2025年5月2日
Young Star Cluster NGC 346
Science – NASA, ESA, CSA, Olivia C. Jones (UK ATC), Guido De Marchi (ESTEC), Margaret Meixner (USRA)
Processing – Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Nolan Habel (USRA), Laura Lenkić (USRA), Laurie E. U. Chu (NASA Ames)
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.
Tomorrow’s picture: Titan’s Shangra-La
年轻的星团NGC 346
科学内涵 – NASA, ESA, CSA, Olivia C. Jones (UK ATC), Guido De Marchi (ESTEC), Margaret Meixner (USRA)
影像处理 – Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Nolan Habel (USRA), Laura Lenkić (USRA), Laurie E. U. Chu (NASA Ames)
说明: 小麦哲伦星系是离我们210,000光年远的银河伴星系，在它内部最大的恒星形成区里，质量最大的年轻星团则是NGC 346。想当然耳，NGC 346内的大质量恒星寿命极短，但非常活跃。它们的恒星风和辐射，雕蚀此区尘埃分子云的边缘，并触发分子云内的恒星形成活动。因此，这个恒星形成区看似拥有大量的婴儿期恒星。而散布在此星团各处的这些婴儿期恒星，其年龄只有3到500万年，而核心的氢融合尚未点燃。这张精采的NGC 346红外光影像，是由韦伯太空望远镜的近红外相机所拍摄。被大质量恒星的高能星光电离的原子氢所发出之辐射，以及恒星形成分子云内的分子氢和尘埃，分别以粉红及橙色系来呈现。以小麦哲伦星系所在的距离来换算，这幅以年轻恒星形成区为主题的清晰韦伯影像，涵盖了240光年的区域。
明日的图片: Titan’s Shangra-La
