Astronomy Picture of the Day -- NGC 602 and Beyond

NASA ^ | January 13, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Near the outskirts of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy some 200 thousand light-years distant, lies 5 million year young star cluster NGC 602. Surrounded by natal gas and dust, NGC 602 is featured in this stunning Hubble image of the region. Fantastic ridges and swept back shapes strongly suggest that energetic radiation and shock waves from NGC 602's massive young stars have eroded the dusty material and triggered a progression of star formation moving away from the cluster's center. At the estimated distance of the Small Magellanic Cloud, the picture spans about 200 light-years, but a tantalizing assortment of background galaxies are also visible in the sharp Hubble view. The background galaxies are hundreds of millions of light-years or more beyond NGC 602.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) -- ESA/Hubble Collaboration]

[SunkenCiv]

Nice!

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[left that other site]

Beautiful!
Thank You!
:-)

[blueunicorn6]

It’s a giant space oyster. Where are the crackers?

[null and void]

It’s a giant space oyster. Where are the crackers?

They are in Georgia...

[cripplecreek]

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

So bad....lol

[onyx]

Gorgeous!
Thanks so much, SunkenCiv.

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure, onyx.

[Shimmer1]

Hey! I resemble that remark!

[tanuki]

Great picture to end the Christmas season with!

[redhead]

All just an accident...