Hubble Sees Amazing 'Jewel Box' in Space

A new image, released by NASA and the Hubble Heritage Team, depicts the amazing nebula NGC 3603 in exquisite detail, revealing features that were not known to astronomers until the renowned telescope came online.

What makes NGC 3603 so special is the fact that it's among the largest stellar nurseries in the Milky Way's Carina spiral arm. It is also one of the most massive stellar cluster in our entire galaxy, featuring thousands upon thousands of stars of various ages.

This “cosmic jewel box” is located at a distance of about 20,000 light-years away from Earth, and was first discovered in 1834, by famed astronomer Sir John Herschel. This particular Hubble image is about 17 light-years on each side.