A stunning new set of images have revealed a surprising Christmas-themed spectacle in the depths of outer space. Published by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, the eye-catching pictures show a region around a cluster of stars known as Westerlund 2 (Wd2).
The colourful array of Christmas lights consist of a bright blue background – the result of hot gas – and the cluster’s ‘bulbs’, which shine in X-ray and visual wavelengths in yellow, orange and green. Located inside the Carina Nebula, Wd2 is no less than 20,000 light years away from our planet, which means that even if it were to be seen from Earth, we’d only see what the area looked like 20,000 years ago.
Though at first glance it looks like a snow globe or a Christmas tree, the cluster is actually comprised of massive stars that are some of the brightest and most energetic stars known. The gas that surrounds them produces the blue backdrop, while the orange and green dots represent the emission from hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.
This incredible celestial view is an example of a stellar evolutionary region, where hot, luminous stars are released from their birth clouds of gas and dust and begin to move through space. Eventually, the star-forming regions die out as the stars use up their hydrogen fuel, leaving a group of stars such as those that make up Westerlund 2.
An equally beautiful view of this star cluster can be seen in infrared light, and was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2015. When viewed in this wavelength, the stars are aglow in bright oranges and yellows.
The surprising Christmas tree-like spectacle that is Westerlund 2 is a reminder of the wonders of the universe, and understanding that there are numerous stellar nurseries scattered throughout our universe. Though the holidays may be here, this celestial snow globe reminds us that the wonders of space are ever-present and ever-inspiring.
