Hubble captures impressive space caterpillar

Incredible discoveries are still waiting for us in the infinity of space - from intergalactic bridges to colorful nebulae. All of the resulting images and data are made possible by the collaboration of space agencies and telescopes such as newcomer James Webb or veteran Hubble. Despite its age, it was the latter that allowed us to see this breathtaking space caterpillar in all its details, NASA reports.

The space caterpillar, IRAS 20324+ 4057, is a star cluster located about 4,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus and is on its way to becoming a star. Judging by the approximate data, it is still at an early stage, so it is nothing more than a huge cloud of dust and gas. In the image taken by Hubble, we can observe an elongated structure, for which it received an attractive name. Its estimated length is one light year, so we are talking about a formation of enormous size.

Why does it have such a striking elongated shape? According to scientists, this is ultraviolet radiation emanating from bright stars. This shape would have taken thousands of years to create, and now, thanks to the eyes of the Hubble Space Telescope, we can observe its structure in great detail and analyze each of its parts.