NGC 346
Astronomers have been bemused to find young stars spiralling into the centre of a massive cluster of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The outer arm of the spiral in this huge, oddly shaped stellar nursery — called NGC 346 — may be feeding star formation in a river-like motion of gas and stars. This is an efficient way to fuel star birth, researchers say.
Credit:NASA, ESA, A. James (STScI)
About the Image
| Id: | heic2211a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 8 September 2022, 16:00 |
| Related releases: | heic2211 |
| Size: | 1614 x 1552 px |
About the Object
Wallpapers
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 0 59 9.41 |
| Position (Dec): | -72° 10' 36.31" |
| Field of view: | 3.31 x 3.18 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 88.9° left of vertical |
View in ESASky:
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical V | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Optical I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |