Look at the Precious Cosmic Jewel Box!

The Precious Cosmic Jewel Box
This breathtaking image showcases NGC 3603, a colossal star-forming nebula located about 20,000 light-years away in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way. Discovered by Sir John Herschel in 1834, it remains one of the most active stellar nurseries in our galaxy.

At its heart lies a glittering treasure: a dense cluster of young, massive stars that shimmer like cosmic jewels. This central cluster is among the most massive and compact young star clusters known in the Milky Way, surrounded by glowing gas and dust—the raw materials for future star birth.

But don’t be deceived by its serene beauty. The region is a battlefield of intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from hot, blue stars. These forces have blasted a cavity in the surrounding material, giving us a rare, clear view into this cosmic nursery.

Astronomers believe star formation has been ongoing here for 10–20 million years, and continues to ramp up. Studying this region helps us unlock secrets of how massive stars formed in the early universe.

Captured by

Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, this image blends infrared and visible light using filters F128N, F164N, F555W, F657N, and F673N.

Credit:

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team