Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 October 29 [2]A starfield is shown featuring many stars in the center and many pillars of interstellar dust around the edges pointing toward the center. The main image is in infrared light, and a rollover image from Hubble shows the same scene in visible light. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. NGC 602: Stars Versus Pillars from Webb Credit: [3]ESA/[4]Webb, [5]NASA & [6]CSA, [7]P. Zeidler, [8]E. Sabbi, [9]A. Nota, [10]M. Zamani ([11]ESA/Webb) Explanation: The stars are destroying the pillars. More specifically, some of the newly formed [12]stars in the image center are emitting light so energetic that is [13]evaporating the gas and dust in the surrounding [14]pillars. Simultaneously, the [15]pillars themselves are still trying to [16]form new stars. The whole setting is the star cluster [17]NGC 602, and this new vista was taken by the [18]Webb Space Telescope in multiple [19]infrared colors. In comparison, a roll-over image shows the same star cluster in [20]visible light, taken previously by the [21]Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 602 is located near the perimeter of the [22]Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a small satellite galaxy of our Milky Way galaxy. At the estimated distance of the SMC, the [23]featured picture spans about 200 light-years. A [24]tantalizing assortment of [25]background galaxies are also visible -- mostly around the edges -- that are at least hundreds of millions of [26]light-years beyond. Tomorrow's picture: head space __________________________________________________________________ [27]< | [28]Archive | [29]Submissions | [30]Index | [31]Search | [32]Calendar | [33]RSS | [34]Education | [35]About APOD | [36]Discuss | [37]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [38]Robert Nemiroff ([39]MTU) & [40]Jerry Bonnell ([41]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [42]Specific rights apply. [43]NASA Web Privacy, [44]Accessibility, [45]Notices; A service of: [46]ASD at [47]NASA / [48]GSFC, [49]NASA Science Activation & [50]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2410/NGC602_Webb_5863.jpg 3. https://www.esa.int/ 4. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/ 5. https://www.nasa.gov/ 6. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/ 7. https://www.stsci.edu/stsci-research/research-directory/peter-zeidler 8. https://www.stsci.edu/~sabbi/ 9. https://www.issibern.ch/people/dr-antonella-nota/ 10. https://mahdizamani.com/about 11. https://esawebb.org/ 12. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/types/ 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231206.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201206.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230110.html 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_formation 17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_602 18. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/ 19. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves/ 20. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/09_visiblelight/ 21. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/ 22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Magellanic_Cloud 23. https://esawebb.org/images/weic2425c/ 24. https://cdn.animalchannel.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/06062531/concerned_dog_featured-1.png 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210802.html 26. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/ 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241028.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 33. https://apod.com/feed.rss 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 36. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241029 37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241030.html 38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 39. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 40. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 41. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 42. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 43. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 44. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 45. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 46. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 47. https://www.nasa.gov/ 48. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 49. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 50. http://www.mtu.edu/