Image of the Day: December 2012

By Space.com Staff
published

The Light That Burns Twice as Bright

Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/Coelum

Monday, December 31, 2012: Massive blue young stars fill the young cluster Messier 50, which has freed itself from the gas of its nascent molecular clouds. The bright young stars dominate the cluster, but other smaller stars born at the same time, burning fainter, will outlive them.

— Tom Chao

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.