Star Cluster NGC 6823 & Emission Nebula NGC 6820
This picture shows a corner of the cosmos where stars huddle almost as if to watch other stars being born.
Included is a star cluster catalogued as NGC 6823, and a nebula known NGC 6820. The nebula is a giant cloud of gas and dust that will be the birthplace of new stars.
The stars are born as knots form in the nebulous cloud, becoming more dense until they contract and collapse, triggering thermonuclear fusion in a rotating ball of gas. Meanwhile, molecules in the nebula are heated enough to glow. The nebula also reflects light from nearby stars.
The picture was made by Jean-Charles Cuillandre using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
-- SPACE.com Staff
Credit: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope / J.-C. Cuillandre / Coelum
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