14 DAY TRIAL // A new space image delivered by the Hubble Space Telescope reveals a breathtaking collection of hot stars shining through even more impressive mammoth clouds of gas and dust.
This mixture of stars, gas and dust is the core of the Lagoon Nebula, a region in space located some 4,000 light-years from us, in the constellation Sagittarius.
It might look quite peaceful in this latest Hubble space image, but the fact of the matter is that the Lagoon Nebula is anything but a tranquil place. Au contraire, it's rather chaotic.
“The region is filled with intense winds from hot stars, churning funnels of gas, and energetic star formation, all embedded within an intricate haze of gas and pitch-dark dust,” astronomers explain.
As mentioned, the view only focuses on the heart of the Lagoon Nebula. Hence the fact that, judging solely by this image, it would be nearly impossible to tell how the region got its name.
Still, scientists say that, when observed in a wider field that encompasses it entirely, this region in space really does take the shape of a broad lagoon crossed by dust lanes.
What with all the commotion that is going on inside it, the Lagoon Nebula is sure to form new stars in the years to come. In turn, these fiery orbs will tear apart its clouds of dust and gas and forever alter its appearance.
