Chandra Release - July 2, 2015

Visual Description: NGC 1333

  The image is a richly colored composite view of the young star cluster NGC 1333, located roughly 770 light-years away. The scene is layered: X-rays (colored in pink) from NASA's Chandra Observatory highlight dozens of very young, energetic stars; infrared data (in red) indicate warm dust and protostellar matter; and visible light (yellow, green, blue) traces diffuse nebulae and reflection from gas and dust. Bright clumps and glowing knots punctuate darker clouds, creating dramatic contrasts—some pockets are almost translucent with soft, bluish light, others densely packed with golden or reddish filaments. Overall, the interplay of light and shadow gives a sense of cosmic fireworks in a nearby cluster of stars that will be going off for a very long time.