Explanation: Near the outskirts of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy some 200 thousand light-years distant, lies 5 million year young star cluster NGC 602. Surrounded by natal gas and dust, NGC 602 is featured in this stunning Hubble image of the region. Fantastic ridges and swept back shapes strongly suggest that energetic radiation and shock waves from NGC 602's massive young stars have eroded the dusty material and triggered a progression of star formation moving away from the cluster's center. At the estimated distance of the Small Magellanic Cloud, the picture spans about 200 light-years, but a tantalizing assortment of background galaxies are also visible in the sharp Hubble view. The background galaxies are hundreds of millions of light-years or more beyond NGC 602.
This one has practically everything!
Stellar Clusters
Edge on Spirals
Face on Spirals
numerous unresolved galaxies
At least 20 Elypticals
over 175 background galaxies
Even a probable merger
and a likely lensing (upper right edge of the largest elyptical) visible in this High Res image (19 meg file)
And lets not forget that wonderous nebula dominating the image
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:27 am
by Raufu
If it wasn't headed NGC602, I'd have thought I was looking at the Pleiedes!! Have others noticed the formation similarity of the cluster? Many thanks to all the team who presents us with these interesting pictures of the Cosmos!!!
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:56 am
by yasgur
A little over halfway up the shot on the right side, at the edge of the dust cloud, is a foreground star. Just below and to the right of it is a smallish, irregular group of orange dots. Does anyone know what they might be?
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:01 am
by owlice
BMAONE23 wrote:This one has practically everything!
I'm looking at this and listening to Creation Du Monde by Vangelis. It's quite an experience.
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:43 pm
by owlice
I listened to "Feed Me," sung by Audrey II.
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 12:11 am
by Vaccum Explorer
Dust cloud looks like the man in the moon . Spitting
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 12:12 pm
by DavidLeodis
Awesome image. Makes me think about the wonders that are out there waiting one day to be visited by humankind (or who/what ever we evolve into). It's a rare night though where I am if I can make out anything more than the brightest stars!
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 2:50 pm
by neufer
DavidLeodis wrote:Makes me think about the wonders that are out there waiting one day to be visited by humankind (or who/what ever we evolve into).
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:02 pm
by DavidLeodis
Nice one neufer. So we are not going to evolve into a floating blob of brain energy as foreseen in Star Trek (my source of all that will be).
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 6:17 pm
by mayito7777
What an awesome shot, my soul tends to wander into those realms wher only our dreams can reach in this moment, maybe one day, someone from this planet will have the honor to travel through those clouds and will say like we do today what an awesome creation.
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 1:36 am
by nemo
It is indeed a marvelous shot, but ...I can't believe that this body hasn't yet been named the Pac-Man Nebula.
Re: APOD: NGC 602 and Beyond (2010 Apr 03)
Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 2:28 am
by Chris Peterson
nemo wrote:It is indeed a marvelous shot, but ...I can't believe that this body hasn't yet been named the Pac-Man Nebula.