APOD: 21st December, 2009

[Octane]

This is incredible; I always wondered what the heart of the hairy spider looked like. Finally, all is revealed:

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091221.html

Regards,
Humayun

[Rodstar]

Notice the very rich core, which is slightly offset from centre. Some theorise this is a globular cluster in the making.

Great job, Hubble!

[nightstalker]

wow the full sized shot is incredible :)

[troypiggo]

This Hubble fellow has been taking some really nice images of late. He certainly gets a lot of APOD images posted. :)

[Liz]

Absolutely gorgeous!!

[multiweb]

:eyepop: Great shot. Doesn't matter how deep and up close you get on the tarantula it always looks messy.

[[1ponders]]

Beautiful shot.

You definitely wouldn't want to be a burgeoning life giving planet in there when those big suckers start going supernova in a couple of million years. If they are just the big O and B stars I wonder how many F, G, K and M class stars are in there?

[Kevnool]

Great image...No wonder the Tarantula is so bright.
Cheers Kev.

[Garyh]

Wow! ripper closeup!
Might have to make that wallpaper for some time!

[Ric]

Lovely, definitely wallpaper material as Gary said.

Cheers

[AlexN]

Indeed a stunning, and very different view of one of our favorite targets! I would agree this could be a globular cluster in the making, Given the size of the stars in the field of view, and their relatively close proximity to each other, the gravity involved could indeed tie them into a globular in the future.. Of course, given the type of stars we're looking at, by the time gravity does its thing and brings them together, I dare say a few of them will have hit critical mass and blown the others away... Definitely an interesting area of space to watch for the next few million years..

[Robh]

Great picture! I will pay more attention to the cluster R136 next time I look at the Tarantula.

Regards, Rob