NGC 261 Shines Brightly in the Small Magellanic Cloud: Hubble’s Insight into Star Formation.

NGC 261 is situated within the Small Magellanic Cloud, one of the Milky Way’s nearest galactic companions.

NGC 261 shines with a brilliant ruby red in this new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, set against a backdrop of countless stars. Discovered on September 5, 1826, by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop, this nebula resides in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), one of the Milky Way’s closest galactic neighbors. Classified as an emission nebula, NGC 261’s vivid pinkish-red glow is the result of ionized gas emitted by hot, young stars within the nebula, which energizes the surrounding hydrogen gas.

This inset image highlights the position of NGC 261 within the Small Magellanic Cloud.

HHubble turned its attention to NGC 261 to explore the efficiency of star formation within molecular clouds—dense regions of gas and dust that are crucial for star birth. These clouds are primarily composed of molecular hydrogen, the main ingredient for star formation, but are challenging to measure directly because molecular hydrogen doesn’t emit detectable radiation. Instead, scientists use other molecules, like carbon monoxide (CO), which are associated with hydrogen and serve as indicators of molecular clouds.

In the Small Magellanic Cloud, where NGC 261 is located, there is a rich environment of young stars and trace amounts of CO. By employing the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), Hubble captured detailed images of this region. 

The data obtained from these observations, which span optical and near-infrared wavelengths, provide insights into the star-forming processes in NGC 261 and similar regions, enhancing our understanding of star formation both in our galaxy and in neighboring galaxies.