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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Young Star Cluster NGC 346
NASA ^ | 2 May, 2025 | Science - NASA, ESA, CSA, Olivia C. Jones (UK ATC), Guido De Marchi (ESTEC), Margaret Meixner (USRA)

Posted on 05/02/2025 12:50:11 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: The most massive young star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud is NGC 346, embedded in our small satellite galaxy's largest star forming region some 210,000 light-years distant. Of course the massive stars of NGC 346 are short lived, but very energetic. Their winds and radiation sculpt the edges of the region's dusty molecular cloud triggering star-formation within. The star forming region also appears to contain a large population of infant stars. A mere 3 to 5 million years old and not yet burning hydrogen in their cores, the infant stars are strewn about the embedded star cluster. This spectacular infrared view of NGC 346 is from the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRcam. Emission from atomic hydrogen ionized by the massive stars' energetic radiation as well as molecular hydrogen and dust in the star-forming molecular cloud is detailed in pink and orange hues. Webb's sharp image of the young star-forming region spans 240 light-years at the distance of the Small Magellanic Cloud.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 05/02/2025 12:50:11 PM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 05/02/2025 12:50:32 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 05/02/2025 12:52:00 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

I’m trying to find the picture of a galaxy posted a month or so ago - a real nice spiral galaxy.


4 posted on 05/02/2025 1:00:16 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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To: SkyDancer
Here is the archives list for the NASA APOD site:

APOD Archives

5 posted on 05/02/2025 1:09:04 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Great - found it. Thanks!


6 posted on 05/02/2025 1:29:15 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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To: MtnClimber

Majestic


7 posted on 05/02/2025 2:57:32 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: MtnClimber

Alladin’s Lamp…beautiful.


8 posted on 05/02/2025 7:20:44 PM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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