Although both images appear to be different visions, the truth is that they belong to the same celestial body. This is NGC 1850, a star cluster sighted by the Hubble Space Telescope, and which has become the latest postcard from deep space. Two images that, although disparate, They tell us the same reality in two different portraits.
Where do the different colors of NGC 1850 come from? As NASA explains in its Web, “different filters with different assigned colors were used to study particular wavelengths of light emanating from these objects.” Thus, we know that the star cluster does not have these colors in reality. It is a unique way for Hubble to interpret and appreciate the results in greater detail..
A star cluster is a spherical formation made up of millions of stars. They are all densely packed by mutual gravity, which holds them together. Nevertheless, the cluster NGC 1850 observed by Hubble represents an anomaly in most star clusters, due to the youth of its stars. Clusters with these characteristics have not been detected in our galaxy.
NGC 1850 is about 100 million years old. It is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way.. This place is also home to billions of stars. From here, they hatch from their shell of dust and gas to become stars over the eons.
What do the images of NGC 1850 taken by Hubble mean?
As we already mentioned, Hubble used the same instrument to capture both images of NGC 1850. Of course, the photos were processed with filters of different colors that allow researchers to observe different details of the celestial body.
The image with the blue nebula, for its part, allows you to see visible light and near-infrared light. This offers a result closer to what we could observe with nothing more than the eye. However, thanks to near-infrared detection, details that might be hidden behind stellar gas or dust are also revealed.
As for the reddish image, it covers a much wider range. Specifically, from the near ultraviolet, to the beginning of the infrared spectrum. In this way, Hubble can detect light from the hottest and youngest stars, capturing them in a stunningly detailed photograph.
More details about the star cluster
NGC 1850 is a star cluster full of surprise. In 2021, Scientists discovered the presence of a black hole inside, says NASA. Also, there is a large number of blue stars, which can be seen to the right of the reddish image taken by Hubble. These stars will die sooner and have a hotter surface than red stars.
Secondly, the cluster has approximately 200 giant red stars. These have run out of hydrogen at their centers, so they are fusing hydrogen further from their core, with expanding outer layers that will subsequently cool and glow red. They appear all over the second image.
As last detail, we have the nebulosity pattern. Product of dust and gas from supernova explosions. Thus, these colossal structures have been formed that give a mystical aspect to these celestial bodies.