The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
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This glittering tapestry of young stars flaring into life in the star cluster Westerlund 2 has been released to celebrate the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s 25th year in orbit and a quarter of a century of discoveries, stunning images and outstanding science.
The cluster resides in the prolific stellar breeding ground called Gum 29, some 20 000 light-years away in the constellation Carina.
The image’s central region, containing the star clusters, blends visible-light data taken by the Advanced Camera for Surveys and near-infrared exposures taken by the Wide Field Camera 3. The surrounding region is composed of visible-light observations taken by the Advanced Camera for Surveys. The red colours in the image represent hydrogen; the bluish-green hues, hydrogen and oxygen.
Full story: Celestial fireworks celebrate Hubble’s 25th anniversary