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This remarkable image, captured by the Wide Field Imager at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, shows two dramatic star formation regions in the southern Milky Way.

The first of these star clusters, on the left, is 20,000 light-years away, in the Carina–Sagittarius spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy. Known as NGC 3603, it has the highest concentration of massive stars that have been discovered in our galaxy so far. At the centre of the cluster lies a multiple star system, the stars within which have at least 20 times the mass of the Sun.

The second star formation region, on the right, is a collection of glowing gas clouds that lies only about half as far from Earth. Known as NGC 3576, it is notable for two huge curved objects resembling the curled horns of a ram. These are the result of stellar winds from the hot, young stars within the central regions of the nebula, which have blown the dust and gas outwards across a hundred light-years. Two dark silhouetted areas, known as Bok globules, are also visible in this vast complex of nebulae. These black clouds offer potential sites for the future formation of new stars.

Both clusters were first observed by English astronomer, John Herschel, in 1834 during his three-year expedition to systematically survey the southern skies from near Cape Town.

More information

Through support from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) the UK is one of the fifteen member countries of ESO.

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world’s most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world’s most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world’s largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning the 39-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.

Links

• Image of NGC 3603 from the VLT
• Another view of the NGC 3576 region
• Photos of the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope
• Other photos taken with the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope
• Photos of La Silla

Contact:

Wendy Ellison
STFC Press Office
Tel: 01925 603232
Mob: 07919 548012
Email: wendy.ellison@stfc.ac.uk

Richard Hook
ESO Public Information Officer
Garching bei München, Germany

Tel: +49 89 3200 6655
Email: rhook@eso.org