Stellar Jewel Box

Star Cluster Bursts into Life in New Hubble Image. Click Image to Enlarge

Thousands of sparkling young stars are nestled within the giant nebula NGC 3603. This stellar "jewel box" is one of the most massive young star clusters in the Milky Way Galaxy.

NGC 3603 is a prominent star-forming region in the Carina spiral arm of the Milky Way, about 20,000 light-years away. This latest image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows a young star cluster surrounded by a vast region of dust and gas. The image reveals stages in the life cycle of stars.

The nebula was first discovered by Sir John Herschel in 1834.
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Extreme star cluster in new Hubble images ESA Zoom-in animation.
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