Massive Stars of 30 Doradus

Explanation: In the center of star-forming region 30 Doradus lies a huge cluster of the largest, hottest, most massive stars known. These stars and part of the surrounding nebula are captured here in this gorgeous visible-light Hubble Space Telescope image . Gas and dust clouds in 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula , have been sculpted into elongated shapes by powerful winds and ultraviolet radiation from these hot cluster stars . Insets in the picture represent corresponding views from the Hubble's infrared camera where each square measures 15.5 light-years across. Penetrating the obscuring dust , these infrared images themselves offer detailed pictures of star formation within the nebula's collapsing clouds, revealing the presence of newborn massive stars. The 30 Doradus Nebula lies within a neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud , located a mere 170,000 light-years away.