Sunny Priyan
A vibrant spiral galaxy called NGC 5042 resides about 48 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Hydra (the water snake). A Milky Way star shines near its edge.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker
Hubble observed NGC 5042 in six wavelength bands from the ultraviolet to infrared to create this multicolored portrait.
Image Credit: Pixabay
NGC 5042’s cream-colored core teems with ancient stars, while its blue spiral arms and distant yellow-orange galaxies paint a layered cosmic scene.
Image Credit: Pixabay
NGC 5042’s spiral arms dazzle with brilliant pink H II regions—ionized hydrogen clouds that often form radiant shells around clusters of young blue stars.
Image Credit: Freepik
H II regions arise in expansive clouds of hydrogen gas, and only hot and massive stars produce enough high-energy, ultraviolet light to create a H II region.
Image Credit: Freepik
This image captures a fleeting moment in NGC 5042’s life, as its short-lived, massive stars briefly illuminate vibrant H II regions.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker