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(Image credit: NASA, ESA, and K. Stapelfeldt (Jet Propulsion Laboratory); Processing: Gladys Kober(NASA/Catholic University of America) )
fast truths
What it is: Lupus 3(GN 16.05.2 and Bernes 149) molecular cloud
Where it is: About 500 light-years away, in the constellation Scorpius
When it was shared: Jan. 26, 2026
A tranquil-looking cloud of gas and dust may not seem like much to get thrilled about, however it’s home to among the most basic phenomena in astronomy: star development.Look thoroughly at this hauntingly lovely picture of Lupus 3 recorded by NASA’s Hubble Space TelescopeTranquil yet complete of energy, bluish fingers of gas and dust curl towards a dark dust cloud in the lower-left corner. Those fingers are where young stars of a specific type are born, however they can be found throughout the image, mainly at the center left, bottom right and upper. Called T Tauri stars, they’re young– less than 10 million years of ages, so babies in a cosmic sense– and reveal significant variations in brightness as they grow and develop.T Tauri stars are unique. They’re unusual to find in the Milky Way and excite astronomers since they represent the earliest phases of a star’s life, throughout which they continue contracting under gravitational forces.
They likewise slowly start the nuclear combination procedure that will specify them as stars. The mayhem all around them– from effective outstanding winds to product falling onto the stars– triggers the light reaching Hubble’s 7.8-foot (2.4 meters) mirror and Wide Field Camera 3 to vary. T Tauri stars typically let loose huge flares and alter in brightness over longer durations due to the fact that huge “sunspots” on their surface area turn in and out of view.
The majority of Lupus 3 is dark, with starlight from those T Tauri stars illuminating a few of the molecular cloud to develop the blue reflection nebula called GN 16.05.2 or Bernes 149. By observing in numerous wavelengths of light, Hubble can pierce through the obscuring dust to see what’s going on inside molecular cloud complexes like Lupus 3, in addition to the renowned Orion, Rho Ophiuchi and Taurus molecular cloud complexes, and the Eagle Nebula (M16).
Such images have actually assisted astronomers peek processes that are undetectable to ground‑based telescopes to improve our designs of how stars and planetary systems come from.
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For more superb area images, have a look at our Area Photo of the Week archives
Jamie Carter is a Cardiff, U.K.-based freelance science reporter and a routine factor to Live Science. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners and co-author of The Eclipse Effect, and leads worldwide stargazing and eclipse-chasing trips. His work appears frequently in Space.com, Forbes, New Scientist, BBC Sky during the night, Sky & & Telescope, and other significant science and astronomy publications. He is likewise the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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