The festive season is here, and this year’s Cosmic Christmas Tree proves to be more spectacular than ever! An image capturing the brilliance of this amazing celestial phenomenon has been produced by the iconic Hubble and Webb telescopes.
The image reveals an impressive “cosmic ornament” located in the barred spiral galaxy, NGC 2442, 45 million light-years away. The Cosmic Christmas Tree is composed of two clusters of stars, NGC 2442/44, and is seen in blue, pink, and white hues of gas and dust.
The festive Tree is located near the bright blue star cluster in the lower part of the image, which creates what appears to be an artificial star at the top of an ornament. Two yellow-white stars can be seen at the centre of the spiral, while two regions of red dust extend near the bottom which look like colorful bows.
The glowing gas nearby the clusters is mostly hydrogen and ionized oxygen, and astronomers believe it was likely created by supernovae – dramatic explosions that occur when a star falls in on itself. These illuminating stellar events resemble the twinkling of Christmas lights.
What makes this image even more incredible is that four distinct stellar populations associated with the spiral can be seen – the two star clusters are comprised of different ages and masses of stars. The two bright stars seen at the centre are the result of intense radiation from newly born stars.
The iconic Hubble and Webb telescopes have provided mankind with a captivating view of the Universe. This delicious Cosmic Christmas Tree is a festive gift of beauty from outer space and a reminder of the wonder and delight of the holiday season!
