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Westerlund 2 (Hubble)

Star cluster Westerlund 2 as observed by the Hubble Space Telescope. The overall scene has an L shaped series of bright clouds at the bottom left, and clearer space toward the top right. There is a bright orange-white star cluster to the cloudy region’s immediate right, just above center. The scene is set against the black background of space, which has blue-white, orange-white, and white points of light scattered all across it.

This young cluster of about 3,000 stars in our Milky Way is called Westerlund 2 and contains some of the galaxy's hottest, brightest, and most massive stars. Hubble's infrared vision pierced dust around this stellar nursery to reveal the dense concentration of stars in the central cluster.

  • Release Date
    April 23, 2015
  • Credit
    Image: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Project, Westerlund 2 Science Team, Antonella Nota (ESA, STScI)

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Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Image Credit

NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Project, Westerlund 2 Science Team, Antonella Nota (ESA, STScI)

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