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Studying Massive And Mysterious Young Protostars With The Hubble

The star formation region Cepheus A is lit up by a massive protostar named HW2 in this Hubble Space Telescope image. The images of massive protostars are part of an effor to understand how massive stars with more than 8 solar masses form. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and R. Fedriani (Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

Newly developing stars shrouded in thick dust get their first baby pictures in these images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble took these infant star snapshots in an effort to learn how massive stars form. Protostars are shrouded in thick dust that blocks light, but Hubble can detect the near-infrared emission that shines through holes carved in the gas by the young stars themselves.



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