Hubble captures stunning view of turbulent cosmic Tarantula: Check it out

The Tarantula Nebula, a massive star-forming region located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, is a popular target for astronomers, due in part to the wealth of information it can provide about star formation and the evolution of galaxies. In this latest snapshot of the star factory, captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, the nebula's turbulent clouds of gas and dust can be seen swirling between the region’s bright, newly-formed stars.

1/ This snapshot 📸 of the Tarantula Nebula captures the turbulent clouds of gas and dust that are swirling between the region’s bright, newly-formed stars. The Tarantula Nebula is a familiar site for Hubble. pic.twitter.com/BTQ41e47C7

— HUBBLE (@HUBBLE_space) January 30, 2023

This latest image is a fusion of data from two separate observing proposals. The first one, named Scylla, aimed at examining the characteristics of dust particles that occupy the spaces between stars and form the dark clouds seen in the image. It complements another Hubble observation called Ulysses, which is uncovering how starlight interacts with interstellar dust in different settings. This Picture of the Week also includes information from an observing program investigating star formation in conditions similar to the early universe and cataloguing the stars of the Tarantula Nebula for future study with the James Webb Space Telescope.

This region of the sky was also investigated by the James Webb Space Telescope last year, revealing thousands of never-before-seen young stars along with distant background galaxies, as well as the detailed structure and composition of the nebula’s gas and dust.

The Tarantula Nebula is named so because of its appearance. Its dusty filaments resemble the legs of a spider, reminiscent of a tarantula. With its striking appearance and wealth of scientific information, the Tarantula Nebula is sure to remain a focal point of astronomical research for many years to come.