NGC 6357: Cathedral to Massive Stars
Image Credit: NASA, ESA and Jesús Maíz Apellániz (IAA, Spain); Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble)
Explanation:
How massive can a normal star be?
Estimates made from distance, brightness and standard
solar models had given one star in the
open cluster Pismis 24
over 200 times the mass of our
Sun, making it one of the most massive stars known.
This star is the brightest object
located just above the gas front in the
featured image.
Close inspection of
images taken with the
Hubble Space Telescope,
however, have shown that Pismis 24-1 derives its brilliant luminosity
not from a single star but from
three at least.
Component stars would still remain near 100 solar masses,
making them among the more
massive stars currently on record.
Toward the bottom of the image,
stars
are still forming in the associated
emission nebula
NGC 6357.
Appearing perhaps like a Gothic cathedral, energetic stars near the center appear to be
breaking out
and illuminating a
spectacular cocoon.
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