Image: Hubble spots swirls of dust within the flame Nebula

The Flame Nebula, additionally referred to as NGC 2024, is a big star-forming area within the constellation Orion that lies about 1,400 light-years from Earth. It’s a portion of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, which incorporates such well-known nebulae because the Horsehead Nebula and Orion Nebula.

This picture focuses on the darkish, dusty coronary heart of the nebula, the place a star cluster resides, principally hidden from view. Nearby (however not seen on this picture) is the intense star Alnitak, the easternmost star within the Belt of Orion. Radiation from Alnitak ionizes the Flame Nebula’s hydrogen fuel. As the fuel begins to chill from its higher-energy state to a lower-energy state, it emits power within the type of mild, inflicting the seen glow behind the swirled wisps of dust.

Researchers have used Hubble to measure the mass of stars within the cluster as they seek for brown dwarfs, a kind of dim object that is too scorching and large to be labeled as a planet but additionally too small and funky to shine like a star.