Astronomy Picture of the Day-NGC 6357: Cathedral to Massive Stars

APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 30 Aug, 2020 | Image Credit: NASA, ESA and Jesús Maíz Apellániz (IAA, Spain)

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: How massive can a normal star be? Estimates made from distance, brightness and standard solar models had given one star in the open cluster Pismis 24 over 200 times the mass of our Sun, making it one of the most massive stars known. This star is the brightest object located just above the gas front in the featured image. Close inspection of images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, however, have shown that Pismis 24-1 derives its brilliant luminosity not from a single star but from three at least. Component stars would still remain near 100 solar masses, making them among the more massive stars currently on record. Toward the bottom of the image, stars are still forming in the associated emission nebula NGC 6357. Appearing perhaps like a Gothic cathedral, energetic stars near the center appear to be breaking out and illuminating a spectacular cocoon.

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then zoom bu moving the magnifying glass over an area and then clicking. The side bars will move the zoomed area over the photograph.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list

[umgud]

Just WOW.

[doorgunner69]

How far apart are those big suckers? Image makes them appear close, an illusion I am sure.

[b4me]

Amazing Indeed!!!!! :)

[MtnClimber]

Since they are in an open cluster and are not binary stars I would guess that they are several light years apart.

[beethovenfan]

The heavens declare the glory of God.....

[Candor7]

Unbelievebly gorgeous. Must be on the way to Far Barsoom?

[metmom]

Incredible.

[WildHighlander57]

beethovenfan wrote:

“The heavens declare the glory of God.....”

Psalm 19...

[Robert DeLong]

At the bottom of the picture, is that a guy in a KKK hood? Must be a Democrat. 8>)

[Ciexyz]

💕💕💕

[left that other site]

Awesome! :-)

[AFB-XYZ]

I just don’t get it. How can anyone looking at that picture doubt the existence of God?

[cymbeline]

“How far apart are those big suckers?”

You’re probably not asking what I’m thinking. What I’m thinking is what’s the scale of the image in minutes or degrees of arc. I couldn’t find that.

[curious7]

This description gives the distance. Also describes the width in light years though it’s not exactly the same picture (same nebula).

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081009.html

[MtnClimber]

So roughly 50 light years wide for the image at a distance of 8000 light years.

[minnesota_bound]

Why such a massive star?
It is all that high fructose star syrup it is consuming....

[MtnClimber]

Too many double cheeseburgers.