accessible for people of all
ages. The mission has yielded to date 1.4 million observations and
provided data that astronomers around the world have used to write more
than 17 000 peer-reviewed scientific publications, making it one of the
most prolific space observatories in history. Its rich data archive
alone will fuel future astronomy research for generations to come.
Each year, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope dedicates a
small portion of its precious observing time to taking a special
anniversary image, showcasing particularly beautiful and meaningful
objects. These images continue to challenge scientists with exciting new
surprises and to fascinate the public with ever more evocative
observations.
This year, Hubble is celebrating this new milestone with a
portrait of two colourful nebulae that reveals how energetic, massive
stars sculpt their homes of gas and dust. Although NGC 2014 and NGC 2020
appear to be separate in this visible-light image, they are actually
part of one giant star formation complex. The star-forming regions seen
here are dominated by the glow of stars at least 10 times more massive
than our Sun. These stars have short lives of only a few million years,
compared to the 10-billion-year lifetime of our Sun.
The sparkling centerpiece of NGC 2014 is a grouping of
bright, hefty stars near the centre of the image that has blown away its
cocoon of hydrogen gas (coloured red) and dust in which it was born. A
torrent of ultraviolet radiation from the star cluster is illuminating
the landscape around it. These massive stars also unleash fierce winds
that are eroding the gas cloud above and to the right of them. The gas
in these areas is less dense, making it easier for the stellar winds to
blast through them, creating bubble-like structures reminiscent of brain coral, that have earned the nebula the nickname the “Brain Coral.”
By contrast, the blue-coloured nebula below NGC 2014 has
been shaped by one mammoth star that is roughly 200 000 times more
luminous than our Sun. It is an example of a rare class of stars called Wolf-Rayet stars.
They are thought to be the descendants of the most massive stars.
Wolf-Rayet stars are very luminous and have a high rate of mass loss
through powerful winds. The star in the Hubble image is 15 times more
massive than the Sun and is unleashing powerful winds, which have
cleared out the area around it. It has ejected its outer layers of gas,
sweeping them around into a cone-like shape, and exposing its searing
hot core. The behemoth appears offset from the centre because the
telescope is viewing the cone from a slightly tilted angle. In a few
million years, the star might become a supernova. The brilliant blue
colour of the nebula comes from oxygen gas that is heated to roughly 11
000 degrees Celsius, which is much hotter than the hydrogen gas
surrounding it.
Stars, both big and small, are born when clouds of dust and
gas collapse because of gravity. As more and more material falls onto
the forming star, it finally becomes hot and dense enough at its centre
to trigger the nuclear fusion reactions that make stars, including our
Sun, shine. Massive stars make up only a few percent of the billions of
stars in our Universe. Yet they play a crucial role in shaping our
Universe, through stellar winds, supernova explosions, and the
production of heavy elements.
“The Hubble Space Telescope has shaped the imagination of truly a
whole generation, inspiring not only scientists, but almost everybody,”
said Günther Hasinger, Director of Science for the European Space Agency. “It is paramount for the excellent and long-lasting cooperation between NASA and ESA.”
More Information
More Information
- The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.
- This image was taken with the Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3.
- Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and STScI
Links
- Hubble 30th Anniversary Press Package
- Hubble30 Webpage
- Call for Happy Birthday Wishes: Make Hubble a Birthday Cake!
- Call for Artistic Creations: Let’s Say Thank-You to Hubble!
- HubbleSite release
- Link to Space Scoop
- Images of Hubble
Contact
Bethany Downer
ESA/Hubble, Public Information Officer
Garching, Germany
Source: ESA/Hubble/News
