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  • Astronomy Picture of the Day: M41: The Little Beehive Star Cluster

    02/25/2025 1:19:36 PM PST · by MtnClimber · 7 replies
    NASA ^ | 25nFeb, 2025 | Image Credit & Copyright: Xinran Li
    Explanation: Why are there so many bright blue stars? Stars are usually born in clusters, and the brightest and most massive of these stars typically glow blue. Less-bright, non-blue stars like our Sun surely also exist in this M41 star cluster but are harder to see. A few bright orange-appearing red giant stars are visible. The red-light filaments are emitted by diffuse hydrogen gas, a color that was specifically filtered and enhanced in this image. In a hundred million years or so, the bright blue stars will have exploded in supernovas and disappeared, while the slightly different trajectories of the...