Pillars around Westerlund 2
This image shows an example of the pillars that surround the star cluster Westerlund 2.
These pillars are composed of dense gas and dust are a few light-years tall and point to the central cluster. They are thought to be incubators for new stars. Besides sculpting the gaseous terrain, intense radiation from the most brilliant of the cluster stars is creating a successive generation of baby stars.
This is a section of the new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of Westerlund 2 and its surroundings, released to celebrate Hubble’s 25th anniversary.
Credit:NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), A. Nota (ESA/STScI), and the Westerlund 2 Science Team
About the Image
| Id: | heic1509e |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 23 April 2015, 15:15 |
| Related releases: | heic1509 |
| Size: | 3000 x 2000 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Westerlund 2 |
| Type: | Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Emission : H II Region Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Binary Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Star Formation |
| Distance: | 20000 light years |
| Constellation: | Carina |
| Category: | Nebulae Star Clusters |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 10 24 23.38 |
| Position (Dec): | -57° 45' 45.94" |
| Field of view: | 1.86 x 1.24 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 60.3° left of vertical |
View in ESASky:
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical V | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Optical I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
| Infrared J | 1.25 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFC3 |