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The Tarantula Nebula is a diffuse cloud of glowing gas and dust located some 170,000 light years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud toward the constellation Dorado. Originally cataloged as a star 30 Doradus, it was first recognized as a gaseous nebula by the French astronomer Abbe Nicholas Louis de la Caille (1713–1762) in 1751. The 30 Doradus Nebula hosts the most active region of star formation in the local universe. The nebula is powered by dozens of massive hot stars that are clustered toward its center.
Image and text copyright © Astrographics. All rights reserved. Image courtesy of Space Telescope Science Institute.
Image and text copyright © Astrographics. All rights reserved. Image courtesy of Space Telescope Science Institute. |
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