Washington, US

NASA, in its ongoing quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe, has once again astounded space enthusiasts with a captivating glimpse into the cosmos.

Advertisment

Recently, the Hubble Space Telescope, a flagship project of the US Space Agency, unveiled a mesmerising picture of the Tarantula Nebula.

Displayed prominently in the image are clusters of brilliant blue stars. They are surrounded with swirling clouds of burnt orange and tan-hued gas and dust. At the core of the nebula lies a mysterious dark formation. 

As the Hubble Space Telescope is equipped with instruments capable of observing various wavelengths of light, including ultraviolet (UV) light, this breathtaking snapshot was captured using UV data. 

Advertisment

Also Read | Trees to reveal clues of largest solar storm to have hit Earth

Ultraviolet light has shorter wavelengths than visible light and it is important for astronomers because it reveals different aspects of celestial objects, such as hot stars, active galactic nuclei, and regions of star formation.

Also Read | Rare Devil's Comet is now visible in the night sky. Here's how to watch it in India

Advertisment

The data was acquired as part of an extensive survey called the Ultraviolet Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES).

Watch | 57 companies directly linked to 80% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions: Study

×

According to the space agency, “Two categories of stars were studied in this survey: Super-hot massive stars and young less massive stars. The super-hot massive, blue stars are a million times brighter than the Sun and have a fierce glow in ultraviolet light which can be easily detected by Hubble. These stars have powerful winds that drive galaxy evolution."

"ULLYSES targeted these blue stars in nearby galaxies because they were common in the early universe,” the space agency added.

NASA said that these "observations are just a stepping stone to understanding the first stars of the universe and how they impacted the evolution of the galaxy." 

The formation of the Tarantula Nebula happens on a larger scale due to its massive size and intense star-forming activity. Just like in the formation of other nebulae, gravitational forces cause regions within the giant molecular cloud to collapse under their own gravity. These massive stars emit intense radiation and powerful stellar winds which shapes the surrounding nebula and trigger star formation.

(With inputs from agencies)