NASA / ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope observes the ruby red nebula that is known as NGC 261, located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Due to the ionized gas blazing from within this diffuse region, NGC 261 is technicaly an emission nebula and home to numerous stars hot enough to irradiate surrounding hydrogen gas, causing the pinkish-red glow.
Astronomers used Hubble data to study molecular clouds, which are extremely dense and compact regions of gas and dust, often consisting of large amounts of molecular hydrogen. The latter are the cold areas where most stars form, but very difficult to detect, so scientists instead trace other molecules present in the molecular clouds.
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The SMC hosts a gas-rich environment of young stars along with trace amounts of carbon monoxide (CO), a chemical correlated with hydrogen and often used to identify the presence of such clouds. Using the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), Hubble imaged these stars in the southwest portion of the SMC where NGC 261 resides,” said the NASA Hubble Mission Team.
