Admire the beautiful cosmic clouds through the eyes of the Hubble telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope has continued to prove its irreplaceable importance in the field of astronomy, returning a stunning image of what was once considered a nuisance to astronomers: cosmic dust. In the past, astronomers considered dust a major problem because it obscured their views of important objects. However, in recent decades, scientists have realized the importance of cosmic dust in the formation of stars and planets, and even in the creation of new molecules in space.

This image shows clouds of dust and gas near the Tarantula Nebula, a region known for its breathtaking beauty. It is part of a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way called the Large Magellanic Cloud, located 160,000 light-years from Earth and is a vibrant stellar incubator. The Tarantula Nebula is often considered by astronomers to be a prime study of star formation and evolution.

You can see the full photo below:

Star formation in this region is fueled by the presence of dust. The dust clumps together and attracts other particles through gravity, eventually forming the cores that form planets or stars. The dust also acts as a cooling mechanism, allowing gas to condense and add to the mix.

“The nebula’s colorful gas clouds contain filaments and dark clumps of dust,” Hubble scientists explain. “This dust is different from ordinary household dust, which can include soil particles, skin cells, hair, or even plastic. Cosmic dust is typically made of carbon or molecules called silicates, which contain silicon and oxygen .”

Dust can still be a problem for astronomers, however. That’s why instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) operate in the infrared, allowing them to “see through” dust to observe structures that would otherwise be obscured. This is possible because while dust is opaque in visible light (the wavelengths that humans can see and where Hubble primarily operates), it allows infrared radiation to pass through.

By combining data from visible-light telescopes like Hubble and infrared telescopes like Webb, scientists can observe both the dusty objects that exist throughout our galaxy and beyond, as well as internal structures that are obscured by dust.