Infant Stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud

This group of baby stars still forming from collapsing gas clouds have not yet ignited their hydrogen fuel. The Small Magellanic Cloud is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way and Hubble has uncovered a population of embryonic stars within. Hubble provides a crisp view of these young stars as they coalesce out of gravitationally collapsing gas clouds. The stars have not yet ignited their hydrogen fuel to sustain nuclear fusion. The smallest of these infant stars is only half the mass of our Sun. A portion of every Posternauts purchase supports young minds through the scholarship fund of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center® Foundation. Learn More Object Name: NGC 346 Release Date: Jan 12, 2005 Image Credits: NASA, ESA, and A. Nota (STScI/ESA)