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In this view of the center of the magnificent barred spiral galaxy NGC
1512, the Hubble telescope reveals a stunning 2,400 light-year-wide
circle of infant star clusters. Astronomers generally believe that the
giant bar, which is too faint to be seen in this image, funnels the
gas to the inner ring, where massive stars are formed within numerous
star clusters. Located 30 million light-years away, NGC 1512 is a neighbor
of our Milky Way galaxy.
Photographs and astronomical descriptions courtesy of NASA and AURA/STScI
Tales of the Immortal Night ©2003, J.J. Kuhl
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