Astronomers Capture Most Detailed Infrared Image of RCW 38 Star Cluster

The European Southern Observatory's VISTA telescope reveals the hidden structures of a young stellar nursery 5,500 light-years away.

The Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) produced an 80-million-pixel image of RCW 38, a super star cluster located in the constellation Vela.
RCW 38 is a young star cluster, less than one million years old, containing approximately 2,000 stars and surrounded by dense gas and dust.
The cluster's bright hues result from intense radiation emitted by newborn stars, causing surrounding gas to glow and creating a visually stunning scene.
Infrared imaging by VISTA's VIRCAM camera reveals hidden features, including stars within dusty cocoons and brown dwarfs, that are obscured in visible light.
This image was part of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea survey, which has created the most detailed infrared map of the Milky Way to date.