14 DAY TRIAL // A brand new space image released by European Southern Observatory astronomers just yesterday, March 27, reveals the anatomy of a freakishly hot star forming cloud dubbed RCW 34.
The image, available next to this article, was obtained with the help of the Very Large Telescope in Chile. The color red shows the distribution of hydrogen within RCW 34. The blue dots, on the other hand, are stars.
The region that appears the brightest in this view of the RCW 34 nebula is home to a small army of recently born stars. The orbs are heating the gas around them and forcing it towards the cloud's edges.
Having reached the borders of its parent nebula, the gas finds itself embarking on what will surely be a prolonged adventure through space. Eventually, it might find a new home.
“Once the heated hydrogen reaches the borders of the gas cloud, it bursts outwards into the vacuum like the contents of an uncorked champagne bottle,” astronomers say.
The cloud appears to host not just colossal stars but also fairly small ones that look more like light bulbs when compared to their much larger siblings.
What's interesting is that, despite their best attempts, scientists have not yet managed to look deep inside RCW 34. This is because the nebula packs massive amounts of dust obscuring its core from view.