Chandra Release - December 19, 2016

Visual Description: NGC 6357

The composite image of a star formation region known as NGC 6357 showcases a stunning view, with vibrant colors and intricate structures. The predominant colors in the image are shades of purple, burnt orange, and light blue.   At the center of the nebula, there is a compact cluster of newly formed stars, surrounded by clouds of gas and dust.  The stars look like little jewels sprinkled in pockets in the image. The clouds are illuminated and glow brightly. The nebula has several wispy tendrils of gas and dust that stretch outwards, resembling delicate fingers reaching around the object. This composite image contains X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the ROSAT telescope (colored in purple), infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (orange), and optical data from the SuperCosmos Sky Survey (blue) made by the UK Infrared Telescope.  NGC 6357 is actually a "cluster of clusters," containing at least three clusters of young stars, including many hot, massive, luminous stars. The X-rays from Chandra and ROSAT reveal hundreds of point sources, which are the young stars in NGC 6357, as well as diffuse X-ray emission from hot gas. Bubbles, or cavities, have been created by radiation and material blowing away from the surfaces of massive stars, plus supernova explosions.