NASA celebrates the holidays with stunning images showcasing NGC 602, a star cluster resembling a cosmic wreath, and NGC 2264, nicknamed the 'Christmas Tree Cluster'. These images combine data from different telescopes, revealing insights into star formation and galaxy evolution.
NASA is celebrating the holiday season with a new image showcasing a cosmic wreath. The image, assembled using data from several space telescope s, depicts a star cluster named NGC 602 situated in the Small Magellanic Cloud , a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The image blends data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which observes the X-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the James Webb Space Telescope , which captures infrared light.
Chandra detected bright, massive, young stars emitting copious radiation, represented by red points of glowing light. Webb provided the background colors of orange, yellow, green, and blue, indicating the presence of warm dust forming the wreath shape. Scientists are drawn to the Small Magellanic Cloud because its stars contain fewer heavy elements compared to stars in galaxies like the Milky Way. Stars create heavy elements within their cores and disperse them into their surroundings during supernova explosions. Therefore, a higher concentration of heavy elements suggests an older galaxy. The Small Magellanic Cloud resembles galaxies from the early universe, making it valuable for understanding galactic evolution. Beyond the NGC 602 image, NASA also released a festive image of a star cluster called NGC 2264, known as the “Christmas Tree Cluster.” The sparkles of red, purple, blue, and white originate from Chandra data, while the green and violet background forming the Christmas tree shape comes from optical data. This cluster resides within our own galaxy and is relatively close at 2,500 light-years. It comprises a variety of stars, some larger and some smaller than our sun, ranging from one-tenth to over seven times its mass
NASA Astronomy Space Telescope Star Cluster Galaxy Holiday Images NGC 602 Small Magellanic Cloud NGC 2264 Christmas Tree Cluster
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